TV/Display Options (NC795)

[ted415]

Hi does anyone have experience with these portable displays that can run off any power source?

Example:

www.amazon.com/dp/B08BZB7B1Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_CcY1FbXBH6GRA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


Seems an ideal solution and super light (could be Command Strip or Velcro onto forward berth wall).

HDMI input for cable or Chromecast.

I just need to know if the cockpit cigarette lighter can power full resolution and refresh rate of the 1080 linked. 4Ks are available I believe bit use more power.

[rene460]

Hi Ted, welcome to the forum.  You will find lots of helpful information here.  Where in the world are you based?

A tv on a boat is a question that applies to both power and sail.  I don’t know the particular model referred to by your link, but I do have a 12V tv on our sailing vessel.  It is a fusion brand, like the audio/am/fm sound systems.  The tv also includes a DVD player and additional inputs.  We have found it excellent, about 8 years old now and we enjoy it particularly on winter evenings.  We have a powered multidirectional arial of the type sold at marine chandlers.  Also, the fixed installation means it is wired into the audio system for sound through the speakers in the boat.

I would recommend fixed wiring and installing it by screwing securely to a bulkhead, or better still, screw a bracket to the wall to which the screen is easily mounted when you are stationary.  A sailing vessel has a bit gentler motion, most of the time, but on a power boat if you slam into a wave, the inertia forces on something like the screen can be quite high.  I know Velcro is pretty good these days, but I would not trust a Velcro installation.  You don’t want to find the screen on the floor.

I also have a very similar unit on our land based caravan, and that one does run on a cigarette lighter.  Cigarette lighter sockets are generally rated at 10 amps, so potentially 120 watts, though in my experience on land and water RV’s is that the wiring is not quite up to that unless the outlet is very near the battery so that the wire is short.  I suspect the tv is quite a bit less but I am not sure.  The RV installation instructions clearly recommend always removing the screen from the wall when travelling.

The 12 V solution is certainly more expensive than the usual mains powered units, but works well with battery power.  I have no experience of running one of them via an inverter on a boat.  The modest power consumption of typical small tv’s would suggest it may be possible, though you may need a good quality inverter to ensure no unwanted noise, which might come from an electrically noisy inverter.

rene460

[ted415]

Thanks I appreciate your response!

[robert1]

Installed SuperSonic tv in my boat. I cut off the "cigarette lighter" 12-volt adapter after determining the + and - wires and hard-wired it into the electrical system. Incredibly light. Sitting 8 to 10 feet away, there is no quality issue with the image. If you want a great system at a great price for your RV or boat, this will work.