We had a 15" LCD flat panel on our last boat that ran on 12VDC, it only drew 2 amps. The 22" one we are looking at draws 4 - 5 amps but it has a built in DVD player and that likely increases the draw somewhat. 3 amps is pretty minimal, unless you're running it a lot then it can add up (3 amps is per hour), but we only used ours a couple of hours a day and that's little draw.

I installed this television in my boat. It's available from Target online only.

Has a great picture and built in DVD player. I wired it into my 12 volt system with an inline fuse. At the end of the season I unplug it. It's a good unit and I'd buy it again if had to do it over.

[url]http://www.target.com/Skyworth-720p-LCD-HDTV-Combo/dp/B000XHQDQK[/url]

Here's a place that has a pile of 12 volt appliances and a large selection of TVs/DVDs.

[url]http://www.12volt-travel.com/[/url]

Mike, your question was a good one, as it seems likely that if the output from the TV's 'brick' was 12 VDC, then ship's power ought to do the job. I mean, 12 volts DC is 12 volts DC, right?

In fact, your idea was so compelling that I just now reached under my desk to look at the 'brick' on my laptop's AC plug-in. Alas, I needed a microscope to read the miniscule font...and what does that say about aging? Anyway, with a little optical help I read 18.5 volts. So I am out of luck on this front.

Just so everyone knows what we're talking about, the 'brick' Mike refers to is the power conversion device that takes AC power from your wall outlet and changes it to low voltage DC at the plug-in to your laptop or other portable appliance. It's what makes my 4 lb laptop feel like it weighs 15 lbs when I schlep it on a trip.

So here's the answer, offered with no warranty: 12 volts being 12 volts, it OUGHT to work. There is a concern, though, as to the variability of the ship supply. When you use a portable device with public power, the resultant DC fed into your device is stable within a narrow range. Not so on the boat, as starting the engine will momentarily draw down the ship's DC to something well under 12 volts, and then the alternator will kick it up to a higher level, near or even spiking beyond 15 volts. Was your TV built to take that wide range of power?

Depending on your resources you can try it and find out. Just make sure you properly size the fuse (or circuit breaker). You say the TV uses 12 VDC at 3 amps, so it sounds like you want a fuse no larger than 5 amps. If it doesn't work, please be sure to properly recycle your TV to keep electronics out of the landfill.

Only thing I would check, would be the polarity. There should be a symbol on the brick that has the polarity indicated, sort of a big C with a dot in the middle with a + and - sign for each. The 'C' is the outer contact on the plug, the 'dot' is the inner contact. You'd want to make sure that your plug to the onboard DC system, probably a cigarette lighter plug, produces the correct polarity on the end you're going to plug into your TV. While it is PROBABLY correct, I've fried more than one piece of equipment by using a wall wart of the same voltage, but NOT the same polarity:mad:. Unless the TV is diode protected against reverse polarity, you'd only get to make that mistake once.

I think what you're describing is a choke; see if this is what you mean [url]http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3012599[/url]

If so, it's function is to reduce 60Hz AC line hum that comes through a poorly regulated AC to DC power supply. You wouldn't need that if you're powering your TV from the boat's DC system, as there's no AC in the mix.

plaineolde, you're right about not needing the choke to filter 60 hertz AC hum if it's plugged into a boat's DC system, but your statement brings up another point...if the engine is running could the alternator produce ripple of its own that would need to be filtered??

BTW, Mike, the choke that plaineolde refers to is not directly connected to the copper wire(s), but is rather an iron 'mass' that fits over/around the wire. It's purpose is to 'smooth' the DC power coming from the brick. It works inductively; that is, by proximity, instead of direct electrical connection.

noise from the alternator is possible; I remember a cassette deck I installed in my car in the 70's that made a 'zipping' noise that rose and fell with the rpm of the engine. Very annoying. My understanding, which could be wrong, is that's an RF noise, not something coming through the DC system. I wouldn't swear to that though.

Just a thought - "12V" is not ALWAYS 12 Volts.
We have not updated Tara's video set (Currently an earlier, pre-DVD Sony tube and VCR, 120V AC/12VDC combo).
That said, the fine print in the manual referenced 13.8V DC power (this is the Float setpoint on alternators on automobiles and boats). Sure enough, the combo set only turned on with the engine running.
We solved the problem by using the AC power via the inverter.
So, check the specs and make sure that the 12V system will operate in a range , preferably somewhere between 11V-14V or so.
But then, we never seem to watch TV/videos aboard anyhow. One of the benefits of a boat is to get away from the rest of the world!

The 13.5 volt reading was with no load. The wall wart probably has a 'rating' on it, something like 12 volts at .2A or something like that. So it would deliver closer to 12 volts while powering the TV.

If you were to monitor the voltage of your engine starting battery, it would probably read somewhere near 12.5-12.8 volts unloaded but drop a couple volts while cranking the engine, eg., delivering power into a very high load.

I use a small inverter to power my 22" LCD TV. It has a little cooling fan. You can hear the fan slow down when the TV gets turned on and the inverter is powering a load, so the fan sees a bit less voltage.

So measuring 13.5 volts unloaded is a good thing. :D

[QUOTE=ciscocat;3560]Howdy all,
i was in bestbuy today and ran across a 22" led tv and in looking at it i noticed that that power input was a 120 ac to 12v dc brick. I have been trying to find a tv that i could use on my boat that uses 12v dc power without the need of an inverter. would something like this work. I think it showed 12v dc output @ 3 amps. would that present a problem for power consumption?
regards,
Mike
#226 s/v Ciscocat[/QUOTE]

Last year I purchased a 19" Skyworth tv with built in dvd player. Fits perfect on the 36 and it runs on both 110 or 12v. This tv is amazing. Especially now that the over the air signals are all digital. The best price I found for this tv was on [url]www.roadtrucker.com[/url].
Lance

Lance,

Good lead on the TV, I see they sell Audiovox as well, I installed one of their stereo on my boat and love it, they make a lot of 12 volt equipment for travel trailers and motor homes, there prices are far bettern than the marine equivilents.

As for 12/110 volt TV's I purchased one two years ago on the internet,
The brand was Digital, had a great picture, and had a built in DVD player.
I was unable to use it on 12 volts the one time I tried, may have been a low voltage problem. I seldom have the desire to watch TV underway and found it worked great at the dock until the switch to digital broadcast last year. I then found that the only thing digital about my Digital TV was the brand name. I have not found a 12 volt digital converter yet, it may be easier to buy the TV you found.

Anyone want to buy a "DIGITAL" brand TV? Made by the same people who market the INSTANT slow cooker crock pots.

Steve,
The Skyworth brand is very popular with the truckers. Technically, the tv operates at 12 volts all the time. When you want to use 110v, there is a separate cord with transformer which steps down the voltage to 12v. The nice thing is that the tv comes with a cigarette lighter cord for 12 v operation. And we all know how nice that is for the 36!
I can't say enough about the quality.
I don't watch much tv on the boat but it is nice to have on a rainy day or if you want to catch the local weather. I have a digital antenna on top of the mast with the built in amplifier and i am always amazed at how many channels I can pick up.
Skyworth also also has a 15 inch version but there isn't much cost difference. The 19 is a perfect fit. I fastened down the base at 4 points with the adhesive type quick release fasteners. That way it is very secure under all conditions.