Campervan tv options?

sean61

So I'm now two weeks into owning my first camper 😀 I've clocked up a few hundred kms so I'm getting used to the size and left hand drive and I've ironed out most of the issues that you would expect to find with a 20 year old vehicle.

After camping without the use of campsites and EHU points, I think that's the way it will be for the majority of our trips. So what are the options for 12v tvs and audio for entertainment?

I've been looking at Cello and Finlux model tvs online and they get mixed reviews. Some say they are great and others say they're crap! I'd like to be able watch downloaded movies and shows via usb but most tvs would require a separate media player which are generally powered off the mains. Will a portable ariel pick up much stations or is satellite the only option?

CelticRambler

I don't have a TV (at home or on the road :P ) so can't comment on any portable sets, but I all my AV entertainment needs are catered for with a laptop and a mobile phone, as well as the radio-CD player in the dashboard.

My phone has an FM receiver which gets better reception than the built-in radio (fixing that is next on this year's to-do list), and being a phone is dead easy to power/recharge using a 12V USB charger. The phone comes in handy for replaying audio that I've recorded while on the road (e.g. sessions at festivals)

For videos, I'll either play a DVD or download something when I have a wifi connection and store it on the machine (plan to put more stuff on a dedicated flash drive). I have an FM broadcaster that I plug into the headphone socket which sends the sound to the "big" speakers and saves me having to wear earphones while cooking or moving around for other reasons. I have a 12V charger for the laptop (about 20€) that'll get the battery back up to 100% while I'm driving, although I'll run it off the leisure battery too if I need to (which is quite often, as I also use the laptop intensively for photo and video purposes, and all the other usual computery things).

DVDs need to turn a motor. Movies from you hard drive (especially SSD) use less laptop juice.

sean61

The laptop might not be a bad solution for now but I'd rather have a tv mounted somewhere. I often use the laptop to watch movies when I stay away from home as it is but I find the screen a bit small unless it's on your lap and then no one else can watch it. It would also be nice having the option of hooking up a dish to the tv for longer breaks.

Would leaving the van radio on take long to run down the battery? It's not really an option for me as I have an older model camper and the crappy speakers in the dash are barely audible from the drivers seat never mind the living area! I have been toying with the idea of fitting more speakers and connect the radio to the leisure battery instead of the engine battery for peace of mind though

runner2011

we have a walker 12V TV/DVD combo that also plays multi format video files via USB and SAORVIEW .. had it for about 4 years now with no issues. We have it linked up to a satellite unit so we can get TV in most locations.

sean61

runner2011 wrote: »

we have a walker 12V TV/DVD combo that also plays multi format video files via USB and SAORVIEW .. had it for about 4 years now with no issues. We have it linked up to a satellite unit so we can get TV in most locations.

I was parked up last night and saw my neighbours camper satellite dish pop up and find the channels by itself. I know they are expensive systems and way out of my budget but it looked awful handy. Are you using something similar or do you manually set it up each time?

crabbypaddy

sean61 wrote: »

I was parked up last night and saw my neighbours camper satellite dish pop up and find the channels by itself. I know they are expensive systems and way out of my budget but it looked awful handy. Are you using something similar or do you manually set it up each time?

Manual setup isn't a big deal if you have a reasonably sized dish e.g. 60cm+ and a good lnb. The smaller the dish the more critical the angles and setup and the more susceptible you are to weather, foliage etc. The small 45cm caravan dishes cause people a lot of grief.

runner2011

we have a auto find Dome unit .. works in all weather conditions such as very strong winds but do stick up a bit on the roof of the camper. Lost one dome cover thanks to a very low foot bridge into a camp site up north .. i have no experience with the manual ones so cannot comment on them.

kelbal

An aerial like this on your roof will pick up Irish Saorview channels....

http://www.partsformotorhomes.com/milenco-900l-antenna.html

On my travels around the country I pretty much always can pick the channels up (RTE1, RTE2, RTE News now, TV3)

Then get your 12v TV with a saorview receiver on it. I'd imagine any TV these days will have a USB port on it to play your movies.

My own TV is an older model without Saorview\USB. I'm using a cheaper saorview box like this.. http://www.freetv.ie/digital-tv/. You'd have to use an inverter (150W is plenty) to convert your 12v up to 240v but it works fine for me, am able to watch 2 or 3 movies 2 nights in a row no bother.

Then if you really want satellite for the BBC's, ITV's and all the other crap, I suppose you can get something like this..... http://www.partsformotorhomes.com/maxview-next-generation-manual-crank-up-satellite-kit-65cm.html, which would be on the cheaper end. You'd need a satellite receiver box connected to the TV also, but you can get one of these cheap enough also.

You have to give thought to the connections where you're putting the TV. Will there be a 12V power connection, a cigarrete type one? You'll have to plan how your 12V TV will connect to your 12V leisure battery system

sean61

Wow even those manual satellite dishes are more expensive than I would have thought. This is our first camper and we're only in our 20's so it looks like we'll have to stick to usb movies due to a tight budget!!

I thought someone might have figured out a cheaper way to set a dish up manually for little cost. I may have an attempt at it myself when I have the time. €600+ seems like a lot of money for free to air channels!

There is a deal in Currys at the moment for a HD 24" samsung tv for €169.99. I noticed it has a 14v power adapter rather than being wired straight to the mains so fingers crossed a car laptop charger will be able to power it. I'm picking one up over the weekend to give it a go.

kelbal

Well there is this.....
http://www.partsformotorhomes.com/maxview-portable-satellite-kit.html
But you'd have to set it up on the ground outside your camper, only really suitable in a campsite. I have seen fellas with dishes like this on a pole strapped onto the ladder at the back of the camper. Lidl and aldi do camper satellite kits from time to time, that'd be your cheap way to go

Set CV (constant voltage) to TV PSU voltage.
Set CC (constant current) to max.