Santa comes early

[Graham]

We agreed a while ago that we didn't know what to buy each other for Christmas, so we had a think and decided to buy ourselves a joint present to send to Santa.

We have been after a TV for the van when the nights are long and dark (our old 5" black and white has seen better days), so after researching various options via the internet we decided on a Roadstar 9" wide screen with digital and analogue tuners.

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000GFB724/kelkoocpc-lcdtvs-21/ref=nosim

It came today so we have had a little play and its brilliant, its got a built in extending aerial for analogue and a plug in digital arial, at home there is a weak Freeview signal but we managed to get most of the channels when we scanned for them.

Can't wait for our next trip out in the van, looking forward to seeing Match of the Day in colour which I haven't been able to do in the van before, unless Pauline decides that we are watching some slushy film on Film 4.

Graham

[Derek]

Hi Graham

That looks a nice bit of kit , have you tried it on the leisure batt yet? The reason I ask is that I have just taken a little TV back to Maplin because it refused to work when the battery was only partly discharged (about 20% down at most). I checked the voltage and it was 12.5V. My old TV works down to 11.5V at least, probably lower.

The Maplin staff seemed to think that the TV was perfectly OK and it was my battery that was the problem. They said it should be 13.8V. One of them suggested using a solar panel to top up the battery, they didn't tell me the price !

I have read that the batt should be 13.8V with the Zig on mains and from 12.8V down to 11V when on load so I would hope any 12V gear would work down to 11V.

We are still looking for a little telly with both digital and analogue so might go for a Roadstar

Derek

[Graham]

Hi Derek

Oh dear, you have worried me now, no I haven't tried on 12v, I have tried it in the house and its great, I will definitely try it this weekend. That is the main reason we have bought it, to use on 12v.

Thanks for that, I will let you know what happens, keep you fingers crossed.

Regards
Graham

[Pauline]

You've got him worried Derek - he's now sat in the van on the drive in the pouring rain watching TV

Ah well, it just confirms to the neighbours that we are indeed crazy

[Derek]

Sorry about that Pauline, it will hopefully be OK but the shops never seem to know. Lets see now, 85 Amp Hour batt, 1.5 Amp telly, 85/1.5 = 56 Hours, has he got his sleeping bag?

Derek

[Graham]

Hi Derek

After sitting in a freezing cold van watching telly on the drive I decided to leave it on and come back in the warm. Now the neighbours have probably given up on us when they saw the telly on and nobody in sight.

Anyway I left it on for what seemed ages then went back to check and it was still merrily showing snooker to nobody, when I checked the battery charge it didn't seem to have made any difference so all seems well, I won't have to get Santa to fetch it back.

Graham