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Ignoring the cost issue. Just thinking about the battery power consumed, does anyone know the relative efficiency of using an inverter to run a TV at 220V versus 12V through a stabiliser?
good quality inverters, run close to their "sweet spot" at approx. 50% of their nominal power output, can operate at up to 90% efficiency, sometimes even more. Typical 12V stabilizers reach about 80%.
The unknown term in the equation is the efficiency of the TV's original 230V power supply. If we assume it has about 90%, then both ways would yield approximately the same total efficiency.
So in most cases the difference will be marginal. With the inverter solution having the advantage of more flexibility.
Best Regards,
Gerhard
______________________________________________________________ Euramobil Sport 585DS (C-class):
I have a UMC tv and carried out some tests with an amp meter. With the invertor I use .35 amps more. So 10 hours TV is 3.5 amps. I dont think it is worth using a stabiliser, I use a small invertor that plugs direct to a fag lighter socket.
Thanks guys. It looks like the inverter is the most flexible solution without a huge power down side.
The TV I was looking at is discussed in another post. From the discussion it looks like running direct off the 12V (nominal) whilst not on hookup or engine running would be low risk in any case.
mmmmm . Im an electrician and install large scale "inverters"in industrial situations . I also have a small 400w inverter in my van. im very suspicious of the efficiency claims made by these small devices and run my laptop off a 12v to 19v electronic convertor ( maplin and other places )and my tv off a small 12v stabilizer which came with it..most modern electronic equipment has a wide tolerance of voltage fluctuations me thinks. Every time you convert from 1 voltage to another you " lose" power ..so using an inverter thats 12v to 230v then into your tv where its converted back into 12v or whatever the internal circuitary uses my inverter is now used only for emergencys ....charging wifes phone so she can chat to her mum!
mmmmm . Im an electrician and install large scale "inverters"in industrial situations . I also have a small 400w inverter in my van. im very suspicious of the efficiency claims made by these small devices and run my laptop off a 12v to 19v electronic convertor ( maplin and other places )and my tv off a small 12v stabilizer which came with it..most modern electronic equipment has a wide tolerance of voltage fluctuations me thinks. Every time you convert from 1 voltage to another you " lose" power ..so using an inverter thats 12v to 230v then into your tv where its converted back into 12v or whatever the internal circuitary uses my inverter is now used only for emergencys ....charging wifes phone so she can chat to her mum!
I use something similar to this.
http://tinyurl.com/invertor
I took the readings myself using a digital ampmeter.
I suppose theres also no way of knowing which of the TV's inputs are more efficient? 220 or 12?
My current laptop has a 20 volt input, and I have the manufacturers own 12v transformer as well as the 220v that came with it. The 12v one gets properly hot, despite it having a smaller step to make!
Jason
______________________________________________________________ Small steps
Gerhard has covered the principles. There is no way of adding to this (beyond idle speculation) other than by simply doing 12V current A/B measurements with a particular TV and a particular inverter.
An old Grundig TV I had was FAR more efficient through an inverter than direct 12V. This situation was more often the case for CRT TVs than nowadays.
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