How to connect a Mains TV direct to 12v DC - Off Grid Living
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 เม.ย. 2022
- How to connect a Mains TV directly to 12v DC. We have a Samsung 230v smart TV which normally works on our inverter power supply. I show you how you can connect it directly to your leisure battery so you don't need to have the inverter switched on. You can use it directly off the 12v DC battery so we can live off-grid using free energy from the sun.
You can buy a 12v to 19v DC Converter using this link www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_fr...
The TV aerial we use is an AUGUST DTA240 high gain Freeview aerial with a magnetic base like the ones on this link www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_fr...
Our mobile internet we get using an EE sim fitted into a NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK mobile router.
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_fr...
Disclosure - As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase using the above affiliate link. Thank you for supporting our channel.
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Thank you very much for watching
Best wishes
Greg Virgoe - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
You can buy a 12v to 19v DC Converter using this link www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=12+v+to+19+vdc+converter&_sacat=0&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&siteid=3&campid=5338027957&toolid=11800&mkevt=1
The TV aerial we use is an AUGUST DTA240 high gain Freeview aerial with a magnetic base like the ones on this link www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=august+dta240&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_dmd=2&rt=nc&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&siteid=3&campid=5338027957&toolid=11800&mkevt=1
Our mobile internet we get using an EE sim fitted into a NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK mobile router.
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=netgear+nighthawk+m2&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=netgear+nighthawk+m1&_osacat=0&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&siteid=3&campid=5338027957&toolid=11800&mkevt=1
If you like our videos please do subscribe to the channel, it's free and a great way of saying thanks
Nice one bruvvah 👍😁
Good to know.
You must have a lot of courage or trust in your motoring skills to use the super sharp knife on such a beautiful table. 😳
I winced at that one too having watched all the build videos 😂😂😬😬
Very efficient way to power the TV. More people should do this. Nice job!
Greg you have just saved me from buying a 12v tv as I have Samsung, will now get a transformer great.
You are welcome good luck mate 👍🏼
Thank you! 😀😀 greetings from philippines. ☺☺
Seriously Greg.... you're like a version of The A-Team for Vanlife....💪👍
Have a look at 'car charger for laptop' and for £10 you get a multi voltage 80W adaptor with loads of plugs for your kit. Very easy and cheap way to do this!
Good to see you doing vidsxagain Greg.
👍
Yes you can do that also 👍🏼😊
I tried one of those laptop adapters and it conked out within 1 hour. Didn't bother sending it back. Greg's transformer looks much more robust. Greg - you did screw it to the bulkhead I hope.
@@jimb7406 I would think you had a faulty one? It's only a DC-DC circuit, as simple as it gets!
Mines 2005 vintage and still going strong. 💪
@@paulluggar5964 They don't make them like they used to it seems!
The one I had was one of the multi voltage outputs depending on the jack that you use. Also had the retracting coiled up cable so plenty of scope for broken wire or bad connections. Ive got a 12v TV in my van now.
Perfectly explained as always...nice one Greg...very handy walkthrough
Thank you Arthur, glad you liked it 👍🏼😃
Greg, that was superb, showing us exactly what you did and the rationale behind it. It's a huge thumbs-up and a sub from me...and loads of respect from Derbyshire. Look forward to seeing more of your channel.
Thank you Stan and there are loads more videos like this here
That's me checking what voltage my TV is in van cheers greg
It’s the way forward mate 👍🏼😃
I only stumbled across your channel yesterday Greg, and very thankful I did. Working my way through your how toos and knowledge. Absolutely brilliant! Thank you again ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Where have you been all these years 😆😃 welcome aboard I’m sure you’ll find loads of useful stuff here 🤩
Thanks Greg, much appreciated! have binge watched a ton of your videos for our up and coming travels/van
Awesome! Thank you!
A connector block?. Never thought I’d see the day! 😉
Haha 😂 I know it’s all I had in the van 🚐😃
rv's are full of them.
Hi Greg
Yet another ripping blog.
As time moves on you always seem to look younger.
Thank you for all your time & efforts.
Kind regards
Glyn
wow this is smart thinking about the 12v to the 19v, something i would do if i had to take a step further, love your video, this is very inspiring to watch 😁
Another great video from Greg. Keep the posts coming mate, love to watch them👍
Thank you Adam. I’ve got a few of these in the pipeline.
Thanks Greg, I have a fair bit of electrical knowledge but never knew about the low voltage running on some smart tvs. Many thanks for sharing 👍
You’re welcome 😃
This was really useful, Greg. I had no idea some mains TVs actually ran on DC and 12v TVs can be expensive. Thanks as always - you are the 'go to' source of info for me. 😁👍
Yes most things for camper-vans are very overpriced. I guess they think if you can afford an expensive motorhome you can afford to pay more for normal items. 🤔🥴
@GregVirgoe add the word mar8ne and you multiply the price by 10😢😢😢
Gamechanger top tip, Greg.
Thank you.
Another very helpful film. Once again Thank you.
Great video, there's one thing about your presentations, they don't faff and explain the whole process from start to finish, unlike some who click bait and don't. We'll done
Straight forward and to the point glad you liked it. 👍🏼😃
Thank you for this demo I was thinking of running my mini computer straight from the 12v . Really clear demo. Nice one.
Just check the input voltage to the pc. I have the same mini pc and ran it with a voltage regulator 👍🏼😃
Yet another really useful video, thanks for sharing.
Take a look at the Wago lever connectors for joining your cables, they really are game
changers. The slight cost increase over the terminal blocks is minimal when compared with the quality of the connection.
Keep the vids coming pal. Their great.
It was the only thing I had in the van at the time. Did say it was temporary 🥴👍🏼
Cheers to you and Lou, Greg. Looking forward to upcoming videos. Always great stuff.
We really appreciate your continued support John 🙏🏼😊
@@GregVirgoe Always Greg! One of these days, I'll buy you and Lou a beverage, either on your side of the Pond or mine.
Great info Greg. Will have to incorporate that into my van....what a power saver.
I’ve been wanting to do this for a while
Thank you for showing us how
!
You’re welcome
I been living in auto's for over 20 years. Ya the first one I have came across, that has any common sense when it comes to conserve power. I run every thing on 12 volts DC. I see converter's as a big waste of power. Great video. Peace ✌️
It’s taken me a few years of living off grid to realise this is the way forward.
@@GregVirgoe I agree. Peace ✌️
Planning on doing a Van conversation very soon and this is a too tip. Thanks Greg 👍🏼
It’s a great solution to get a better quality tv without inverter.
@@GregVirgoe might be calling on your vids for some more tips in the near future, when the van prices come down a bit that is.
Hi Greg, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am about to finish my Sprinter Van conversion (it is exactly like yours, but in red) and...well... I ended up copying 95% of your layout, I was quite clueless and your series helped me so much! If you ever come to Barcelona in the next months, I would love to offer you and your lady a dinner :) thank you again!
I’m really pleased to hear this and so happy that the videos have helped you. Thank you for your generous offer too 👍🏼😃
Might do this with my van, can't believe you was cutting on top of your work surface!! Lol
The knife never touched the table and after 4 yrs of use it’s covered in scratches 😂😃
Super awesome stuff Greg - I wish I had your skills and experience for sure!!! Thanks!! Love from Scotland, xxx
Thank you for a lovely comment 😃
Nice one but its actually called a boost converter (as buck's step down voltage, boost's steps up, I'm sure it was a slip of the tongue). You can buy adjustable ones too for dirt cheap, sometimes also known as dc step up converters. Or even use a universal 12v laptop charger, 19v dc is a commonly used voltage for laptops.
Problem is finding a TV for cheap that you are certain takes DC. Lots of used ones on FB for cheap but no one takes good enough pics to see the model numbers etc.
Perfect, I will look for a few different transformers to see what they have
It’s much better than running an inverter. You can also switch the supply to avoid any parasitic drains
👌🏾 so glad I bumped into this, I’m from South Africa and our Electricity supplier is useless, I was thinking of running all the smaller electronics on Solar, now I know exactly what to do
I’m glad it has helped you 😃
If more people realised they could do this (and how) we wouldn't really even need 230v in our homes. Most appliances don't need so much power.
Great video.
Yes with the increase in fuel prices going off grid at home is the way forward 😃
@@GregVirgoe I totally agree
Thanks for this. 👍 Trying to get a low-voltage DC system off the ground and 'Mains TV direct to 12v DC' is a big consideration.
It’s a great solution to be off grid
Such a great video and so helpful. Food for thought when purchasing a new TV. Thanks
Pleased it was helpful. 👍🏼😃
@@GregVirgoe yes it was a great help because I'd have gone the route you suggest in the video, 12v to inverter to 240v then downscaling to 19v. Already ordered the converter. Will look to do the same for all devices that would need a inverter/down converter to supply 19v to 30v.
Thanks again
This will be great for nights when I get drunk at the cabin and turn the generator off
Well explained of a great idea to have a smart TV in your campervan Greg......stay safe......thanks for sharing
Thank you Ian, much appreciated 👍🏼😃
Thanks Greg, we are building a new house with a lot of solar power and I have been pondering on how to pull a dc circuit from the batteries for all the tech. This answers my questions, Fab!
Going off grid at home with the rise in fuel prices is the way to go and will save you a fortune 👍🏼😃
I was tempted to do this, but Lidl had an offer on for a 24" Sharp TV so I bought that and saved myself the hassle. Still - another great video! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for watching 👍🏼😊
Computer monitors are great as well, paired with an android box you have so many options. The 12v TV's I looked poor and the energy efficiency was rated at grade C using about 40 watts.
That’s the way I’ve gone. Way better efficiency and I just use a raspberry pi.
A great video as usual like all of yours. Would never have known TV ran on DC.
Some are like mine with external transformers and some larger ones have it built inside so not possible
Thanks for this valuable informati🇺🇲🇺🇲
You are welcome 🤗
Really interesting, thank you.
Thanks for sharing with an RTR lifestyle every volt counts will be chopping wires
Great video Gregg. Cheers from London 👍😎🏴
Thank you 😊
Hi Greg, that's brilliant. You don't know of these easy fixes when mains 240V AC is involved. Thanks for sharing. Tony
Just forwarded this tip and your channel on to my sister as she's doing a self build Citroën van, camper conversion right now. Cheers again.
@@tonyworkswood thank you very much for the recommendation 😃
A lot of devices can be charged directly through that 12/19v converter. I've been charging my laptop like this for years.
Bought a converter on AliExpress and it does the job!
Didn't know some TVs could be the same though. 👍👍👍
Isn't that aliexpress in USA? Do you have to pay taxes?
A lot of modern electrical devices run on lower DC voltages 👍🏼😃
and it works! Awesome 👍 greetings from the USA!
Thank you for watching from across the pond 🙌🤩👍🏼
Brilliant I was just about to buy a 12 v tv now I’ll just get an inverter Tks again
what i'm trying to do is not use the inverter and replace it with this boost converter as the TV that I have only needs 19v DC and not mains electric. Hope that makes sense.
I am an old farmer in Sweden . We got an RV built on a -83 Ford Transit diesel . In my world is one of the point with our RV no TV.
Like your channel.
Göran i Björnarbo
But for me being a social media creator I need it for TH-cam and as we live full time it’s our home. So to keep up on news etc. I guess you have a tv in your house?
Good job Greg. Early in my build I bought the Cello 12v. But if it needs replacing I will get a small smart tv that gives me plenty of option to change to same size. Incidentally I ran a trial on what the Jackery 500 would give me running telly and it was 20 hours. I can run direct from leisure batteries but prefer to use as much solar energy as possible. Thanx 4 Sharing.
Those power banks are a good all in one solution apart from being a bit expensive 🤔😊
Great TV info' cheers Greg
Thanks great vlog 👍
Brilliant thanks Greg
Very useful. Well done Greg!
Thank you 🙏🏼
Just seen the links. Thanks
Thank you, this really is so helpful for my van... and... I have the exact same TV so I know it'll work... bonus!
Perfect! Thats great news, all links are in the video description.
Thanks for the good idea, in the future I will use my 4k monitor (19V) directly without inverter.
I follow the channel, I see good ideas here.
Thank you, so much useful and easy to understand information
Really pleased that you liked it 👍🏼😃
Fantastic - massively more efficient - great job and great use of off the shelf TV - those DC to DC converters are great aren’t they - all the best, David 👍
Thank you for great feedback 👍🏼😃
Is it ''massively'' more efficient? Greg does not show this with a power draw reading on each method, so how can we know?
Awesome video sir ! I've been thinking about this for my home TV's, to run off of a solar panel or two !
There are lots of ways to make your home off grid very easily.
Thank you. Very useful info.
Glad you liked it 👍🏼😃
Nice one👍
Did the same for my laptop back in 2017
My editing laptop is 190w so I haven’t found one big enough to power that yet but I’m looking
Very useful video Greg! Anytime you can cut an invertor out of the loop, you're way ahead of the game... Thanks very much for sharing!
Glad you liked it.
@@GregVirgoe Greg, I was wondering... if you had two 19v devices (monitor & laptop) would you need two of the convertors or could you use one for both. It's not so much a cost issue as trying to keep the 'closet' as clean as possible. I would guess one would do it but I'm skittish af when it comes to electrical stuff. I'd hate to blow up my laptop in an experiment! :)
@@owenparker6651 I think my laptop is 19.5v and double the power in watts. Not sure what difference the 0.5v would make but I guess it’s pretty critical to it working right.
@@GregVirgoe Mine all say 19.5v as well, Greg. I totally missed that or wanted to miss it, maybe! :)
@@owenparker6651 search for 12v laptop charger on eBay there will be a lot that come up quite cheap just check the power rating in watts
What a brilliant idea. Thanks for that 👍
Glad you liked it 👍🏼😃
Great tip.
Ya I was going to say when you said 230v that I have a similar looking TV that uses like 19v and use a boost converter but I guess you have it all figured out
I do now thank you 🙏🏼😃
Very informative, brilliant thank you 👍
I’m glad you liked it Kenny 👍🏼😊
awesome! will look into this for the laptop! 18v 120w though
Cracking idea, great vid. Thank you.
Glad you liked it 👍🏼
Nice one Greg, I knew that plenty of TVs are low voltage so we bought a 24" LG last week but I had assumed it was 12v. Probably would had me scratching my head when it didn't work, I have ordered a voltage converter today.
Just check the input voltage on the back and make sure it’s dc 👍🏼😃
Fantastic! This is the next mod for us. What a brilliant tutorial. This is something I could get on with myself, following this tutorial. Every single step covered. Brilliant as always!
Thank you Fiona. I’m sure you could manage this yourself
Brilliant idea Greg 💡 👏 👌
Glad you like it 👍🏼😃
Thank you for your help.
You are welcome 🙏🏼
Very good idea. Better than a noisy and expensive converter.👍
Thank you for watching 👍🏼😃
you are very resourceful!
Thank you 😊
Top job! I did something similar but with an older budget curry’s tv that had a 240-12v brick to use at home which I removed and ran a cable from my 12v fuse board and earth and used a dc plug which had 2 screw terminals on the back. It’s not a smart tv but we use a chromecast for all the usual stuff and a fire stick if we’re away and it’s a F1 weekend 😍😎👍🏻
Yes a chrome cast or fire stick is another great solution 👍🏼😃
Well that's strange as all my TV's don't come with a brick / well not on the outside ? & Have a two pin push on connector ?
@@stephenboyd4934 not all do
@@stephenboyd4934 yes it will only work with smaller TVs like this not all sadly. Your tv probably has that built into it. 🥴
Brilliant! Thanks Greg!
You are most welcome 🙏🏼
2:30 It is a boost converter (up, 12->19V), not a buck converter (down)
Thanks for correcting me, sorry I got it wrong :D
niiice, didn't know that!
please help me with an issue I have. I bought some ex EV lithium ion batteries and connected 4 x 3.65v in series, which means they're 14.6v nominal, and they'll probably charge up to 16v. can I use a buck converter from that 16v down to 12v from the battery to the 12v fuse box? is it safe to do? I know I should have bought a lifepo4, but didn't have enough money, and really want to make this work. Thanks.
@@camperdude5241 The maximum charge voltage for lithium is often 4.2 Volts for a single cell, not 3.65V. Lithium batteries are charged with constant current, not voltage. You provide a constant current to the cells and the voltage will rise. When the cell voltage is 4.2V (varies with the cell type), charging is stopped. Not all cells may reach the cut off voltage at the same time, this is remedied with "balancing". A buck or boost converter does not provide a constant current (CC) by default, most only provide constant voltage (CV), like the one that is used to power the television in the video. You need a power supply that provides CC and CV. The current never rises above the set maximum current and the voltage also never rises above the set maximum voltage. The current and voltage applied to the cells always follow Ohm's Law. Be careful what you do, Lithium batteries can burn.
@@RAL2010 you got it the wrong way round he wants to use the buck converter to use power FROM the battery pack not to charge it 👍
Yes you can use a buck converter to lower the voltage from the pack 👍
Just make sure the converter can handle the full amount of amps the whole fuse board is distributing to the whole system 👍
Just wanted to be first. I'll watch the video tonight. All the best, mate! 👍🏽😉
Thanks for the speedy comment, hope you are keeping well.
We aim to please, @@GregVirgoe! 😉
Great work!
Thank you
Nice one Greg... Thanks for sharing..😍
Thank you for watching 😃
Thank you for this video, too.
I´m stil searching for an used flat screen with a low voltage input.
Because the most has 220 Volt AC input.
I saw a couple like mine on eBay refurbished. 👍🏼😃 LT24
@@GregVirgoe Ok, thank you.
I should check out, which modells have low voltage input. And then search these models to buy it.
Good information. You can also get a buck converter for 24v from 12v to run CPAPs. Some companies charge $500 for a small lithium battery when you can build your own off grid camping CPAP supply with a 12v battery for $100
We should all be looking at this with the rise in energy bills
Great idea Greg thanks.
Glad you like it 👍🏼🤩
Hi Greg great hack have just done our tv in our caravan for when we are on rallys and off grid .
Big thanks from the kids lol
I bought one last week works great cheers Greg im not really bothered about power drain when not in use as van gets used daily and battery dont drop much anyways even with 12v fridge on 24/7
I would imagine it is close to nothing at all 😃
@@GregVirgoe I have fridge router and TV on standby and all my victron running 24/7 it only drops a few % overnight nothing to worry about
@@northeastcarpfishing I agree if your system can handle it no problem
Thank you. All the best. Cheers. 👍😎
You are welcome 🙏🏼
Great idea - thanks.
Thanks for watching 👍🏼
Great video, thanks mate 😊
Sorry to say, that I can't recommend any, because tryign to heat water with battery power takes so many amps it's not practical to do so. I woudl look at using lpg myself unless you plan to always be on camp site hook up, then use a mains water heater
Very cool stuff! It's surprising how many electronic devices work this way, making them very inefficient when used in either off-grid or mobile situations, where an inverter is used to convert AC to DC power. It would be interesting to see a future where more DC power is generated from local solar or wind sources and then used directly with DC appliances. This results in a single, more efficient conversion, from the source current to that required by the device.
Absolutely agree with you and local off grid setup at home can save you fortunes with these rising energy costs. 👍🏼😃
@drswan - Depends entirely on your definition of "local", doesn't it? Rooftop solar is the most obvious example, but smaller wind turbines and microhydro make a lot of sense, in the right situations. Stepping down from 11kv transmissions lines, to 240/120, then stepping down again to whatever DC voltage an appliance actually runs on is very inefficient. By comparison, what I'm proposing is LESS inefficient, if that's how you want to look at it. Also, it's not just theory, because some people are already doing it...quite successfully. If people keep thinking the way you do, we'll never realize these benefits?
@@GregVirgoe - I believe grid-scale power is going to price themselves right out of a market, in some places. If people saw what other countries are doing to reduce the demands put on electrical grids, they'd be more open-minded about the possibilities.
@drswan - Once the solar input is run to your battery, distribution inside of your structure or vehicle is not 30m. In many cases, that run is more like 10 meters, especially if the system is designed and installed properly.
How much do you pay, over the course of time, for the electric company to run that line to your meter? The established way of doing things is designed to be safe, but also to be profitable for large industries.
There are DC alternatives available for many of the common electrical devices we use and given that the grid is failing in many places, due to poor maintenance and design, wouldn't it be wise for consumers to understand and implement solutions that are entirely within their control?
Another great vid Greg 👍
Glad you enjoyed it
brilliant idea
Thank you 🙏🏼
Awesome Greg!
Thank you 🙏🏼
Good job Greg 👍💙❤️
Thank you mate 👍🏼😃
Great video Thk you 🙏
Glad you liked it 👍🏼
well done again Greg, looking at my CPAP to do the same , thanks Mate.
You’re welcome 😉
Hey Greg, great setup and video! I actually bought all the pieces to do this, but then realized there is another (much easier) way. There are adapters that will convert USB-C to the correct size for the TV. You can then use a 65w PD compatible charger to provide the correct voltage. The adapters were less than $3, and I already had the USB-C cable and power source.
Yes, I also found that you can buy 12v cigarette plug - 19v DC adapters pre made online for under £8 sold as car adapters. 👍🏼😊
@Greg Virgoe
Hi Greg, would you have a link u could send me for this adapter so I make sure I get tge correct one
Link please?
Link would be helpful. Thankyou!
Any old laptops charger converts ac to 19v dc output. I wonder if that would work for you if you choose to use your invertor??