Flip down TV

[drivememad]

Hi I think I want a flip down TV .. do they only run off the car battery or can they be fitted to run off hook-up as well? Does anyone have one and what should I look for when buying. Thinking of this one on eBay, does anyone have any comments or recommendations please?

Want to have it fitted at the rear of my Bongo as the middle bench is reversed.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200704622767? ... 625wt_1270
Thanks in advance, Julie

[Dodgey]

Hi Julie - 1st things 1st - Don't buy that combo! It's 4:3 / square / old fashioned. You need a widescreen one - 16:9 (as all Freeview channels, and all DVDs, are Widescreen). Otherwise you'll see a tiny picture with huge black bars above and below.

Depending if the DVD bit is important to you or not, you can get a 15" widescreen for £119

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323-Eonon-Car ... 5d2cc8bcdb

Possible plus tax, so budget another £30 (VAt and admin fee).

Do some more searching and you should find a dvd screen combo that is widescreen. Anything that is 1024x768 is NOT widescreen. You are looking for 1280x800. Though on a quick search I'm seeing that 15 widescreen WITH DVD is not common. "16:9/4:3" Does nto mean the screen is a widescreen, it means it can show widescreen (any screen can - badly). Just look at the resolution to be sure.

Then you can get the DVB-T Tuner in your initial advert (same as I have btw) - for £39

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-Car-D ... 2ebc0a2669

Then you are goign to need a boosted antenna (£10) as the one that comes with the DVB-T Tuner is useless...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-DVB-T-Dig ... 43ab9f0bad

So you'll come in at the same price, but with a boosted antenna, and a proper widescreen. Though no DVD.

Anyhow - as to your question.....

The TV will run of whatever battery you plug it into. If you go "heath robinson" you could plug it into the rear cigar socket - that would then use the starter battery if you don't have a willington kit, or the leisure battery if you do. The DVB-T tuner comes with a cigar power lead so you could plug that in the same socket with a "doubler".

As for running off the hookup - well, it depends how your van is wired. If you have a decent system then the 12V elements of your van should be powered by a transformer when you hook up, but I really can't tell you without seeing your van electrics. Seems some hookups just go straight to 13Amp plug sockets, some also charge the battery, and some also power the 12V system with a transformer. I think the Zig units do all 3.

[drivememad]

OK Dodgey, thanks for your advice, I'll keep looking! that one looks a good price, it's available in the UK for £139.00 and from another overseas eBay seller for £109.00.

I suppose a DVD isn't important as we can watch them on the laptop. I really am a novice at this and have no idea what a willington kit is there is a leisure battery fitted and the 12v in the rear conversion is wired up. As for the hook up, there is a fuse box and I think a zig unit (brown panel thing) but we need to get that wired in (need to find someone local to do it). So as a temp thing I bought a hook-up with sockets.

As you've probably guessed by now I haven't a clue what I'm talking about, and should probably stick to cooking, washing and ironing me thinks

Julie

[cardiff996]

Hi drivememad

If you are going to use the laptop for DVD have you thought about a TV dongle!
just plug into the laptop and then fit the ariel.

less stuff to take and works a treat.

[Dodgey]

Ok , in layman terms here it is:

Your car's original battery, 12Volts, normally powers the whole car, ciggie sockets, lights and all.

When you have a leisure battery installed, it is normal, and common sense, to rewire your car's "camping oriented" electrics - i,.e. ciggie sockets, lights, radio, etc - to use the new leisure battery, and not your main starter battery - this means you are actually using your leisure battery for what it was intended, and also, not killing your main, original, starter battery - so you can start your car after a week camped out!

A Willington kit is merely a commonly used wiring kit that a) allows your leisure battery to charge-up whilst you are driving b) rewires (redirects) your "camping oriented" electrics, as above, to the leisure battery. Regardless of whether you have a Willington kit or not, if you have a leisure battery, it's most likely your camping electrics are wired to it.

When you get your Zig unit wired in ( a really simple job btw) then all of your electrics at the back of your van will certainly be running off your leisure battery.

As to whether this zig unit will power your van electrics when you are hooked up - well thats down to which zig you have, and how the installer wires it up.

Even if it doesn't (I've seen wiring where the hookup just powers the mains sockets and nothing else) you will still be fine watching TV - your 12V leisure battery will tolerate a 12V TV for a good few evening sessions easily.

[tonnee]

how about one of these for £99 ? http://www.maplin.co.uk/10.2-inch-wides ... -sd-281011

Comes with mains, 12volt, magnetic aerial, mounting bracket/stand, SD and USB stick, Freeveiw !!

I am picking mine up today

[Velocette]

I use an old flat screen computer monitor and my Netbook. I do have a DVD drive but usually just load a few films on my hard drive before I go away. You can get a flat screen monitor from cash converter type places for buttons. I have A TV dongle too but haven't used it much.

[tonnee]

Just picked up my 10.2 inch Nikkai TV at lunchtime from Maplins.

its a Nice size for in the bongo, the stand can also be used as a wall bracket, comes with a mains PSU, 12 Volt power cable, Magnetic Roof Aerial, Remote Control, and and AV cable

Its got Digital TV built in along with sockets to playback movies and music via SD card and USB stick

It has AV in and Out so I can connect it to my indash DVD player screen

Picture quality is great and can be viewed from any angle, sound is a little tinny but it will be connected to my amp and pupmed through the audio system i have.

Just need to decide where to fit it now !

[Hollis]

Hi

Just bought one as well. Any chance you can post how and where you have fixed it. Many thanks. Derek

[tonnee]

Hi Hollis

Its either going to be mounted on the side pillar opposite the side door or on the roof between the two front seats, still not decided yet

Must admit the little mag mount TV aerial does a great job of picking up all the freeview channels too

[Hollis]

Hi

I tried mine with both the aerial that came with it and another larger one I bought. Here in dorset I got nothing. I then pluged it into my sky aerial just to check if the TV was working and the TV works fine.

I was just wondering if you are going to break into the Bongos wiring to power it and if so how (which wires etc).

Derek

[tonnee]

Must admit I got nothing on the telescopic aerial at all.

I was thinking of fitting a 12 Volt cig socket by the rear heater controls so I can plug the TV in and out and remove the TV altogether when not in use, shoudlnt be too much of a problem to find a 12 volt supply around that point, hopefully I will be doing it in the next few weeks so I will take some pics

[drivememad]

Thanks for all advice and replies....still not committed yet and

kyboshed the 4:3 screen, didn't even notice, good spot
....I've got one of those TV dongle thingys so will try that
......a 10" screen is a tad bit small for us I think but I think I'm looking for something similar rather than a flip down

Not sure where I've got all my self control from, I'm normally really impulsive and buy the first thing I see!

Going to Docklow Pools at Easter which will be our first proper trip in the bongo, so we'll see how we get on....I'll be fishing and my hubby will be the one watching TV

[tonnee]

To be honest we dont normally watch TV when bongo'ing its just for the odd occasion when its chucking down and you cant sit out we can sit in and watch a bit.

Enjoy your Easter Trip