How to thrive on a non 240v site!
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Brilliant idea! And while we've not yet been there, we do want to pay a visit.... perhaps I'd better wait until we can claim that before voting!
Meanwhile, I'm still post-surgically slow on finishing a letter I'm writing to the C&MC, which I've mentioned on the "greener" thread, but will send it soon; writing as newish members, saying that while we value much they offer, such things as the complete lack of information on just that list you give, on their "Advice and training" section, are really disappointing, as well as showing they're missing a trick with the growing awareness and interest in such things. (Ditto measures on sites, info in magazine, etc.)
If more people were to write such messages to them, that might hit harder too.
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Do you believe that those that correspond on CT are really representative of CC membership? I think it is unlikely. It is only those that can be bothered to state an opinion that have a view point. I suspect the vast majority of members just take their two or three week holiday on a site with perhaps the odd weekend thrown in and have no further interest in anything else.
peedee
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There already is a competition for CL of the year. Surely you've all found voting forms when you visited CLs.
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Good luck
All of the points raised have been pointed out to the CC many times but as is common knowledge they are strictly ignored.
In fact the CC without hundreds of ignored suggestions and hundreds of ignored complaints just wouldn't feel like home..... so don't try to be too successful
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Ah well. I'll send to them anyway... there was the same sort of response from the world to those weird ideas people began mentioning in the last Millennium about humankind's actions just possibly affecting what happens in the world. Maybe if their cage bars are bashed enough times they'll eventually notice!
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hi been looking at an inverter to run a tv while off grid or would it be better to buy a 12v tv any advice please
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For me it comes down to affordability. My 150 watt panel, additional battery and inverters along with my 30 watt LED HD colour TV cost me less than £400. My system generates enough power for my needs so I don't need to worry about how much my TVs is using through the inverter. These Avtex TVs are how much?
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It doesn't have to be an Avtex!
There are other makes out there which run direct off the 12v. It's a few years old now but we use a 19" Hitachi TV/DVD bought from Argos for less than £100 😊
Try having a look on a certain internet auction site.
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Good point. Ours is usually washed when we wash the roof. Haven't done the roof this year 😲😲. Wondered why it was taking longer 😂😂. It's only had nature's clean, and we live in a dry area, this year. Next visit to storage or trip out it well receive a decent wash 😉.
Timely reminder thanks.
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Thanks for all your reply's looks like a 12v tv thinking of getting a 150 watt solar panel would that enable me to use the tv for a few hours each night even in winter?
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A150watt panel should be enough. One of the best items you can buy to compliment any solar panel is a good meter to keep an eye of the battery state. Check out the BM1 and the BM1 Compact from Nasa Marine. Most meters installed by the van manucturers are pretty useless and tell you very little about the state of your battery.
peedee
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150w is a good size but remember a good controller which I think will be 20amp and a good battery or batteries. No good having a fabulous panel if the storage facility is crap! - as long as you have good battery capacity and you get some bright skies, yes, no problem with the tele in winter. But one thing- check the power consumption of it- my Avtex is 30w. And yes, keep your Panel clean. I ensure my panel is clean by visiting the roof each time I go to the van. Peedee mentions the BM1 monitor. I have one fitted Peedee and I have to say, I am not that impressed with it. The display on the controller is more accurate I feel. I also notice that when the van gets really cold in winter, the BM1 goes AWOL until it decides it's warm enough again! A better plan would be to talk to someone like Photonic Universe about a good controller with a good display. I won't be fitting a BM1 again.
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Typically inverters are only 90 percent efficient so if you look at your 240v TV spec it should give you the power consumption and you should be able to work it out. If a colour TV is rated at 100watts when on 240v then adding 10 percent to this will give you its probably consumption when using it via and inverter i.e 110 watts to which you must add the power the inverter itself is consuming which might be 25 watts so total would be 135watts.
There are three disadvantages to using a mains powered TV.
1. They are not made for the mobile market and are alegedly not so robust as a 12v one.
2. As pointed out they do consume more power via an inverter.
3. If they can be powered direct from 12v, they usually cannot accept a wider range of voltages as a 12 volt one.
Merve I have had no trouble with my BM1 and the van is in use year round.
peedee
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Merve I have had no trouble with my BM1 and the van is in use year round.
peedee
Hi mate, that's interesting. I wonder if mine is faulty then? Checking both my controller and my BM1, ampage going into the battery can show as 1.4 for example on the BM1 and 0.4 on the controller! Quite a difference, and as I said, it shows all sorts of garbage when the van is cold- perhaps I just have a duff one?
Yep, 135w is a lot for a tele. 30w is acceptable!
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I looked up this BM1 meter, as at present we're meterless. Over £100 ain't cheap. I've been told that a useful handheld portable meter can be bought for around £10. No doubt there are some cheap rubbishy ones at this price too. Any recommendations for a basic but useful one, please? I did ask a while ago but don't think anyone responded - apologies if you did & I missed it.
Other than the nuisance of having to open up the battery hatch to briefly touch the meter on, is there any huge disadvantage to such a one, rather than an installed version?Thanks.
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No hedge, I can't see any disadvantage other that what you point out but how many times will you do it before the novelty wears a bit thin. a multi meter from Amazon should do the business, but, just to open the locker and look at the display of the controller when it's pouring with rain is kinda nice??
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Merve I do not have any other metering to tell me what is happening to my battery. My MTPL controller only has indicator lights on to reveal whether the battery is low, fully charged or charging. Half the time I cannot remember what the lights are telling me. With the BM1 it is obvious. Plus points for the BM is it tells you the battery state of charge and how many hours you have left at the rate you are using it and it is easy to read.
My installation on my control panel.
peedee
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- Hi peedee. Well, if it's the only monitor you have then it's better than nothing. My BM, which is mounted by the door and if I knew how to get a photo below 500 meg or whatever it is , I would post a photo! - is saying the same at the moment 12.6v but what I would give for 4.1amps! Been leaden skies here and its raining hard at the moment and it's showing .2A whilst the 'SunWorks' controller shows .1A It shows 80% battery. But still shows 199hrs to discharge which can't be right. As that's the time shown when the batteries are 100% charged. I'll be going to the show on the Tuesday and Saturday so I'll talk to someone about it. When non EHU , it's a very useful piece of equipment - if it's working right😂😂😂 just noticed yours is different to mine- mine only has the two buttons being the 'compact'
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Merve, go online to sunworks website, choose your controller, take the image into your photo library then post on here. The photos from websites are all reduced in size to save bandwidth. The photo I've posted from sunworks website is only around 70kb's the photos can be up to 500kb's
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That might be the the answer then peedee- I'll investigate further. Rocky has revealed something for me though. Looking at the Sunworks website as discussed, I find that I have a controller for a single battery- not the one for a double- I have 2 batteries! - it seems to have worked for 4 years so I'm not too worried but I might buy the dual controller as I am getting new Banner Bull batteries in the spring. This is the one I have. The second one is what I should have. Hey! It worked! Thanks Rocky.
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