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I need some kind of regulator to run between the lighter socket and the TV in our motorhome. It'll take the input from the battery, and need to output a 'clean' 12v/5A. Any ideas where to look?
Screwfix or Toolmart
If the engine is not running then the output from the battery will be as clean as you can get & I can't see the need for a regulator.
Thank you.
What if the voltage drops when other loads are put on the battery - water pump for example -, wouldn't a regulator ensure a 12v supply to the TV?
No, well not unless it's a fairly complex 2 stage device that's stepping up then back down again, and even then it'll only be for a very short period. All the reg will do is ensure it doesnt go OVER 12v, though you actually want ~13.6v from a charged van battery. The point is that the battery can only give you so much power, if you're drawing too much power from it it's voltage will drop. No matter how you cook it, you're just using a battery that's too small for the job.
So hooking the TV up to the leisure battery (with a 5A fuse) shouldn't cause any problems?
The question is if the TV has it's own inverter and is designed to run off 12v. If yes, all you need to do is plug it in with a suitable fuse and it will work as well as it can, until you whap the headlights on with a 12v toaster and the battery starts to wimper 🙂
The input on the back of the TV is 12v. It comes with an inverter to step 240vAC to 12vDC. I plan to leave this at home and run it directly of the 12v circuit in the motorhome.
Have a look at LinITX.com at their regulators, the sort they use for carPCs. When you start the engine you can get surges and obviously drain the battery, cigarette lighters are possible to use but not recommended.
Regulators like the Carnetix CNX-P1260 60W Power Regulator are what you need I think.
http://linitx.com/viewcategory.php?catid=55
They protect from surges and automatically shut off when power gets too low.
Not as hard to install as you think. To be sure ask over at http://www.digital-car.co.uk/
Oh and batteries rarely run at exactly 12V of their own accord.
Assuming you're not running the engine at the time you'll be fine (engines create lots of unpleasantness that it probably isnt filtering out). In actual fact if you have a GOOD connection to the battery you'll probably not have any problems at all running it directly even with the engine running, but it would be safer to clean off the spikes if they're present.
Provided the battery is in good condition the voltage shouldn't really drop with increased load. If you're worried about damage, don't connect it with the engine running.
The leisure battery should take out any voltage spikes from the alternator should it not?