I need a small, flat-screen TV for use in an RV. Any recommendations for TV's, antennas, and power sources?

Are you going to be plugged in? Running a generator? Running off batteries? My parents bought a 19" Vizio LED for their TT two years ago and transferred it to their new one. I know they got a manual Winegard directional antenna to use if there's no cable hookup but I have no idea what model. They don't watch a lot of tv but do try to catch some local news and an occasional ballgame while their on vacation.

How much do you think you'd be watching it? They've never had an issue running on battery power through the inverter for a couple hours at a time and do have one of those suitcase Honda generators to recharge if they aren't hooked up.

I can't speak for their TV but I've got a pair of Vizios, one is going on 7 years old and the other 5 years.

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

if you already have a computer another option would be a USB TV tuner

__________________

1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

This would be for a horse trailer, believe it or not. My wife sometimes will sleep in the dressing room of her horse trailer while at horse shows. She can usually get plugged in to 120-volt AC, but I would want to be able to run the TV and a DVD player off of batteries, which raises two questions:

1. Do I want a 12-volt TV or should I get a regular TV and run it off of an inverter when 120-volt AC is not available?

2. Her truck has two batteries, but only one alternator. If I add a battery at the trailer, is it OK to let the truck alternator charge it up, or should I also expect to add a second alternator?

That's an interesting idea. Where should I go to find out more about this type of thing? An RV dealer?

There is a brand ( forgot the name) that sells TVs specifically for RV service. The frames are strengthened to withstand the vibration of riding in an RV. The circuit boards are coated to protect them from moisture. They run on 12V DC

Of course they are more expensive. You need to decide if the expense is worth it, or if for your rather limited use needs, a regular TV or monitor will provide acceptable service.

__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

nah commodity electronics

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=usb%20tv%20tuner&rh=n%3A172282%2Ck%3Ausb%20tv%20tuner&page=1

__________________

1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

I have looked into this several times over the years but not recently.

Boat and RV suppliers and truckstops sell 12V TVs, etc. They are costly.

Buy an inverter that has some support. A truckstop inverter has no support. If you go the inverter route, read about sine wave inverters.

We have an HP entertainment laptop with a tuner card. I bought it in early 2007, I think. It brought me into the digital TV era. I could tune into digital stations over the air with the laptop, tuner card and an antenna. Works for DVDs, cable, satellite, and internet TV. Came with a couple remote controls, one just like a home entertainment remote and a small one like for a car stereo. The PC is also great for internet at coffee shops, etc. Last time I looked to replace this laptop the offerings were pretty slim.

Most, almost all, digital TV is broadcast in UHF, select antenna accordingly. I eventually will build an antenna based on fractals but it's not a high priority. Find info on the web.

In most locations you can get a lot more stations if you can aim the antenna. TVfool.com and antennaweb.org are two good sites for info.