Portable power source as inverter

[Rmack]

I have a Wagan Tech 'Power Dome' portable power supply, and I was wondering if it would run my Rockwood Mini Lite's TV.

The device has a 400 watt inverter, and two 110 outlets. It can be charged either with a 110 charger or with a 'cigarette lighter' type 12v charger designed to let you charge the unit while driving your car.

What if I plugged the 12v charger into one of the receptacles in my TT, and then ran my TV, Sat dish and receiver from the Power Dome? I would need a couple of splitters, as I need four 110 plugs to watch TV. This should work, as I would be essentially running off both of the 12v batteries on my TT, and the one in the power supply, right?

[Dave_Monica]

If I'm understanding this correctly, you want to run the internal 12V charger for the Power Dome with the TT batteries and plug the TV, sat dish and receiver off the Power Dome, correct? Looking at the specs on the Power Dome (the link is below), it doesn't have much capacity...will power a color TV (70W) for 1.2 hrs...and takes 12hrs to recharge with 12V DC. I would think that it's discharge rate powering those 3 things will vastly exceed it's recharging rate and won't power your set-up for very long.

2354 • Power Dome™ (400W) - Power Domes™ - Power Supplies - Products

Dave

[Rmack]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

If I'm understanding this correctly, you want to run the internal 12V charger for the Power Dome with the TT batteries and plug the TV, sat dish and receiver off the Power Dome, correct? Looking at the specs on the Power Dome (the link is below), it doesn't have much capacity...will power a color TV (70W) for 1.2 hrs...and takes 12hrs to recharge with 12V DC. I would think that it's discharge rate powering those 3 things will vastly exceed it's recharging rate and won't power your set-up for very long.

2354 • Power Dome™ (400W) - Power Domes™ - Power Supplies - Products

Dave

Yeah, I was afraid of this. The question remains; how long?

[Dave_Monica]

If you can look up in the specs for the TV, sat dish and receiver for power draw in watts and compare to the examples they list, you'll have some idea. I wouldn't figure on the internal 12V charger to lengthen that time much at all.

Dave

[Rmack]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

If you can look up in the specs for the TV, sat dish and receiver for power draw in watts and compare to the examples they list, you'll have some idea. I wouldn't figure on the internal 12V charger to lengthen that time much at all.

Dave

I finally got through to a tech at Wagan Tech that makes my Power Dome, and he confirms what you're saying. It wouldn't charge up nearly fast enough to keep up with the usage.

So, I guess my best solution is to get an inverter, maybe 500 watts or so, and see how long that would run my TV stuff. That would give me an excuse to upgrade from the two 12v batteries I have to a couple of 6v's for more time. I just couldn't justify it before!

[Rmack]

How about this;

What if I just ran my TV, no receiver or sat system, off of the Power Dome, and used the DVD player in the trailer to play a movie.

That thing powered a small upright 'Penguin' air conditioner for about a half hour one time, so I suspect I can get at least enough time running just a television to watch a movie.

The radio and CD player run on 12v, so the DVD playing function should work too, right? I've just never tried it without 110 power on for the TV.

[Dave_Monica]

I'm not much for dry camping but I'd think that 2 - 6V golf cart batteries and the capacity that they would provide is the way to go instead of messing around with the Power Dome at all.

Dave

[garbonz]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

I'm not much for dry camping but I'd think that 2 - 6V golf cart batteries and the capacity that they would provide is the way to go instead of messing around with the Power Dome at all.

Dave

X2. A 400 or so watt inverter hooked to your 2 batteries would do the trick fine. You don't need to go to 6volt bats if your current ones are in good condition. Install the inverter close to the battery and run a 110 volt line to the area of the TV. A bit of work, but a great way to go.

[keith4216]

Why not just run one of your generators for a while?

[Rmack]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

I'm not much for dry camping but I'd think that 2 - 6V golf cart batteries and the capacity that they would provide is the way to go instead of messing around with the Power Dome at all.

Dave

Well, the TV is 110 AC, so I would need a source of AC.

I gather two 6v batteries would give me more amp hours, though I would still need an inverter.

[Rmack]

Originally Posted by keith4216

Why not just run one of your generators for a while?

The whole point in trying to run off of my battery bank or the Power Dome is because all National Forrest, and National and State campgrounds have quiet hours where you're not suppose to be running your generators.

Joshua Tree National Park in CA is one of the places I will be going, and the 5 to 7:00 pm period is the latest you can have your generators running. And there is no dispersed camping in that park, so you have to be in a campground where you are restricted by that rule.

[Rmack]

Originally Posted by garbonz

X2. A 400 or so watt inverter hooked to your 2 batteries would do the trick fine. You don't need to go to 6volt bats if your current ones are in good condition. Install the inverter close to the battery and run a 110 volt line to the area of the TV. A bit of work, but a great way to go.

That's what I'm hoping.

I talked to Temecula Valley RV. First, they wanted to sell me a 1200 watt inverter. I said I could probably get by with less, so they quoted $1200 to $1400 for a 600 watt inverter, a remote, and all installation! Yikes.

[garbonz]

It's not rocket science, you can do it yourself.. Lots of inverters available, and this forum has lots of tips.

[Rmack]

Originally Posted by garbonz

It's not rocket science, you can do it yourself.

Yeah, I get it. But, it is bewildering for the newbie.

I assume that's an 800 watt inverter, right?

[garbonz]

Yes it is. but it's a bit of an overkill for the TV/DVD/SoundBar. It was one on sale and is a marine unit. You can look around and see what you can find.

Mybe someone on the forum is in your area and can help you.

[Kaadk]

Why not just get a 12v TV? This is the way I'd go if I ever did dry camping.

Inverters might sound like a good idea, but I'd only use them for things that must use AC. You're going to use more power converting from DC to AC back to DC (in the TV) then you would directly providing DC to a TV that can take it.

[RPAspey]

Here's my suggestion...get a 300-400 watt inverter that comes with a jumper cable style of cables. Make sure it's a pure sine wave style...NOT A CHEAP ONE. Just hook it up when you need AC, then run a cord to your stuff you want to use. Try it. If it works for you then worry about a permanent install or changing batteries.

I did this for a season before I decided to go all out. Although I don't your total wattage draw, a 300 watt worked for us. We had a dual 12v batteries...cheap ones, LED TV & DVD player. We could watch a movie or 2 a night. Keep in mind, we had LED lights that we kept to a minimum. Don't expect to watch TV, have all your lights on, play the surround sound at max volume without killing the batteries quickly. If you are conservative with power usage you should be ok.

If you have the time, try it at home.

2000 Cherokee, LEDs, solar, inverter, etc. '07 Tundra 5.7L DC-LB, modded as well.

[garbonz]

Originally Posted by Kaadk

Why not just get a 12v TV? This is the way I'd go if I ever did dry camping.

Inverters might sound like a good idea, but I'd only use them for things that must use AC. You're going to use more power converting from DC to AC back to DC (in the TV) then you would directly providing DC to a TV that can take it.

A 12 volt TV uses just as much power as a 110 volt through an inverter, plus or minus about an amp or so. Then you have to power the DVD etc. also and the inverter is handy for other things as well.

The Jensen 12v TV's are ridiculously expensive.

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by garbonz

A 12 volt TV uses just as much power as a 110 volt through an inverter, plus or minus about an amp or so. Then you have to power the DVD etc. also and the inverter is handy for other things as well.

The Jensen 12v TV's are ridiculously expensive.

I haven't worked the numbers so you might be right. I just know that there's inherently loss whenever you do conversions. I always try to minimize the number of conversions if I can.

Looking up those Jensen's, I agree. They are expensive. I wasn't referring to something like that. I was thinking more along the lines of a regular 12v TV, like you'd find for tailgating. Not one marketed for RV's specifically.

[garbonz]

My WHOLE setup TV DVD and soundbar uses 7-8 amps. Most 2 bat setups have 160 to 230 amp hours of which a max of 50% can be used without recharging. Having LED light's helps. The furnace, if needed, can chew up quite a few amps.

2 hours or so of TV should be easily obtainable.

A battery monitor is ESSENTIAL to keep track of the total amp usage.