AC/DC TV Power Issues

[mg194]

Hi All,

I purchased an Axess AC/DC TV/DVD Player for our trailer.  When it's connected to the 12 Volt Winegard Outlet the picture flashes constantly.  It happens whether the batteries are fully charged or not.  I plugged it in at home and it works fine and I also plugged it into the 12 volt power supply on my pickup and it works fine.

Do I need a higher capacity 12 volt outlet or is mine possible defective?  I appreciate any thoughts from the seasoned RV folks.

Mark

 

[SeilerBird]

You might need to upgrade to a modified sine wave inverter. A square wave inverter would cause the problem you are describing.

 

[BobNSam]

You might need to upgrade to a modified sine wave inverter. A square wave inverter would cause the problem you are describing.

OP says TV is operating off 12VDC, it is not using an inverter MSW or PSW.
It could the battery power is low, measure at the outlet to verify. The outlet could be defective, but not likely, they are pretty simple and robust.

 

[SeilerBird]

Never mind.

 

[scdiver]

mg194

That happened to me. I found that the problem was I did not turn on the coach power before plugging in the coach. This disconnected the batteries and put too much voltage to the 12 volt system. The batteries are needed to act as  a voltage regulator.
Unplug your trailer from the shore power, then make sure your battery is on and in good shape, then replug in the shore power and you will probably be good to go.

Hope this helps.

 

[John From Detroit]

The problem is in the walls. The outlet on that Winegard place is rated 10 amps, but the wires that feed it are often far too small, What is happening is the voltage drop is too great, at least that's my guess.. HOW TO CONFIRM

You need a plug in Volt meter suc h as the Vector I have
The Very Meter on Amazon

I also found an assortment of nice meters on E-bay ranging from 79 cents to 35 dollars. my Yahoo search phrase was:
automotifve volt meter plug in vector
You will also need a dual 12 volt socket adapter.. Plug the meter in alongside the TV and read the voltage.  I'm guessing it's dropping down rather far  Like 10 volts or less.

 

[mg194]

Thanks for all the replies.  I'm pretty sure that the last about the load being too great for the wiring is the most likely culprit.

How do I fix it?  Should I run another outlet?  The Winegard in there now actually says 8 Amp Max.

Mark

 

[cgmartin]

Have you tried plugging in to another 12 volt outlet in the motorhome to see if you get the same results? Is the engine or generator running, or not, when this happens?

 

[John From Detroit]

Yup, I'd run another outlet, use at least 12ga stranded wire or heavier if it's a long run

Another possible issue is common ground, I doubt it but it's a problem in many electronics cases, also fixable but not as easy to fix.

 

[robertusa123]

Sounds like the existing 12 volt power wire is not Hevey enough.  I recommend a home run to the battery of 12 or better 10 gage wire.  Have you checked with a volt meter to see if you have full voltage.      Also before you go thure all that work check all connection for tightness. Check the fuse center wires for tightness and clean the fuse contactees  and the battery conections.... Theirs also a chance your TV dosent like the 12 power from the converter.