Warranty, Service and Recall Bulletins: Inverter and tv

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Inverter and tv

Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Warranty, Service and Recall Bulletins
Forum Discription: Have a warranty or service experience to share?
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=10636
Printed Date: 22 May 2025 at 7:12am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Inverter and tv

Posted By: Mikefitz
Subject: Inverter and tv
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2017 at 2:57pm

I have an rpod 179. I'm not good with electricity. It has the standard Jensen tv and stereo combination. The tv is 110 volt. I assume that the stereo is 12 volt. I'm not sure if the external antenna is 110 v or 12 v. My question is if I get a inverter for the tv can I watch dvd's? On that same thought, with an inverter on the tv, can I watch cable tv? I appreciate all of the help I can get.

Replies:

Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2017 at 5:04pm

Yes. A number of us have added inverters for the TV and other things. The factory TV only draws about 17W, so almost any inverter will work. The antenna booster and stereo are 12V. Cable TV will work too; you just have to turn off the antenna booster and plug the cable into the Pod.

Posted By: DavMar
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2017 at 5:22pm

Originally posted by Mikefitz

I have an rpod 179. I'm not good with electricity. It has the standard Jensen tv and stereo combination. The tv is 110 volt. I assume that the stereo is 12 volt. I'm not sure if the external antenna is 110 v or 12 v. My question is if I get a inverter for the tv can I watch dvd's? On that same thought, with an inverter on the tv, can I watch cable tv? I appreciate all of the help I can get.

Mike, first thing is your antenna has NO voltage applied to it either AC (alternating current) or DC (direct current). The antenna receives an RF (radio frequency) signal and sends it to your television tuner circuit the same holds for your Pod AM/FM radio. For your own reference the home you live in uses alternating current AC voltage. Your Pod inverts a DC current from your battery to AC current when your not using shore power (campground electricity) to run appliances that use only AC. A inverter converts DC current to an AC current where as an converter does the opposite, I know it can be confusing. I'm not sure if your radio/stereo is powered by a DC voltage or an AC voltage but it doesn't really matter. You don't need an inverter to run a dvd/blue ray player if your running your Pod on just battery but you will need to be aware that you have enough DC current (amps) from your battery to run the player and everything else. As for cable TV, unless your having to plug in a converter box into an AC plug in your Pod you don't need to worry about it.

I hope I haven't totally confused you? Maybe someone else here on the forum can explain it better then I.

-------------
Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog.
2017 Rpod 180
2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4
Lexington, NC

Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2017 at 6:43pm

Actually, the antenna does have a 12v amplifier that can be turned off or on.

TT

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2010 176
FJ Cruiser

Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2017 at 7:01pm

Originally posted by Tars Tarkas

Actually, the antenna does have a 12v amplifier that can be turned off or on.

TT

That's what I thought. It's a power amp that runs 12V over the coax to the companion on the antenna.

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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost

Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2017 at 1:34pm

Originally posted by GlueGuy

Originally posted by Tars Tarkas

Actually, the antenna does have a 12v amplifier that can be turned off or on.TT

That's what I thought. It's a power amp that runs 12V over the coax to the companion on the antenna.

No, it just boosts the signal coming over the coax. The antenna still outputs unamplified RF.

Posted By: mloerzel
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2017 at 9:46pm

I use this one, because it's Pure Sine Wave (better for sensitive electronics). I installed a 12v Outlet next to the fuse box.

https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-Power-Inverter-Smart-Adapter/dp/B01DP9JE18/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504925041&sr=8-3&keywords=bestek+300+watt+power+inverter - https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-Power-Inverter-Smart-Adapter/dp/B01DP9JE18/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504925041&sr=8-3&keywords=bestek+300+watt+power+inverter

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Life is Too Serious to be taken Seriously

Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2017 at 9:55am

Originally posted by TheBum

Originally posted by GlueGuy

Originally posted by Tars Tarkas

Actually, the antenna does have a 12v amplifier that can be turned off or on.TT

That's what I thought. It's a power amp that runs 12V over the coax to the companion on the antenna.

No, it just boosts the signal coming over the coax. The antenna still outputs unamplified RF.

Call it what you will, this much is for sure.

1. There is an on and off switch for the antennae booster.

2. Everything comes in better when it is turned on.

3. If you leave the antennae booster on when you disconnect from shore power, your battery will be dead fairly quickly.

-------------
2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding

Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2017 at 10:09am

Originally posted by mjlrpod

Call it what you will, this much is for sure.

1. There is an on and off switch for the antennae booster.

2. Everything comes in better when it is turned on.

3. If you leave the antennae booster on when you disconnect from shore power, your battery will be dead fairly quickly.

Good point. Who cares what is and isn't powered. It consumes power.

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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost

Posted By: eye95
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2017 at 3:35pm

Not everything comes in better when boosted.

I have a booster on my antenna at home. It is attached to a plug that I can turn on or off from my iPad. Sometimes it has to be turned off to receive some channels.

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<0>
2017 178 The "eye-Pod"
2011 Nissan Titan

Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2017 at 5:13pm

I have never had my Pod receive better with the amp off. And it always increases the number of channels I receive. Never.

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2017 at 11:06am

The only time the booster absolutely must be turned off is if you want to watch cable TV. Since we trickle charge in storage, we just leave it on.

Posted By: JandL
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2017 at 12:08pm

From the Wineguard

RV WALL PLATE/AMPLIFIER
Wall plate/amplifier amplifies VHF/UHF TV
signals received by non-amplified Winegard
RV antennas with outdoor receptacle for TV set
and cable input. Wall plate/amplifier provides
a satellite F-jack as well as antenna signals to
two TV sets. Cable input from outdoor receptacle
connects to wall plate and may be switched so
either antenna or cable signals may be watched.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f110/does-winegard-rv-antenna-need-12-battery-hooked-up-to-work-92906.html - amplifier schematic
(You have to page down to get to the schematic. I wish you could post stuff like you could before)

As can be seen in the schematic there is 12 volts going up to the antenna but the received single is not boosted till it gets to the PC board, item 210 VHF/UHF Amplifier.

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JandL
2013 Honda Ridgeline
2012 177
2 Paynes in a Pod

Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 9:35am

Originally posted by JandL

From the Wineguard

RV WALL PLATE/AMPLIFIER
Wall plate/amplifier amplifies VHF/UHF TV
signals received by non-amplified Winegard
RV antennas with outdoor receptacle for TV set
and cable input. Wall plate/amplifier provides
a satellite F-jack as well as antenna signals to
two TV sets. Cable input from outdoor receptacle
connects to wall plate and may be switched so
either antenna or cable signals may be watched.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f110/does-winegard-rv-antenna-need-12-battery-hooked-up-to-work-92906.html - amplifier schematic
(You have to page down to get to the schematic. I wish you could post stuff like you could before)

As can be seen in the schematic there is 12 volts going up to the antenna but the received single is not boosted till it gets to the PC board, item 210 VHF/UHF Amplifier.

Ah. The thot plickens. If the wall plate sends 12V to the antenna (and it does according to the schematic), that means there are active components in the antenna. This is not unusual; the antenna/booster we use at home has the same scheme. The idea is to boost at the antenna/de-boost at the TV to reduce losses in the cable.

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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost

Posted By: JandL
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 10:24am

I could not remove the top to my new antenna Winegard RoadStar RS-3000 to look. But In the installation manual it says,

Do not install couplers, splitters, etc.
between the power supply and the
antenna. Installation of any item on
the downlead may cause a short in the
system. The downlead supplies +12
VDC to the preamp in the antenna.

My old antenna was an RS-1500 and in it's manual it has a similar note

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JandL
2013 Honda Ridgeline
2012 177
2 Paynes in a Pod