What are people using for a tv on their boat, a 12VDC model or one that you would find in a house (120VAC)? Do you experience any problems with the tv due to moisture? Anything special for a mount or just a normal wall mount? I have a 380 and anticipate mounting it on the forward port bulkhead, leading into the v-berth.
TV
- Thread starter rgtet
- Start date
We use a small flat panel TV/Dvd player (120v) mounted on the aft bulkhead of the main cabin. It is also visible from the v-berth, since the C310 has a partition that lowers in the cabin's forward bulkhead. No problems with moisture, or with the mounting holding in a seaway. The TV is actually very light.
I installed a 19" LED AC/DC Digital/Analog TV this Spring to replace another TV made by Coby which was a piece of junk.
I bought a Skyworth model SLC-1919A-3S and I paid about $170 including shipping. After using it for a year I am very pleased. It runs directly from my 12V ship power and draws about 2.5A. Very light also. I have it on an articulating mount so I can move it to be seen from various directions.
The particular model I bought also has a built-in DVD player and will accept input from a computer. The remote control is easy to use with reasonable sized buttons.
I bought it from http://www.vivaladeals.com, but they don't have this model listed at this time. I would try later or contact them to see when they will have it. But you can see it at http://www.roadtrucker.com/12-volt-...orth-12-volt-lcd-tv-dvd-widescreen-player.htm
Skyworth is marketed to the trucking industry and so it is designed to be in a moving vehicle. It is not marinized, but my experience indicates that non-marinized equipment lasts a very long time. YMMV.
I bought a Skyworth model SLC-1919A-3S and I paid about $170 including shipping. After using it for a year I am very pleased. It runs directly from my 12V ship power and draws about 2.5A. Very light also. I have it on an articulating mount so I can move it to be seen from various directions.
The particular model I bought also has a built-in DVD player and will accept input from a computer. The remote control is easy to use with reasonable sized buttons.
I bought it from http://www.vivaladeals.com, but they don't have this model listed at this time. I would try later or contact them to see when they will have it. But you can see it at http://www.roadtrucker.com/12-volt-...orth-12-volt-lcd-tv-dvd-widescreen-player.htm
Skyworth is marketed to the trucking industry and so it is designed to be in a moving vehicle. It is not marinized, but my experience indicates that non-marinized equipment lasts a very long time. YMMV.
Last edited:
I use a small 20 inch Insignia LED TV I picked up from Best Buy. It's a 12v TV that came with a computer-like power supply for 110vac. I don't usually leave it on board unless I'm spending time on it myself. The TV was relatively cheap compared to "12v" Tv's out there and all it requires is a power cord.
we have been using a 32" wide screen through out the So. Pacific for the last few years, seems it still looks great although we still have to recharge the batteries after a long movie. A great get together for lots of boats at an anchorage without internet or TV
Bill
Bill
We installed a 32" flat screen JVC TV with built-in DVD and HD TV antenna on a swivel mount on the Port bulkhead leading into the V berth in our 1985 Hunter 40'. Feels like we are at the cinema in main saloon. Tucks in under the gunnel out of the way like it was made for it. We can even watch it from the Port side of the Aft cabin while in bed. Its 120 Volt, so we only watch it while in the slip and focus on sailing while out on the water. Great for the relaxing in inclement weather.
Antenna
Yes what antenna but really would like to know if higher is really better,I have one of those power marine antenna mounted on my bimini and wondering if up on
top the mast is really better reception.
My HD TV some times is so good and clear but some times at different locations
I loose the signal in the middle of a great show and just wondering if I go through all the work and trouble of mounting up top of the mast is really worth it.
I know all about some of those portable Antenna's from Walmart or best buy and they work pretty good but I have a marine watch some thing name it like I said it really works good most times but than again it looses the signal so up the mast or not.
Nick
Yes what antenna but really would like to know if higher is really better,I have one of those power marine antenna mounted on my bimini and wondering if up on
top the mast is really better reception.
My HD TV some times is so good and clear but some times at different locations
I loose the signal in the middle of a great show and just wondering if I go through all the work and trouble of mounting up top of the mast is really worth it.
I know all about some of those portable Antenna's from Walmart or best buy and they work pretty good but I have a marine watch some thing name it like I said it really works good most times but than again it looses the signal so up the mast or not.
Nick
Nick: Can you just run it up a halyard when in port? Higher is better of course. Lots of these antenna have DC amps in them so thats why I am trying to find out what they are using. Chief
Yes
I will be trying up the haylard next time out anchored for sure but figured I ask any way.
Nick
I will be trying up the haylard next time out anchored for sure but figured I ask any way.
Nick
We use a small rectangular antenna from Wal-Mart. Most of the time it just lays down on top of the TV, but if we need to, we can place it on top of the cabin, next to the companionway. This only works in a municipal area where there are lots of stations available (we are in the Boston Harbor area). I'm pretty sure the antennas are direction sensitive. When we lived in Englewood, FL, our dock mates would mount the same antenna we have now onto a pole and secure that to a piling. They would then orient the antenna toward Sarasota or Ft. Myers, since they could only pick up one or the other, but not both at the same time. They found that if the antenna was mounted on the boat and the boat rocked, they would lose the station.
One neighbor hoisted his up the mast, but it banged around a lot, and didn't maintain reception. He than mounted it on a pole on a piling. I think if you want to go with the mast mount, you have to invest in one of those expensive dome type antennas that automatically locks onto a station.
We only use our TV while tied up to the dock and on shore power. I have to say the HD quality of the pictures is great. Every bit as good as the DVD. I have to laugh when I see the TV commercials that portray these antennas as something new and magical. "No more cable!" they say. Well, yeah, it's a TV, so ....
One neighbor hoisted his up the mast, but it banged around a lot, and didn't maintain reception. He than mounted it on a pole on a piling. I think if you want to go with the mast mount, you have to invest in one of those expensive dome type antennas that automatically locks onto a station.
We only use our TV while tied up to the dock and on shore power. I have to say the HD quality of the pictures is great. Every bit as good as the DVD. I have to laugh when I see the TV commercials that portray these antennas as something new and magical. "No more cable!" they say. Well, yeah, it's a TV, so ....
We have a 120v flat screen set up like Tom (ours is in the forward birth but can swing into the salon). We are looking for a new TV and want 12v.
For an antenna we have a cheap set of HD rabbit ears. Bought them for $10 at Lowes. We get over 20 channels in the Boston area. When we were in Maine this summer we could usually get 1 or 2 channels. Good for getting the local news.
For an antenna we have a cheap set of HD rabbit ears. Bought them for $10 at Lowes. We get over 20 channels in the Boston area. When we were in Maine this summer we could usually get 1 or 2 channels. Good for getting the local news.
Back in in spring of 2000 I installed an omnidirectional TV antenna called an "UFO". It is powered via the signal cable and has worked perfectly to date. There is a new updated model that can be seen here:
http://www.majestic-global.us/tv-fm-antenna/28-tv-antenna-ufo-x.html
Below is a picture of my antenna. It is about 5-6 feet from the top of my mast, so that puts it at about 57 feet off the water. I get good reception most of the time, but occasionally the picture drops out for un-explained reasons. With digital signals, the reception is either perfect or non-existent; there is no in-between. I have no idea how well the antenna would work if mounted lower.
http://www.majestic-global.us/tv-fm-antenna/28-tv-antenna-ufo-x.html
Below is a picture of my antenna. It is about 5-6 feet from the top of my mast, so that puts it at about 57 feet off the water. I get good reception most of the time, but occasionally the picture drops out for un-explained reasons. With digital signals, the reception is either perfect or non-existent; there is no in-between. I have no idea how well the antenna would work if mounted lower.
Attachments
I found a nice 20" HD TV with a built in DVD player on sale at a truck stop. I figured if it can take the vibration inside a Freightliner it can handle being on a boat and after three seasons it's still going strong.
I have a cable outlet on the stern so I can hook up to dockside if it's available. Last season I added a Shakespeare 3020 antenna mounted on top of the mast. It includes an amplifier that allows me to switch between the antenna and dockside input.
There are some quirks to installing the Shakespeare but I'm pretty impressed with the picture and the number of channels I can pull in with it.
The TV is through bolted to the bulkhead with a standard Best Buy wall mount.
I have a cable outlet on the stern so I can hook up to dockside if it's available. Last season I added a Shakespeare 3020 antenna mounted on top of the mast. It includes an amplifier that allows me to switch between the antenna and dockside input.
There are some quirks to installing the Shakespeare but I'm pretty impressed with the picture and the number of channels I can pull in with it.
The TV is through bolted to the bulkhead with a standard Best Buy wall mount.
I got a 12 volt 24" Supersonic with DVD for $240, also got a Mohu Leaf flat panel antennae with amplifier (USB powered). If's it's not windy I run it up the courtesy flag halyard, height helps for weak signals (60 miles) but steady seems critical also.
A different option
If you use a laptop onboard, think about what we do: a USB HDTV tuner. Antenna is a powered omnidirectional model similar to what Rich showed in post #13. Laptop has a 15" display and a built in DVD, and this little piece of hardware and some software provide TV at a location about 35 miles away from the transmitters.
If you use a laptop onboard, think about what we do: a USB HDTV tuner. Antenna is a powered omnidirectional model similar to what Rich showed in post #13. Laptop has a 15" display and a built in DVD, and this little piece of hardware and some software provide TV at a location about 35 miles away from the transmitters.
Don't Do What I Did...
I had Panasonic flat screens on the boat to replace the original CRT's that were troublesome if cheap. I purchased then in large part because of the sound which was crisp and loud enough for my wife to hear with the engine running.
When digital kicked in, I got the converters and was amazed at the reception with my UFO antenna like Rich S's. However, mine was mounted on the radar antenna.
Here is where I screwed up. I tried to tie my salon TV into my netbook to be able to have a display. It did not have a VGA input. The converter I got was useless. Then I decided to reduce power draw and clean things up, I would get a couple of 22 inch units to replace them. They had VGA built in, and the units were lighter and I got a lot more screen for the size. Sounded good to me.
I got two for about $340. They fit in the space and the salon unit showed the computer output perfectly. They were much easier to view. Good? Not quite. I don't remember the name brand, but it is on of the former big US brands that was snatched up and means nothing now. The audio was terrible. Small case to screen ratio means no room for decent speakers. Got some powered speakers. OK, that's solved. But, a lot fewer stations. Me thinks the problem is that these receivers are not nearly as sophisticated as the add on ones I had before. So, next step is a new antenna. I called Shakespeare and explained the problem. He said for better reception on the lower frequencies, it was all about size. I got a big 21" powered unit. It helped a lot, but it still is iffy on formerly perfect channels.
So, what I do have is larger screen size, but I have gained nothing in terms of power consumption and lost some reception. Fortunately, we don't watch much TV on the hook or mooring anyway.
Hope this helps add some things to watch when shopping.
I had Panasonic flat screens on the boat to replace the original CRT's that were troublesome if cheap. I purchased then in large part because of the sound which was crisp and loud enough for my wife to hear with the engine running.
When digital kicked in, I got the converters and was amazed at the reception with my UFO antenna like Rich S's. However, mine was mounted on the radar antenna.
Here is where I screwed up. I tried to tie my salon TV into my netbook to be able to have a display. It did not have a VGA input. The converter I got was useless. Then I decided to reduce power draw and clean things up, I would get a couple of 22 inch units to replace them. They had VGA built in, and the units were lighter and I got a lot more screen for the size. Sounded good to me.
I got two for about $340. They fit in the space and the salon unit showed the computer output perfectly. They were much easier to view. Good? Not quite. I don't remember the name brand, but it is on of the former big US brands that was snatched up and means nothing now. The audio was terrible. Small case to screen ratio means no room for decent speakers. Got some powered speakers. OK, that's solved. But, a lot fewer stations. Me thinks the problem is that these receivers are not nearly as sophisticated as the add on ones I had before. So, next step is a new antenna. I called Shakespeare and explained the problem. He said for better reception on the lower frequencies, it was all about size. I got a big 21" powered unit. It helped a lot, but it still is iffy on formerly perfect channels.
So, what I do have is larger screen size, but I have gained nothing in terms of power consumption and lost some reception. Fortunately, we don't watch much TV on the hook or mooring anyway.
Hope this helps add some things to watch when shopping.
I was thinking of putting 20" or so a mount that could swing into the companionway to have the Navionics from my phone larger. I did a test on my 55" plasma at home, clear. Even my eyes should be able to see a 20" chart without glasses. Then netflix in port with the kiddies.
phone to HDMI cable needed
phone to HDMI cable needed
Last edited:
