Small Portable TV Sets, Quality?

[MrAl]

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone here has any experience with those little television sets that run on batteries. Typical screen size is from 2.5 inches to 7 or 8 inches, but no bigger.

What i am wondering is just what kind of quality they have and how good they pick up stations. Im of course only interested in the digital tuner types.

Thanks...

 

[Sceadwian]

Digital stations are far more finicky about antenna placement than analog stations were, mild static for an analog station will mean no signal for a digital in most situations. I doubt you would get anything but the most local of stations and out in the woods or anything like that would require an external antenna. What do you intend to use it for?

 

[MrAl]

Hi,

Mostly at home when the power goes out during a storm. That's the main reason im looking into this stuff and anything else that might help during these times.

 

[transistor495]

Even if Chinese portable LCD sets, they're of excellent quality and reception that you'll wonder because we live in 21st century of electronics advancement, just buy one and enjoy..the question is how frequently you'll experience a tropical cyclone

Reception with telescopic antenna depends on the signal strength at your local area.

 

[MrAl]

Even if Chinese portable LCD sets, they're of excellent quality and reception that you'll wonder because we live in 21st century of electronics advancement, just buy one and enjoy..the question is how frequently you'll experience a tropical cyclone

Reception with telescopic antenna depends on the signal strength at your local area.

Hi,

Well the reviews i have read dont quite agree with that, and are quite varied that's why i was asking here to see if anyone had any personal experience with these things. They used to have them in stores around here back in the 1990's but i dont see them anymore.

 

[transistor495]

Hi,

Well the reviews i have read dont quite agree with that, and are quite varied that's why i was asking here to see if anyone had any personal experience with these things. They used to have them in stores around here back in the 1990's but i dont see them anymore.

What?..I've bought a 7" CAR LCD unit 1yr back(made in Chine should be) and it still wonders me.

This unit works on 9-12V and comes with TV/AV IN/USB mp3/video/FM playback, quite cheap and excellent reception! You'll get a lot on eBay.

 

[Sceadwian]

transistor, perhaps you're unaware that in the US analog NTSC broadcast is no longer available, everything is digital now(ATSC), since 2009 analog TV broadcast has been banned. You're recommending common units that simply will not work here. LCD TV's that support ATSC tuners are few and far between.

 

[transistor495]

Sorry, I did know but forgot that for the moment , but don't have any idea about ATSC standards.

 

[Reloadron]

Hi Ya MrAl

I saw this little Axion 9" Widescreen Portable Hand-Held TV for < $70 through the Walmart. Not sure how good it actually is but it is marked down.

Don't know where in NJ you are as to proximity to NYC for OTA reception. I believe following 9/11 that most TV is again transmitted from antennas above the Empire State Building as years ago.

It does include a auto 12 volt adapter so I am sure an additional external battery would not be a problem. Hell, at the price if they had it in my local store I would buy one just to see what it actually could do.

Ron

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Wondering the "Hard way". Get a converter box. One that uses a DC adapter if there are any and an NTSC handheld monitor.

I know the converter box that I have plugs into the wall and has a couple of voltages and the need to be powered (<4 W) anyway all the time.

Speaking of Converter boxes, I have a number of the Radio Shack DigitalStream DTX9950 converters and they all exibit two problems:

1. Loss of power to the remote for an extended period, removes remote programming for TV ON/OFF etc.
2. Channel UP/Channel down will skip one particular station sometimes whereas direct programming won't. From real channel; 26 (-59.3 dbm) to real channel 6 (-54.4 dbm). It must have trouble switching from the UHF to the VHF band. They are both strong stations.

 

[MrAl]

Hi Ya MrAl

I saw this little Axion 9" Widescreen Portable Hand-Held TV for < $70 through the Walmart. Not sure how good it actually is but it is marked down.

Don't know where in NJ you are as to proximity to NYC for OTA reception. I believe following 9/11 that most TV is again transmitted from antennas above the Empire State Building as years ago.

It does include a auto 12 volt adapter so I am sure an additional external battery would not be a problem. Hell, at the price if they had it in my local store I would buy one just to see what it actually could do.

Ron

Hi Ron,

Oh yes, interesting. Wally Mart seems to be out of them at the moment though. None in stock online and none in stores around here. Figures.

 

[Reloadron]

If you have Best Buy in NJ or similar they should have a line of units like them. I always wondered what I could get around here OTA? I should give that some thought with winter coming (gawd I hate winters).

Ron

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Ron:

Take a look at www.tvfool.com

for a list of stations and power levels based on actual location and antenna height.

 

[Reloadron]

Cool and thanks KISS

Ron

 

[MrAl]

Thanks Keep for the link and thanks Ron for the new store idea...seems they have a wide selection there.
I started to think maybe portable DVD player instead, but then i wouldnt see the news which is what i really want.
Maybe i should go with a decent portable radio instead?

 

[Reloadron]

I guess it just depends on what you want available to you during a blackout type emergency situation. TV or Radio will keep you up to date, DVD will keep you amused.

Ron

 

[MrAl]

Hi Ron,


Yeah, i guess i was going for both news and entertainment to give me something to do while the computer is down (no power).
I'm working on being able to do more cooking too now, with a small propane stove or Sterno or something. No electric here means no cooking. I do have a little electric water heater but it uses up quite a few watt hours just for that little thing and there is no recharging until the power comes on, unless maybe i rig something up to the car...hmmmm, i'll have to look into this too...some sort of current limited charge circuit for the car to 12v sealed Lead Acid battery...would replenish my batteries for more cooking and lighting.

 

[Reloadron]

Our cooking around here is all natural gas. I can say in 25 years in this house one thing we have never lost is natural gas. I do have the old camp stove somewhere out in the shed and plenty of propane. Funny as that old stove was used last taking the kids camping, and now the "kids" have their own stoves to take their kids camping. I hear you on the electric water heater. When using electric to heat water that is battery power I just don't see it as practical. I see a small propane camp stove with an oversize propane bottle as a much better solution.

Ron

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Yep, natural gas has never went out, but it can when streets blow up due to faulty gas mains.

We use an antique oven for baking. No safeties except a detented thermostat. No pilot light. Works like a charm though. I replaced the oven control with a rebuilt, non hazardous one (the bulb fluid) a few years ago. Simple purchase rebuilt, return dud, core refunded after inspection. The hard part was threading the bulb through the double wall of the oven.

 

[Sceadwian]

What about a small natural gas generator?