We carried firstly (early 90's) a 4-inch screen Combo unit (radio, tape deck, analogue TV) the size of a "Ghetto Blaster", we still use unit for radio and occasionally cassettes.
When digital TV came in nationally; we purchased 12-inch TV Cube that also had radio - not very good reception, black and white picture. It had internal "Rabbit ear" aerial, but a coaxial input where normal antenna feed could be used.
First "fitted" TV was 2003 - 12V, 14-inch screen - normal fishbone Antenna that had to be carried inside and fitted to telescopic pole when camped, it did have an internal DVD player, quite the bee's knees in remote areas with little or no reception.
Bought a Satellite system 2010, waste of time and money - too hard to set up and bulky to carry, needed 240V to operate.
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Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
I still have the 14" Audiosonic portable TV with a CRT - it is a "bit" heavy reasonably deep but still works with a set top box.
We only had it for about 12 months before buying a much lighter 12"LED tv - it went with the camper when I sold it. Aerials haven't changed much.
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
We carried firstly (early 90's) a 4-inch screen Combo unit (radio, tape deck, analogue TV) the size of a "Ghetto Blaster", we still use unit for radio and occasionally cassettes.
When digital TV came in nationally; we purchased 12-inch TV Cube that also had radio - not very good reception, black and white picture. It had internal "Rabbit ear" aerial, but a coaxial input where normal antenna feed could be used.
First "fitted" TV was 2003 - 12V, 14-inch screen - normal fishbone Antenna that had to be carried inside and fitted to telescopic pole when camped, it did have an internal DVD player, quite the bee's knees in remote areas with little or no reception.
Bought a Satellite system 2010, waste of time and money - too hard to set up and bulky to carry, needed 240V to operate.
What a great history lesson Possum, All that just to watch TV. Times have changed.
Hi all; When we first got into caravaning and traveling our great country. I had already set up our camper at the time ( a very old s/h sunwagon camper ) and the television at the time was a little Sony 13" portable television 240 volts only. It was soon that i upgraded the camper to a Jayco swan camper and also the television was upgraded to a Philips 10" color portable set, analog at the time, this could run off a 12 volt 200 Ah AGM battery that i had been given and this also ran the lighting in the swan. We had that camper for just on two years and up graded the swan to another Jayco caravan and this time the upgrade was a Discovery pop top and head and sholders above the swan that proved a problem seting up and dismantling in the rain. At the time and working in the electronic industry repairing just about anything with a plug on it i was offered a TLC 22" television that was a repack for a good price. This set was strickly a 12 volt set and came with its own 240 volt brick power supply. We upgraded the first Jayco discovery for a second Jayco discovery, this was in 2012 at the time. This new caravan had the benifits of a toilet and shower. Great for those call of nature in the middle of the nigh. We still have that caravan and it's now 12 years old.
As for the type of television antenna that i used at the time. In the early days i used a fish bone antenna, I had tryed a few other type of antennas at the time, but i kept coming back to the fish bone antenna ( a Fracarro LPV345 ). I also had a telo mast bolted to the draw bar of our very first camper. This worked and worked well and would work were others antennas would fail. I was in the industry and could try alot of so called antennas desighned for caravans, but could not go past the Fracarro LPV345 for performance. When i upgraded to the first Jayco discovery i also changed over to satellight tv ( Vast ) with the first reciever being a 240 volt version only, this also ment a small 240 volt inverter had to be used. This lasted untill i bought a newer version of the Vast reciever, the old one was sold off, this new one was a 12 volt only version and another 240 brick if you needed mains power. I soon made up a 12 volt lead for the satellight reciever. I also have a 80cm dish and a trypod stand. The dish when we travel sits on our bed and has never moved while traveling. The trypod travels in the front boot.
As for the TCL television the only problem i have had was the remote control had become intermittant on a few of the buttons, a after market remote fixed this. The TCL also has poor sound as a lot of the sets of the same error. A small sound bar has improved the sound greatly.
I'm hearing you Peter, Your not the first to say that to me when holidaying. A few have said " I've had the tv in the van for 5 years and never turned it on." in a very stern voice.
They were great when analogue signal was the way we viewed - Personally I don't believe going over to digital TV was a step forward - Well done you Jade.
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Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
First caravanning?
You were lucky then to have one in your home never mind the caravan.
Books were plentiful.
Even now, I only turn the telly on for the news when I am away in the van, but have a cupboard full of books to read.
Nothing like a stretch out on the bunk with a good book.
Yeah I'm pretty much the same. My wife can read books 24/7. i've never read a book in my life, only the odd car magazine or alike. I like my TV, have one in the Island bed down the back, and another up the front in the big lounge area, with chrome cast, Netflix Stan, Disney, ect, ect. Upgraded my antenna to one of those diamond shape ones which works a treat, from one of those single propeller shape things. I don't know what I would have done back in the early days before the van, probably other stuff.
When travelling we don't have any TV, don't even listen to that much radio, a bit of AM at times. Music doesn't seem to happen either.
Actually enjoying getting away from it all.
But we had a Toshiba CA045 in our kitchen, from memory about a 14cm tube, so about 13cm in reality.
Brings back memories of just how small CRTs were, including computer monitors, had a 20 & 17 inch (19 &16) CRT. Don't know how I could do what I did with the lack of TV real estate in those days.
The Toshiba was a great little TV (we even had the battery adaptor which fastened to the bottom of the TV, which ran off D cells, I had rechargeable NiCADs, cost a small fortune at the time) in the kitchen.
Even my Grandmother had a small TV (BW) in the kitchen. Actually a slightly bigger screen than our colour TV.
...But we had a Toshiba CA045 in our kitchen, from memory about a 14cm tube, so about 13cm in reality.
Brings back memories of just how small CRTs were, including computer monitors, had a 20 & 17 inch (19 &16) CRT. Don't know how I could do what I did with the lack of TV real estate in those days.
The Toshiba was a great little TV (we even had the battery adaptor which fastened to the bottom of the TV, which ran off D cells, I had rechargeable NiCADs, cost a small fortune at the time) in the kitchen. ...
We used the same Toshiba 5" colour TV for many years during our travels purchased from Mr. Dick Smith in person. It was stored in a specially made padded wooden box. It is still in our storage locker.
In 2003 during our full-time Aussie travels we upgraded to a $1100 Philips 14" LCD TV.
Our current $300 Samsung 32" "smart" TV sure puts all previous TVs to shame.
TV on board is a must for us. Just as important as Starlink, solar and generator.
I really have a need to keep up to date with all the "lefty" stuff on ABC. And some other views on the other current affairs shows on Sky. I try to be fair and give them all a go :)
Apart from that all the "paid tv" services we have at our convenience.
I must be ambidextrous because I can use all of those items and still have the ability to gaze out of the window and even venture outside to enjoy the surrounds.
