I replaced the OEM TV - and added mobile satellite too

Mike · 08-16-2009, 06:25 PM

I've got an Energy Star rated Panasonic 19" LCD HDTV which I'm thinking about using
as a replacement to the OEM Panasonic 13" CRT TV that's in there now. The new one
won't physically fit in the E-unit (at least not that I can figure out) so I'm looking at
mounting it on the rear-facing outside of the E-unit cabinetry so it'll face the bed area.
Has anyone got any idea what type of wood the rear sides of the Entertainment Unit
cabinets are made of?
If I need to add any additional stuff to do this or if anyone sees any stops signs
that I don't, please feel free to add your comments.

Thanks,
Mike.

UPDATE: the "new" Panasonic apparently draws more than the 75W mini-inverter can provide
and I'm not going to upgrade the inverter, so on to plan B (no pun intended). We looked at
some replacements yesterday at Best Buy/The Source/Walmart. The flat panels that would
actually fit in the E-unit didn't have built in ATSC tuners, and the name brands had the tuners
built in, are all too large to hide away. I've been in touch with JensenRVDirect in Elkhart, IN
but won't be down that way for at least 2 months. I looked at some examples of wall mounting
on here, Ms. B Haven's and Davydd's were probably the best examples of what I'm going to
attempt. I saw a 19" Sharp (non-Aquos) that says it draws 29W, so if that's what I decide to go
with, I'll see if I can try the display model on my inverter first, then take it from there.
No point getting it if it's still too much of a power draw. Nic picture even tho it was a "plain" Sharp.
Off to Costco to see what they've got.

Well, that was a surprise. Costco in our area (27km away) doesn't do the free day pass to browse
but not shop anymore. We didn't have their preferred identification/method of payment handy,
so we were stuck and returned home.
As another question, does anyone see any real advantage to a Costco membership, and if so, are you
a Business or Gold or Executive Gold member, and why? We don't have Sam's Club in Ontario after
they didn't do too well and were closed earlier this year. I don't think we have BJ's either, so we have
no competition here, and maybe that's why they don't give out the free passes. They don't need to?
I'm thinking if we do, to get the Gold membership, and possibly the American Express CC option.
What do others think?

Mike · 08-27-2009, 03:39 AM

We joined Costco as an experiment, just to get in and have a look around.
If you know your prices on stuff, we found you won't save a lot of $$$, although
their return policy is touted as one of the best (ala Walmart's?). There were a few
odds and ends that were a deal, but not many.

One of the things I looked at there was a Sharp 19" flat screen - model LC19SB25U.
There's a similar model, same size, for sale at Best Buy for the same price - model LC19SB27U.
Both TVs are C$279 + tax.
After hitting the Sharp website and doing a bit of research, I found the 2 TVs are basically
the same except for one important stat - energy consumption. The 25U uses 44W,
but the 27U only uses 29W, so it works in our '02 190P when plugged into a 100W
portable inverter in the entertainment unit (I had the Best Buy guy bring it out to
the parking lot to try it), If we go with it, I'll have to figure out the best way to
mount it on the rear facing side of the E-unit. I guess we can then use the
empty spot where the OEM Panasonic sits now as extra storage. After I toss it.
As another facet of this project, I checked with Panasonic and the model we have
in the RV now (CT-13R50D old style crt TV) draws, on average, 108W and 0.9A.
Not an Energy Star.
Next project, satellite TV on the road.
Stay tuned.......

markopolo · 08-27-2009, 04:54 AM

That will great for watching movies. I had a 15" LCD in my Roadtrek and a 19" in my B+. The 19" was nice.

The difference in wattage is from the audio; 4 watts for one and 20 watts for the other. In a small area like the back of a Class B you probably would never notice the difference.

Here's a photo of forum member Jardiner's LCD TV mount:

Quote:

We wanted to be able to watch TV either from the front or the back of our Roadtrek. So I opted for a wall mount that could be tilted and swiveled ( SANUS VM3B VISION MOUNT). All the wires were then placed in a plastic flexible split cut conduit.

I had the exact same in my Roadtrek.

Here's his website for more photos: http://www3.sympatico.ca/danielle_pare/ ... ctures.htm

Mike · 08-27-2009, 01:39 PM

That looks perfect. I think we have the same curtains, too!

I see something underneath the e-unit, looks like possibly an inverter?
I think it'll work for us. Just have to get clearance from the rest
of the family to proceed with the "renovation".
Thanks for the tip on wattage differences. It didn't occur to me that
the audio output would be a factor. There must be other factors too,
as the 15" Skyworth 12V LCD only has 2+2W of audio output, but draws
50W and 4.2Amps max.
Actually, we have a bigger Sharp Aquos in the house,
and the audio is it's biggest weakness.
I need closed captioning these days anyway, so it doesn't matter much.

Picture is great, though!!!

p.s. We're having home satellite installed today, and one of the receivers is 12V DC
compatible, and portable. Not sure how this will pan out, but the installer said he
probably has spare dishes.

11:30 EDT, Satellite is in, and it's awesome.
Now, how do I mount a dish on the roof of the Roadtrek, with a quick install/release
mechanism of some sort?

Chester T · 08-27-2009, 04:40 PM

I have one of these. Its a little pricey, but works really well.
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/tv-a ... vuqube.htm

Mike · 08-27-2009, 04:46 PM

Thanks for the link Chester. I'm sort of wading through the web page right now.
How long have you had it, and did you buy from them directly online?
Or, did you drive to Houston for a look and assessment first?
I'm with Shaw Direct/Star Choice. Do these things work with any system?
If I may ask, which model did you get, and why, as there appear to be more than one?
I'm not likely to need to watch in motion, so the "tailgater" might be the best choice for us.
Pricey, but not outrageous for the apparent ease of use, I'd say?

Again, thanks for the idea.

Chester T · 08-27-2009, 07:15 PM

Hi Mike
I live in Alberta Canada. I bought mine in Edmonton Alberta. I beleive it will work on your sat system.I got the one which was cheapest for tailgating. It works really well once you get the hang of it. It self levels so all you have to do is get elevation of area you are in. Punch in number and then turn it using remote control from your RV. I get my elevation numbers from Sat finder dish pointer on Computor. When I am traveling, I get my numbers according to area i know i will be going too.

Mike · 08-27-2009, 11:14 PM

Thanks for the extra info Chester. It looks interesting. Maybe if we get down towards Houston
later this fall, we may have a look.
Pricey, but sounds pretty easy to use.

Thanks.

Ron J. Moore · 08-28-2009, 02:39 AM

I replaced the Samsung that came with our '05; I picked up a 15" Polaroid at WalMart ($228.00) and it was a snap to install. I didn't need any new holes, it matched up perfectly; didn't need to change out the holder, etc. I had heard about using the 19", but I was more concerned with keeping it flush back the way it was designed. Also, got the WM Extended Warranty, seems almost to cover any and all circumstances. Oh yeah, by my buying the E/W ($20.) insures nothing will ever go wrong!!

Mike · 08-28-2009, 02:45 PM

Thanks Ron. I think my next foray into the land of the free, home of the brave, is going to consist
largely of SHOPPING!!!

I think I'm going with the Canadian Best Buy LC19SB27U Sharp. The dynamic contrast ratio is amazing,
it doesn't draw much power, only weighs 8 lbs., and we already have one Sharp LCD, and it's very good.
However, wall mounting systems are somewhat overpriced up here, as far as I can see.
My wife did a bit of googling this morning, and found that Walmart USA has some very inexpensive but
very functional articulating wall mounts, similar to the one in the pics posted by our esteemed forum
moderator. They start as low as US$25 and go to "sky's the limit". All appear to be capable of supporting
the weight of the TV, and they look sturdy enough online. We'll see how they look in person, next trip.
I now have a reason to gut and reorganize the entertainment unit this weekend.
I'll also add the following to my list...

probably 4 new tires - probably Walmart, unless Costco comes up with a better deal. (anywhere, USA)
a new/replacement battery isolator (Ft. Worth, TX)
possibly a portable satellite dish/aiming system (Houston, TX - thanks again Chester T)
probably a new unlocked GSM cell phone (Chicago, IL - Nokia Flagship Store)

Life is good!

Mike.

markopolo · 08-28-2009, 03:52 PM

Re: the mount

If you can, get one that "locks" into place. You could tighten the bolts on every joint on the one in my RT. You didn't need a tool as the bolts had large knobs. I kept a piece of non-slip material nearby and it helped me get a bit more torque when tightening or loosening the bolts.

My B+ came with one that did not lock into place. I secured the TV with bungy cords when driving.

Mike · 08-28-2009, 10:51 PM

Thanks for the thoughts.
It's almost certainly going to be a selling point for any mount, whether or not it's
solid and stable and "lockable" while the vehicle is in motion.
My wife says we'll probably need the bungy cords for it. She's rarely wrong.

Saw one at Walmart Canada tonight ($8

XL004PB (?) from Orbital that's good for 30lbs.
and is extendable from 4" to about 16" or so.
http://www.orbitalholdings.com/en/produ ... /XL004PB-A

Hallibagger · 08-30-2009, 08:07 PM

Hi Mike,

I replaced my TV with a 15" digital LCD mounted exactly like Markopolo's, I could not get the 19" to fit and still allow back or front viewing.

You mentioned Starchoice/Shaw satellite, this is much fussier to lock onto the satellite than is the Expressvu. In fact it can be a real pain in the butt! You have to have a secure pole and it has to be absolutely vertical before you need bother to start! Fortunately we only have to do it once and then we are good for 4 months. We have some friends who honestly believe that they are in an area which for some reason is blocked by Starchoice. They declined to let me see if I could get it set-up!

With your wandering ways you might find it to be a real challenge to get it set up every evening before you can have a drink and relax!

Another friend has a B and he has Expressvu and he has the dish mounted on the rear of his van, it does not seem to mind the vehicle movements caused by walking around.

Deryck

Chester T · 08-30-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hallibagger

Hi Mike,

Another friend has a B and he has Expressvu and he has the dish mounted on the rear of his van, it does not seem to mind the vehicle movements caused by walking around.

Deryck

This part of your post is good to know. I thought walking or moving around in your B might throw it out of wack. I also have Expressvu but using a Vuqube as sat dish.

Mike · 08-31-2009, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hallibagger

Hi Mike,

I replaced my TV with a 15" digital LCD mounted exactly like Markopolo's, I could not get the 19" to fit and still allow back or front viewing.

I know what you mean about the 19". It's not going to be easy to tuck it away behind the entertainment unit when we're in motion. I was hoping it would fit better, but there's not much I can do about it. It's still a very nice TV, and it draws almost no wattage (29W). My wife is looking forward to the extra storage space inside the e-unit where the old crt TV sits now. I think most of our viewing will be from the back of the van, in the evenings, so I'm not too worried about being able to see it from the front of the van.

Quote:

You mentioned Starchoice/Shaw satellite, this is much fussier to lock onto the satellite than is the Expressvu. In fact it can be a real pain in the butt! You have to have a secure pole and it has to be absolutely vertical before you need bother to start! Fortunately we only have to do it once and then we are good for 4 months. We have some friends who honestly believe that they are in an area which for some reason is blocked by Starchoice. They declined to let me see if I could get it set-up!

I take it you have Star Choice ? It's an elliptical 60cm dish to begin, whereas Bell XVU is round and smaller maybe 45cm? The installer said it works better in the south western US, as that's closer to where the "birds" are. He said in AZ it's pretty much true south azimuth and you only need to get your elevation angle, or something like that. He also said that the "birds" are set up/aimed to throw their "shadow" across Canada, so the farther south of the 49th parallel you go the further below the signal area you are. That's why it's harder to get a good lock when you're closer to being beneath the satellite. They're not aimed down towards the lower 48 States, more towards the upper 10 provinces.
That VUqube that Chester mentions sounds like it might take some of the pain out of the process. I'd like to get the new TV in place before we leave end of September, and then see what the deal is with the VuQube system, if we get near Houston. In fact, I start gutting the inside of the e-unit tomorrow.

Quote:

With your wandering ways you might find it to be a real challenge to get it set up every evening before you can have a drink and relax!

Another friend has a B and he has Expressvu and he has the dish mounted on the rear of his van, it does not seem to mind the vehicle movements caused by walking around.

Deryck

I'd hoped it might be as easy as mounting some sort of gimballed gyroed powered permanent base above the a/c unit, which I could then just stick the dish into after we've parked, and then adjust it remotely from inside using the audible aiming system in the receiver. It appears that isn't likely to happen as a DIY project, but those Vuqube "tailgaters" look like they'd do the trick, if we spent the money. We'll see when we get down there. OTA digital will do us fine in the mean time.
Thanks for the input, much obliged.

Mike · 09-04-2009, 04:27 AM

Well we pulled the trigger on the Sharp LC19SB27U from Best Buy Canada, retail $279+tax.
Now I need an articulating mounting arm and some ideas as to how to secure it to the rear
wall of the entertainment cabinet in the '02 Popular. I'm thinking I might need some sort of
plate on the inside wall to spread the torque on the mount base from the weight of the TV,
over a larger area. I don't want the mount arm to pull loose from the wall.

Has anyone tried this, as a method of increasing the supporting capability of their TV mounting arm?

Mike · 09-10-2009, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markopolo

That will great for watching movies. I had a 15" LCD in my Roadtrek and a 19" in my B+. The 19" was nice.

The difference in wattage is from the audio; 4 watts for one and 20 watts for the other. In a small area like the back of a Class B you probably would never notice the difference.

Here's a photo of forum member Jardiner's LCD TV mount:

Quote:

We wanted to be able to watch TV either from the front or the back of our Roadtrek. So I opted for a wall mount that could be tilted and swiveled ( SANUS VM3B VISION MOUNT). All the wires were then placed in a plastic flexible split cut conduit.

I had the exact same in my Roadtrek.

Here's his website for more photos: http://www3.sympatico.ca/danielle_pare/ ... ctures.htm

I picked up a Sanus VM3B-03 articulating mount tonight at Best Buy (not going to say what I paid for it, but it was embarrassingly pricey. I felt like I'd been robbed as I left the place).
One question before I attempt installation.
Did you, or do you know if Jardinier, used any additional backing or oversized washers inside the entertainment
unit wall when bolting the mount/swing arm assembly there? I can't see the inside of the e-unit in the picture.
I'm thinking of using a lag bolt and oversized washers setup to spread the weight and load out over the e-unit wall.
Thoughts? Suggestions?

UPDATE: Actually, I found another angle inside the e-unit at Jardinier's website and it doesn't look like he's used
any extra backing to support the weight of the TV on the Sanus mount. All I see is the nut/bolt heads.
I still think I'll add some oversized washers at least on the inside/back of the e-unit wall to spread the load a bit.
When I have a finished product I'll post up some pics.

Thanks,
Mike.

Mike · 09-10-2009, 10:51 PM

Well, the thing is in, and it seems ok although the top horizontal pivot tightening screw
did not turn in easily. I checked the threads but they look ok, so I'll just keep an eye on it for
slippage. The vertical tilt adjust is a bit loose too. Same issue, tightening nut doesn't really tighten.
Still, it's in, and it looks so much like the pictures of Jardinier's, I'm not going to post up
any. Duplication of effort. I did wind up using a set of nuts/bolts and over-sized washers to
add some strength behind the mount on the inside wall of the e-unit.
Great picture on the Sharp, sound is decent, mostly because it's in a smaller enclosed space,
which probably helps. We are in Canada, so there aren't many, if any, digital signals around
that we could find, with the auto-channel search function. Still it's a sight better than the
OEM TV, and I'm sure it'll pay dividends when we head south in a few weeks.

This is probably my last post to this thread.

As usual, hope it has helped others considering replacing their OEM TV, in some way.

Mike · 09-21-2009, 03:35 PM

One LAST posting to this thread. I got in touch with Kingcontrols who make the VuQube
satellite signal acquisition systems and they said it's not compatible with Star Choice.

Yet.

The search for full channel range television viewing solutions on the road continues......

Mike · 10-26-2009, 02:11 AM

So much for last posts.
I believe the only dish/actuator/locator systems compatible with Star Choice satellite are made by
Motosat and Explorer, and both are in the $3K range.
So, I'll be looking for a crank up system I can mount on my roof, can tilt and swivel from inside the van,
and that will accept at least a 60cm Star Choice dish and LNB.
Anyone seen anything like this before?

I thought so, you're all ExpressVu subscribers.

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