Battery powered TV

[apg]

OK, hurricane season is here and I live a half-block and 15' above seal level.... Lots of emergency supplies (and ammo), multi-fuel generator, etc., but there one thing I haven't been able to find/replace. Over a decade ago, I bought this battery powered, all-in-one device at Rat Shack: small B&W TV screen, cassette player, multi-band radio including weather band, in a small, portable unit that would run off 12 v as well as 110. Of course, without a converter, the TV part becomes useless. A web search hasn't tuned up anything remotely similar. Anyone seen anything like this?

TIA

 

[landrovered]

We're not buying the hurricane thing, you just want to catch "So you think you can dance" while you are on the trail.

This is a garage sale item, I found one several years ago that way.

 

[DiscoJen]

I would almost swear my girlfriend has one that her dad gave her down in the basement. But being from Florida, I believe that basements are the work of the devil as people should not dwell below the earth. But for you I might just make the descent into the damp hell and go have a peek. It's probably also an old Rat Shack item IIRC.

 

[kennith]

OK, hurricane season is here and I live a half-block and 15' above seal level.... Lots of emergency supplies (and ammo), multi-fuel generator, etc., but there one thing I haven't been able to find/replace. Over a decade ago, I bought this battery powered, all-in-one device at Rat Shack: small B&W TV screen, cassette player, multi-band radio including weather band, in a small, portable unit that would run off 12 v as well as 110. Of course, without a converter, the TV part becomes useless. A web search hasn't tuned up anything remotely similar. Anyone seen anything like this?

TIA

They are a dime a dozen nowadays. Check the gift areas of fancy department stores, home stores, and the auto section in Target or similar places.

Most seem to say Jeep on them, but I've seen a Hummer or two as well. I don't really understand them, myself.

They will generally have a Television, a radio, some form of media player, a flash light, a beacon light, a hand crank for powering the radio or light, and so on.

Now, most of these are not all that great. Some have more features, some less. I doubt any you will find today are as good as the one you used to have. Vector used to have one that looked to be one of the best, from what I could see, but Black and Decker bought them, and I don't see it on the site any more.

Here are some examples.

http://www.allthingsjeep.com/kng36-jx1ltv.html

http://www.amazon.com/Vector-Stormtracker-Weather-Alert-Radio/dp/B000FCP1DO

http://www.amazon.com/Vector-Tough-Brite-Tracker-Weather/dp/B000CQP78M

The last one there is the Vector I have used once. It seemed to be OK, for what it was. I still didn't understand what the point was, though. You can get a pocket radio today that will cover all the bases you need for a Hurricane. They use less energy, and are easier to store and carry.

Considering that there are plenty of models that allow one to transmit as well, I would think they are generally a better choice.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[SGaynor]

multi-fuel generator, etc., .... battery powered, ...
TIA

I'm confused as why you would want/need the second, when you have the first?

 

[az_max]

It was actually easier before Dtv was mandated. Now a lot of the smaller devices are outdated. I'd recommend a USB tuner card for a laptop. They do ATSC, CATV, NTSC. some Cell phones do TV as well, but they may rely on the tower/network to be up.

 

[apg]

What I'm looking for is a digital replacement for something I've been using for a dozen years - something that becomes obsolete in a week. I've found several small, digital-ready, battery-powered TVs, but not one multi-function device. And yes, such a contraption is handy to take on the trail, though I would only watch "So You Think You Can Dance" at gunpoint. And yes, cassettes are ancient technology, but when someone broke into my 88" a few weeks back, they ignored the radio/cassette player. The miscreants didn't take anything and even left two tapes....