Hurricane preparedness used to mean buying batteries, stocking up on canned goods, and filling water jugs. Now, it's a question of how you're going to 'get outta Dodge' and stay connected and informed wherever you wind up. Today's topic deals with the latter.
Due to the DTV transition, many Gulf Coast residents are now in the market for a portable, battery-powered television. A year or so ago, you saw them advertised from $150-$200 (usually out-of-stock).
Thankfully, prices have come down. Now, you sometimes see them on-sale online for under 100 bucks! The Axion AXN-8701 I demonstrated this morning on the Fox 8 Morning News sells online for $129.99.
The AXN-8701 measures about 7.5 x 6 x 1.5 inches and weights less than a pound-and-a-half. The 7-inch LCD screen is bright and viewable from a variety of angles. A credit card size infra-red (IR) remote control is included, as well as composite video/audio input cables and a headphone jack.
I was disappointed to learn the unit only has an ATSC/NTSC tuner, which means it only receives over-the-air (OTA) digital TV broadcasts and the now obsolete (except for LPTV) analog TV channels. You can connect the TV to analog cable, but only to receive Channels 2 - 13. It is not cable-ready.
Another negative is the built-in, rechargeable battery (lithium polymer), which is only good for 100 minutes. The battery is sealed, but the TV uses an external AC power supply (9VDC@1.5amps). In a power outage, you'll need an external source of 12-volts DC to keep watching. A motorcycle battery or ten D-cell battery pack would do the trick. It's up to you whether it's worth the trouble.
An external, magnetic mount antenna is also part of the package, but I soon learned you can't receive DTV in a moving vehicle. The screen goes blank unless you are at a dead stop. I even tried creeping at under 3 mph. There was no reception until the speedometer reached 0 mph.
This came as a shock, considering the unit also comes with a cigarette lighter adapter, but online research confirms that 8VSB, the RF transmission system used for over-the-air digital TV in the U.S., was not designed for mobile reception. Mobile DTV is coming, but not for some time.
Other Useful Gadgets
Countless lists of tropical storm preparedness tips already recommend buying a 12-volt cell phone adapter and extra rechargeable batteries for your laptop and handheld devices. Nevertheless, if you find yourself stranded somewhere for days without power, you might also find the following useful:
- 12-volt DC power inverter - Units like the 150-watt Tripp Lite PV150 are ideal for running laptops, powering small home electronic devices, or charging cell phones while you're driving. The wattage rating is important. 75-watt models were common years ago, but a 75-watt unit won't run most modern notebook computers. The electrical systems in most cars will support a 150-watt unit, which usually comes with a cigarette lighter adapter. More powerful inverters, rated at 300 watts and above, are available, but these usually have to be hardwired into the fuse panel or run directly to the car battery. A 300-watt unit will likely blow a fuse if you plug it into the cigarette lighter socket.
- USB ATSC/NTSC/Clear-QAM HDTV tuner for PC - Units like the Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-950Q let you to watch high-definition TV, off-air or connected to cable, using your PC, provided it has an available USB 2.0 port. The tuner itself is only slightly bigger than a thumb drive. With it, you can watch and record TV, full-screen or in a window. The latter mode is handy if you need to use the computer. You can minimize the screen but continue listening to the audio. A full-featured remote control and a telescopic indoor antenna are also included.
- Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power, Cell Phone Charger - Etón Corporation's American Red Cross FR160 MICROLINK self-powered radio covers AM, FM, plus all seven NOAA weatherband channels. The unit also has built-in LED light source, USB cell phone charger, and is powered by solar or dynamo (hand crank), both of which charge its internal Ni-MH battery.
- AC/DC Coupon-Eligible DTV Converter Box - 12-volt DC-powered DTV converter boxes are not easy to find. The ARTEC T3APR-T operates on 110 VAC or 12 VDC and can make a battery-powered, portable analog TV still useful in emergencies.
