|
Post by millard1399 on Nov 15, 2012 16:53:32 GMT 10
Well, the TV was delivered after lunch today, so I got stuck into setting it up and checking it out. It's certainly a few steps above the little Aldi TV we had, but it's not as good as Kogan claim it to be on their Specifications info. This picture is taken straight on, facing the screen (and note that this picture and the following pictures are blurry because I had to turn the flash off to show what I wanted to ). A nice clear picture showing when face on... ...but then as you move away from the centre, the clarity changes at about the 45 o mark, and the picture starts to get dull... It was pretty much the same for all positions as you move away from the centre...top; bottom; one side; other side. This picture is taken looking up from the dining seat, with the TV tilted forward to the full 12 o that the bracket can go... The same taken when lying down on the rear bed, as if you were watching TV in bed... A DVD being played... The sound out of the speakers is better than I expected, although it still has a bit of a tinny sound about it. Normal listening on the volume scale for TV programmes is around the 25-30 setting, but for some reason the sound when playing DVDs has to be wound right up to about 90 or more to get the same volume. I'll have to investigate why that is. The remote control I received has a totally different layout to the one pictured in the Help manual, so I had to muck around trying to work out which button did which function. Some of the buttons just have a symbol on them, so you have to figure out what the symbol means... Anyway, first impressions are that it's pretty good for the money paid. I'll test it out further over the next couple of days, but so far so good. cheers, Al.
|
|
|
Post by bobt on Nov 15, 2012 21:01:20 GMT 10
Hey Al
It looks a bit of alright. Always a bit of a risk buying sight unseen, especially when your trying to squeeze a little bit more then average in the way of the viewing angle.
I did not mount a TV bracket in my white box on account swmbo likes to lie on the bed watching telly and I like to sit at the table. Telly hanging on a bracket like yours was not going to work for us, so it sits on the fridge and we can both see it. (We have a side kitchen not a front kitchen, in our case it would have been a rear kit)
looking good.
bobt
|
|
|
Post by kiwijim on Nov 16, 2012 2:15:18 GMT 10
Howdy Al, After looking at the picture of your new T.V. I realised that I hadn't noticed any difference to the picture on the Soniq T.V. which we recently bought. Here are a couple of quick pics, the first one is straight on.... This second pic, was taken at about 45 deg, there is very little difference in picture quality, maybe a shade darker but, no distortion of the picture. There seems to be a general lack of volume when playing the C.D. & D.V.D in all sets that I have owned. I had the same trouble with the Toshiba set that was in the Thomson and it is very apparent with this set. The same as with your set, when I want to play a Slim Dusty D.V.D I like it loud, this means winding up the volume to near on 100%, it's hell on the ears when I forget the switch back to H.D. TV and forget to turn it down first. Another problem I have is that I'm not happy with the sound on a C.D. or when playing the D,V,D. to me, it sounds like its a 45 rpm record running at around 50 rpm's I have tried to get in touch with the manufacturer's for them to have a look at it but, what a rigmarole to go through, first the set has to be registered on their Web Site, then you have to fill in a dozen questions and also insert a photo copy of the receipt, then if all is well with them, there is supposed to be a green light appear on the screen followed with a work-order number and an address of a repairer to take the set to. The one thing they don't tell you is that you only have a very short time to fill in the application for service and the screen will go blank after a couple of seconds. Next a message appears..... " TIME OUT" try again later. I'll try again in a week or so. kiwijim
|
|
|
Post by millard1399 on Nov 16, 2012 16:51:47 GMT 10
G'day kiwijim, That picture on your Soniq TV looks a bit of alright! I reckon you'll be pretty happy with that picture quality. I've been mucking around a bit more with the Kogan TV today, trying to see if a couple of computer speakers could be hooked up. It doesn't help when the on-line User manual shows the rear connections on a TV that's nothing like the model I've got. I think the manual available for download must be for an older model. So, I'm a bit stuck at the moment, trying to work out how to do it, and whether I need other cables to be able to hook the speakers up. In the meantime, I've ordered a right-angled fitting for the antenna cable, where it plugs into the side of the TV... The way the cable plugs in at the moment, it gets caught up in the bracket when the TV is swivelled from front to back, or vice versa... ...so the right-angled fitting will allow the cable to be directed downwards to the floor, and out of the way of the bracket... The fitting cost me $3.50 posted from this ebay seller . It's a bit pricey for what it is, but they were the only seller I could find on ebay that sold them. cheers, Al.
|
|
|
Post by kiwijim on Nov 16, 2012 19:53:55 GMT 10
Howdy Al, I can see that fitting that right angle cable joiner would help you a lot. The rear of my set is just about identical as yours, Makes you wonder if they came out of the same factory. I have tried shoving a set of Computer Speakers into the T.V. but, Sad to say they don't do any good at all, the volume has to be wound right up and then you can only hear the sound if the speakers are held to the ear. "Bummer" I think the only answer is to install an amplifier in the van and then run the T.V. through it to a couple of Stereo Speakers, This off coarse will only be good if you are on a powered site, or maybe have a Inverter with enough "OMP" to run everything. Kiwijim
|
|
|
Post by millard1399 on Nov 16, 2012 21:51:09 GMT 10
Hmmm, kiwijim, sounds like I might be floggin' a dead horse with the speakers then, ay?! I'd actually ordered the following cable off ebay this afternoon, to see if another option might work... It cost me a whole one dollar to buy it and have it posted from Hong Kong! Struth, how do they make a profit out of that?!! Looks like I might be putting up with the Kogan "Wharfedale" speakers after all, heh heh. cheers, Al.
|
|
|
Post by kiwijim on Nov 17, 2012 17:56:28 GMT 10
We wait to hear, with baited breath, What could the next option be. !!! ;D ;D Now you just be careful, Al, Sending all this Aussie Coin "Off Shore" You're supposed to support the local economy ya know. kiwijim ;D
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2012 19:38:11 GMT 10
Hi Al and Jim, i have a couple of Soniq,s, one is a slimline the other a normal. The problem you have with the slimlines ( 90% ) of models is the speakers are only a 5watt. Due to the thickness of the slimlines. You are right Jim in that it sounds very " tinny " With soniq there are updates that you can do but it is a bit long in the tooth and really not much changes. To get a decent sound i had to connect it to my surround sound...turn the tv volume right down.. Works great... Maybe look at a couple of decent speakers ( jaycar,good guys ) . Individual surround sound speakers. My second soniq ( which is not a slimline ) the sound is brilliant. I have been informed that the " tinny " sound differs a little but it is pretty much standard on quite a few brands of slimline tv's. Mainly due to the amount of room they have for fitting speakers. Kind Regards to yo both Steve
|
|
|
Post by kiwijim on Nov 21, 2012 20:57:59 GMT 10
Howdy Steve, I have just taken note about what you said the power of the speakers were. I've just checked the Spec's in the Hand Book of my new Soniq T.V. "SHOCK...... HORROR"It's no wonder this set sounds Tinny, the Audio power in this set is a fantastic...... 3 x 3 watts I have an old Stereo receiver with all the connection on the back so, I'll hook it up to the T.V. then see if "Good Ole Slim" can shatter a few windows ;D ;D ;D Cheers kiwijim
|
|
|
Post by millard1399 on Nov 21, 2012 23:08:08 GMT 10
G'day fellas, It'll be another week before the RCA connector I bought from China is delivered, so I won't know whether my "Plan B" idea will work or not, until it comes. I did get the right-angled antenna cable connector in the mail yesterday, and fitted it today... The cable runs down from the TV to a hole in the floor immediately underneath, so the cable is positioned a lot better... Now I can swivel the TV to both the front and the back of the van, and the cable doesn't get fouled up in the bracket. cheers, Al.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2012 5:58:05 GMT 10
G'day Al, since you will be spending most of your TV time sitting down, could you modify how you have attached the wall bracket to the wall to provide some additional downward angle?
Cheers Doug
|
|
|
Post by millard1399 on Nov 23, 2012 9:28:20 GMT 10
G'day Doug, The TV is tilted in the bracket to the maximum available 12 o, and that provides good viewing of the screen whether we are standing up or sitting down, providing we are within 45 o of the centre of the screen. I guess my only "criticism" of the TV is that the specifications say the screen has a horizontal viewing angle of 170 o, which is almost from one side to the other. I interpreted that to mean the screen gave "crystal clear viewing" from one side to the other. I've found that to be a stretch of the truth, because the further you move away from the centre of the screen, the more the picture changes to look like a film negative. Having mucked around with the TV for a few days, I think it will be more than adequate for the sort of caravan viewing we are likely to be doing (which is not a great deal anyway ). I'm just curious to know whether the speakers can be improved in any way, and I'll know that in another week or two. Other than that, I'd recommend this TV/brand to others who might be contemplating the purchase of something for their van. cheers, Al.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2012 21:53:48 GMT 10
Hey Al,
We recently picked up a $129 18.5" special from ALDI, as it turns out it's got a 12VDC input which will be very handy when I re-wire the van (The 240V plug pack is just a 12V Power supply).
We also had issues with the audio, and we resorted to picking up a cheap pair of logitech 2.1 speaker system and plugged that in to the "headphone" jack on the TV. It's 240V only (Well, until I modify it anyway) but it's MUCH better than the audio quality of the TV. You might have to look at a similar option with your Kogan.
Cheers, Josh
|
|
|
Post by millard1399 on Dec 11, 2012 14:42:53 GMT 10
G'day All, I received another "camping toy" in the mail yesterday. It's a gas blowtorch... ...which clips onto those standard gas canisters... It has a push-button piezo ignition, integrated with a flame control dial at the rear... Great for lighting the heat beads or getting the campfire going... When I bought mine, the cheapest seller I could find was this one Works great!! cheers, Al.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2012 19:19:08 GMT 10
What can i say. ;D Boys with toys You know what comes next. We need to light a fire , go get Al.. When poor Al wants to light a fire oops no gas Al been there done that . keep it in the Al only cupboard Gav
|
|
|
Post by millard1399 on Dec 12, 2012 16:16:09 GMT 10
G'day All, Back again with another story... The dining table in the Windsor was a wobbly ol' thing whenever we had to loosen the locknuts underneath the table top, to allow the top to swivel so people could get in behind it and sit down on the seat. The top wobbled a good half inch at the outer edges, which was no fun if you had a cup of coffee or a bowl of cereal resting on the table. I mulled the problem over in my head for a month or two, and then came up with a possible solution...ie. weld an extension tube onto the bracket under the table. This photo shows how much (little) of the top of the centre pedestal tube was gripped by the table bracket... As luck would have it, I was out walking our dog around the neighbourhood, and I came across some tubing that somebody had put out on the footpath for rubbish collection... It looked like it might be pretty close in diameter to what I wanted (note to self: carry tape measure when walking dog), so I carted it home and checked it out. Beauty! Just what the Doctor ordered! I got my brother to cut it to length, and tack weld it onto the end of the table bracket. I splashed a bit of black paint around the weld area, and she looks brand new ... Now when the table is fitted onto the pedestal, the top wobbles less than 2mm at the outer edges... Two very happy caravanners! ;D ;D cheers, Al.
|
|
|
Post by kiwijim on Dec 14, 2012 3:45:43 GMT 10
Good work on the table there Al, That should stop the Stubbies from falling off. I think I will have to look around for a base the same as yours, I have the cross leg base support type in the Coromal, and the legs on our table are just high enough to catch the toes, Darned annoying when carrying a plate to the table. How did you go with the sound improvement on your T.V. ? kiwijim
|
|
|
Post by millard1399 on Dec 14, 2012 10:14:01 GMT 10
Nah, the "sound experiment" was a bit of a fizzer. I hooked up some cheap computer speakers via a cable to the DVD sound outlet jacks on the TV. I could get a slightly better sound out of the speakers, but the big problem was that the TV sound wasn't cancelled out when the cable was plugged in. So, I ended up with both the computer speakers and the TV speakers working at the same time, which meant the squeaky TV speakers were still giving out the squeaky noise.
I've given up on the idea. We'll grin and bear the TV speakers for normal TV viewing, and most likely use the laptop for running DVDs.
cheers, Al.
|
|
|
Post by ForumMod on Dec 28, 2012 21:37:26 GMT 10
G'day All, I've joined up with those of you who have installed LED lights in your van. I decided to see what one of those 1 metre strip lights would look like at the front of the van. I bought the strip and a compatible 12V transformer as two separate items from the one ebay seller. All up cost was $20 posted... First I took the pelmet off the front window, and glued a strip of timber inside the pelmet. Then I cut and screwed a 1 metre length of aluminium angle to the timber strip, and stuck the LED strip to the ali angle... Then I cut a rectangle out of the pelmet plywood, and fitted a 12V On-Off switch to the pelmet... I wired it all up and plugged the transformer into the powerpoint, then flicked the switch, and... Pretty cool, huh? cheers, Al.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2012 22:53:19 GMT 10
Nah, the "sound experiment" was a bit of a fizzer. I hooked up some cheap computer speakers via a cable to the DVD sound outlet jacks on the TV. I could get a slightly better sound out of the speakers, but the big problem was that the TV sound wasn't cancelled out when the cable was plugged in. So, I ended up with both the computer speakers and the TV speakers working at the same time, which meant the squeaky TV speakers were still giving out the squeaky noise. I've given up on the idea. We'll grin and bear the TV speakers for normal TV viewing, and most likely use the laptop for running DVDs. cheers, Al. Hi Al, we had a problem with our skinny tv with bad sound and someone told us to put a headphone jack into the headphone plug and this will disable the TV sound. See if it works for you Subbie
|
|
|
Post by ForumMod on Dec 29, 2012 9:12:57 GMT 10
G'day subbie, The problem I have is that this particular Kogan model doesn't have a headphone jack in it. If it did, I reckon all my problems would have been solved. I ended up trying a "Plan B fix", by connecting to the audio jack outlets for the DVD player, but that didn't kill the sound out of the TV speakers. I've given up on the whole idea of improving the sound. cheers, Al.
|
|
|
Post by jeff on Dec 29, 2012 13:24:54 GMT 10
That's a great look Al ~ I assume you could get it in a longer length say 2 mtrs but can you shorten it a couple of inches if you have to? cheers
|
|
|
Post by ForumMod on Dec 29, 2012 14:20:19 GMT 10
G'day jeff, Yeah, the circuitry in these LED strips allows you to cut at 3 x LED intervals, which is approx every 50mm. Obviously, you cut at the end that doesn't have the connecting wires attached, heh heh. (somewhere...out there in a shed...you hear, "D'oh!!" ) cheers, Al.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2012 6:24:34 GMT 10
Hi Al gotta have one of those gas torches just ordered it toys for the boys wheeeeeeeeeeeee
|
|
|
Post by humpyboy on Jan 6, 2013 11:04:00 GMT 10
Hi Al, was just reading about your speaker trouble, if it is not to hard to get inside the TV (no not you, your hands) then why not look for the wires that go to your fitted speakers disconect them and fit your own jacks if the DVD jacks still don't work as you want them to.
|
|