Sat Tv

[CEShawn]

Was wondering if anyone had real world experience with these small Sat. systems. Ive seen this unit priced as low as $1799 and man on a slow boat to china with a 12V TV that I have this might be good. I just wonder the quality of the signal retention on a smaller (RP35) boat rolling around. I know on tugs and ships its great...

KVH TracVision M1 Satellite TV System

Again the 12V is nice, didnt think they were, so no generator running...

 

[bestfish]

We have one on the tug I work on, it's all the way at the top of the mast and it gets severely shaken on a regular basis. Seems to keep signal pretty good, of course after 5 minutes of constant 'earthquake' motion it skips a little but the signal always comes back in. We actually replaced a couple of rivits inside that were sheared off and it's still going. Works fine in a beam sea when were rolling 10-15 deg each way too.

 

[CEShawn]

Gotya, my time on tugs were on an ATB, didnt move that much... Good ole days with bouchard... fun.

Thanks...

 

[Blitzen]

I was on a 42 Wesmac last night rocking and rolling, south of Block Island and the boat had this exact unit. I made the comment that I could not believe how well the signal was held with all the rocking and rolling. It skipped out once in about 8 hours. I will also say that the picture quality was also very impressive. I want one.

 

[El Mar]

I assume you pay a Direct TV subscription too?

 

[CEShawn]

I'd imagine so, wonder if you could take a card of out of home receiver and put it in, where a 3rd home receiver I think is another $10/month when I had it...

 

[Badlatitude]

I think the mobile subscription is different but its cheap like $29 a month

 

[Pedlyr]

I've actually been to the KVH plant before. I had to exchange a new unit that stopped working after 2 weeks. I got to go into the "backroom" where all the techs live. One tech showed me how well the antennas track. With the dome off and a bench test setup he twisted and turned the base like a Navy Signalman. In real time the dish didn't move an inch. Looked like a circus act.

We have 3 M5's on our workboats that are up to 5 years old now. After the initial antenna problems described, we have only had one other problem. It was power related. They like a clean, uninterrupted power source.

 

[Fishinengineer]

KVH Dish

Had the 24" KVH dish on the containership I was on for the past eight years. The thing was bombproof. As long as we were in the Directv footprint it never went out, kept reception in some of the heaviest rain and snow have seen. Way better than home dish. Had the unit mounted on the flying bridge so the stack would get in the way at certain headings. I believe the cards only work in one receiver now so you have to shuffle receivers around, not just switch the cards. The footprint at the Canadian border is very well defined, you can put a line on the chart, it will shut down in a heartbeat.