Satellite TV - 420DA

W

WFYB

New Member
Oct 5, 2006
143
Ft Lauderdale, Fl
Boat Info
500SD
Engines
QSM11
I am considering installing a dish on my 04 420 Dancer, hardtop. Any recommendations? Has anybody tackled this project?
 
The best one to get is from KVH. They make a few sizes of domes, the newest is called the M3. I will put a link to it below. This is the latest technology in marine satellite tv. It will be te easiest of any current systems to install. Defininitely a do-it-yourself project if you have any ability to work on boats. It is just a little easier than installing a radar. The system comes complete with a receiver and RF remote. This allows you to hide the receiver gbehind a bulkhead.

KVH Tracvision M3
 
Please let us know how it goes. I am contemplating a similar add to my 03 soft top; my challenge is getting the right mounting bracket to get the dome the required distance away from the raymarine array.

Skip
 
I have the KVH M3, it works great and have a smaller bracket as not to stick out so much. My only disatisfaction with the units (2 recievers) is the sensitivity of the remotes sometimes it changes channels normally and other times you are doing crazy stuff like aiming it at the cieling the wall which the uinits are behind the floor or any other which way. According to the installer there is no adjustment on the remotes as they are rf. other than this frustration there fine. also if you dont use the system for 2 weeks, even though you pay they shut you down and then you must call direct tv. this is bogus and you may also be told you cant get local channels, we questioned this a few times and finally for 3 bucks more a month we were able to get our local stations all the way to SC.
This is just a case of the customer service people not knowing there product, but for what it is its fine.
 
I have a 300 and I was thinking about mounting the M3 on the arch, what problems might I run into? we currently have an antenna, but it's just not going to cut it during football/baseball season.

any suggestions on what unit to be cost effective and have satellite tv?
 
The m 3 is it. shop it at the boatshows. prices are all over the place.the lowest install I found last April was 6 k even. You can buy it and install it yourself for much less if your inclined.
 
I realize this post was a little old - but might still be looked at!

I got the 420 full hard top - and have the satellite system on it - aftermarket - from KVH.

I didn't get the larger dome one - I got the flatter one - if you have a question as to the one - I can look it up.

Dealer did install it for me - but it went pretty fast. Ran Cables down arch and spliced it in to where the cable was if you were going to connect dock side (figured wasn't going to use that again). Installed the receiver where the salon a/c / vacuum system is. Then got a IR remote. I have it setup so that all TV's watch the same channel. Could have done multiple receivers, but I should be boating - not watching TV.

It works pretty good. Only problem I have is that once in a while, it doesn't "start up" correctly. I have found the receiver doesn't like the power on/off when you disconnect from dock and start up. Other than that - it works great. Have used on anchor before no problems.
 
I have same problem as dave.... Sometimes no matter where i point the remote I get nada.....

Sure keeps the kids quiet though....


Rob
 
Mine also sometimes have a hard time after reconectiong to the shore power. It says that it is going thru a reboot. Sometimes It is quick (2-4 mins) and other times it seems like forever- (up to 10 mins.) This drives you crazy when you are listening to a hockey game or even especially when my wife is watching Desparate Housewifes - boy do I hear about the need for new recievers. Mine are basically all AC units-some are DC-that may be the way to go, I have three rec. so I just live with it. Any one else have a "workaround" maybe an interuptable power-source of some type, or an inverter on just the reciever ? Remember, it's also when I shut down the genny-go back to shore power. Any ideas? My remotes drive me crazy also- IR Or RF my a**
 
I have had no problem wtih the remote - but I bought from online a seperate remote and IR unit - so it isn't the DirecTV one...it's my own - that might be why there. I can be out on the back deck - no prob's.

The power issue - someone told me they used some type of power converter or something like that (high tech terms) and that solved his problems... I will see him later in April when we are all back in the water and get the name for that high tech feature.
 
Cuttin'Edge-Thanks, I knew with this braintrust, the answers to all my problems would be moments away.- no seriously, if your buddy knows how he got around this it would help, I've lived with it cause if that's the biggest problem we have......
 
So why do i not have the other problems u guys have?

Thast soo odd... My only issue is the remotes. No other boot up issues or restarts... Also i have Huges recievers.


Rob

Ps i was told i can now order pp online. I dont have to call in anymore...
 
Rob -
Is your factory or aftermarket?
I wonder if it's factory, if they didn't build in this high tech power thingy my friend mentioned he did to solve his probleM?
 
I'm sort of reviving an old thread here - I'm looking at installing this on my boat.

A few questions - does this seem like something I'll need if I want to have the TV on while underway: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KVH-...9493160QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear

Also, I would assume mount it on the radar arch - does the fact that this large antenna sits in the plane of the radar wave mean I'll have a 'blind spot' of interference?

I searched around on this forum and couldn't find anything, but if anybody has a tutorial for the DIY job, I'd love to know about it.

Thanks gents.

-Tim
 
That antenna is basically an upgraded version of mine. The HP version had an external gyro compass/gps so the thing would know where it was and what direction it was pointing instead of having to scan the sky and figure it out. Supposedly, that helped with the time to get a signal instead of whirring around for minutes on end like mine.

I would make sure they have the external gyro compass box with it or it's not such a great deal... That antennas was about 5K new.

Also, you'll need an antenna mount like on my boat. Festivus (Tim) has one like mine on an arch...

RAYDTWRSSDM3.jpg


That antenna is bigger than the M3 though... make sure you get the right mount. You'll find the mount is not much cheaper than the antenna you are looking at.
 
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Wow, pricey! Well hell - I wonder if in the end I can't just make due with a combination of my antenna and my HD full of movies...

Besides, right now I can creep under most bridges without worrying about clearance. With that mount extending up another foot or so, I might lose that luxury.

This is becoming a less attractive option for me by the minute... Thanks Gary for the reply :)

-T
 
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