King Dome Issues

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hacmangum

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Before I call them , again, I wanted to check for help here. We have a 2007 Vectra and since we bought it second hand we got no "schooling": in using the thing.  I was told you can just take our Dish Network receiver and connect the cable, run the search on the King Dome and presto- TV service.  Well, that did not work. Then, I was told that it was because our receiver is a dual receiver and a single one is needed.  Of course, Dish Network is zero help with this and I am pulling my hair out. 
We are about to embark on a 4 week trip and really need the service!  Also, on a side note- is there any reason I cannot put a DVR receiver in there? 
I just need help on what receiver to get and hopefully there is nothing wrong with the King Dome itself.
Thanks for any and all input.
 
Who are you planning on calling again?  Have you called Kingdome? They are excellent in trouble shooting connectivity issues with their domes.
 
we had same issue w/ kvh inmotion R5sl satellite,  finally found out we had 2 have the 211 receiver through dish, its 4 eastern and western hemisphere.  Check w/ the manuf. kingdom 2 find out which dish receiver works w/ kingdom then go from there.  We were in San Diego and contacted dish installer and bought that 211 dish, they hooked up and got us rolling.  Not just any dish will work.
 
Odds are the used dome is set for DirecTV (since Direc works better with domes as a general statement)

So you will need the manual to find out how to re-set it for dish.. It will work with a single Dish Receiver, The problem with DISH is programming is scattered over 2 or 3 birds and the dome can see one at a time so if you want to watch say BBCA (119) and the wife want's Halmark (110) Someone will be unhappy.

With DirecTV that's not a problem.
 
Hi and welcome to The RV Forum!!

Please go to King Control's web site and download your user's manual - all will be revealed  8)  Outstanding choice of a coach!!  Welcome to the Winnie family!!
 
Thought I was doing such a good job when we purchased our rig, got them to include a King Dome Antenna for TV. It really  Sucks! We just had a small shower and I completely lost my picture. Any one else using the King Dome for traveling? What's your story? I Called KD and they said I needed RainX from best buy, it didn't work. If I had it to do over I would NOT! bill
 
Since the King Dome antenna is so small, it is very sensitive to rain and dew accumulating on the dome.  If you look carefully at a RainX container, it will say not for use on plastic - at least it used to say that.  King sells a product called Dome Magic - it's a small (and overpriced) aerosol can with which spray your dome.  The spray is extremely effective and virtually eliminates water on the dome problems.

Of course it is no solution for the typical satellite rain fade - that will happen with a larger open dish as well as the dome.
 
Dome type antennas are susceptible to dew and rain - it's part of the nature of the beast and a tradeoff for the convenience of not having to open/stow it for each use.  It also allows for in-motion tv reception, if you need that capability. There are sophisticated domes that are heated to reduce condensation, but there is only so much that can be done for rain. And ALL satellite reception suffers in the rain, regardless of the type or brand of dish.
 
King Dome sells a very expensive "Wax" (Yes I know it's not wax, but that's as good a description as I can get without goign very high-tech) you can spray on the dome that is supposed to improve rain fade.

However, I always recommend owners with rooftop antennas, be they dish or dome, put a simple switch (You can get 'em for a few bucks each at the Google Store,  Search "Antenna Switch" and go for the simplest they have) in the LNB line inside the coach.. Run a 2nd RG-6 coax from the switch's "B" terminal (Use A for the king-dome) to a bulkhead (Throughwall) or basement connector.  This is used with a tripod mount dish.

The reason for this is simply.. You park under the signal eating tree. you hook up the tripod, re-set the receiver (Direc) or do check switch (Dish) and if you are any good at pointing you are good to show, er view.

Works in your case too.. You can still use the dome for overnight, or if it's in-motion for recording while on the road.  but you have the much higher gain of the full size dish when staying put for a while.
 
I have a Kingdome in-motion unit that works very well when parked and not-so-well in motion.  They are definitely a hassle, but I have had very good support from Kingdome, so definitely call them.

As an aside, I cannot wait until the broadband network infrastructure builds itself up to the point that sattelites and cables are obsolete.  Seems like we're getting close.  I can watch HD Hulu while driving down the road off my Verizon modem, I just can't buy the bandwidth to support that for more than a couple hours of viewing!

I predict that in 10 years, no one will be talking about domes or dishes anymore. ;D
 
John, I called KD and they are the people who told me to buy RainX from Best Buy. It doesn't work. $10 dollars and no good. As for the "switch" I have two A-B switches installed, runs to the basement, set up for my remote dish. First time I called KD their reply was The Dome Magic or RainX. Now with being said the first "tech" (and I used the word tech loosely)  told me yet another product that did not work. The second time I called  a tech said  "no that stuff will not work on our domes" The Winguard, manual type, worked the best, but when the wind blew the picture would come and go.  I tried the link "dome Magic" does not work for me. In the address line is http://6518027/
 
Its a little late for you, but I've had none of these problems with the Trav'ler antenna I have. Yes! It will have problems with an extreme storm, but no more than a home dish. Its storming right now and I'm watching CNBC (or at least have it on).
Basically, there is no substitute for the larger dish under marginal conditions.
Ernie
 
burgiebill said:
John, I called KD and they are the people who told me to buy RainX from Best Buy. It doesn't work.....
Click to expand...

Nope - you don't want RainX.

Hmm - the link got clobbered.  Try this one.  The Dome Magic spray is very good - it has been raining all day here and there have been zero rain issues with our King Dome (TV has been on all day.)

If you want in-motion TV (for recording), then the dome is for you.  If that's not a hot button for you, I recommend an open dish and particularly one of the Motosat products.  At some point we will sell the King Dome and go with an open Motosat dish for HD.  I really like having the DVR going all of the time, even when we're moving - I'll just have to give that up.
 
Bill, sorry I guess I was not clear enough.. I was not trying to recommend the Dome Magic, or Rain-X or any other product to apply to the kind dome.. I was trying to say that of all the domes out there only King Dome seems to feel such products are necessary...

To me that says something... Like "Shop elsewhere".

Motosat claims the best foul weather performance.

That said NO DOME will ever outperform a full size dish antenna... IN fact even Winegard's tabletop mini-dish will outperform most (if not all) domes.  Epically in bad weather.

Not on this computer at the moment, but perhaps 8 feet from it on a CD, is a bunch of antenna modeling software.. (ARRL Antenna Handbook and CD) and I've run some of that.. Basically the dome is 1/2 of a compact dish.  Some domes use a more (or less) compact dish.  Motosat uses one of the largest half-dishes.  King Dome, one of the smallest.. Add the shape of the dome and you have major differences.

But no dome is as good as a full size dish, ever.  And King dome is the only company I know that sells a spray on to improve their domes.  The only company that seems to feel the need

I stress, AS FAR AS I KNOW..

Motosat does not recommend any spray on or wipe on product.
 
John, sorry, I guess I was flustered, to say the least. I built a lot of antennas from Bill Orr hand book. My call wd6afc from some where around 1977? I think? I have email KD and still waiting for an answer. I posted on our web site and had this response,

"When we first got this motorhome, they put a low profile King Dome on it for us.  We always lost our picture with the first 6 drops of rain.  I put up such a stink with them so many times that King Dome finally replaced it with a regular profile King Dome.  Maybe the first one was defective, maybe it was the low profile but we haven't lost signal since unless it's a total downpour and then the picture only gets a little wobbly.  Bill, I don't know which one you have, but that's what happened to us!
AND then this response,

"Another tip, DO NOT use the coating on the dome that they claim makes the water sheet off faster!  In our experience, it just helps block the signal.  It could very well be a defective dome because we honestly haven't had any trouble since they replaced it.

Go figure, bill
 
Hi Bill - I'm wb5tht - Amateur Extra Class and volunteer examiner.  If you have had your dome off, you will realize how small the reflector actually is - not much gain there.

This is our 4th King Dome (it's a long story) and I have used Dome Magic on every one of them with excellent results.  Now, having said that, the farther north you are, the lower the look angle is and the signal strength is lower so I could conceive a scenario where you are in a marginal signal area and the coating would attenuate the signal just enough to make it unusable.
 
John, I have had a chance to see an exhibit, I know it's a small ( 1/2 ) dish. I believe I have a smaller unit. In your store did you get a bigger unit? 73's bill  ps I have not been on the air for a long time now and selling my stuff?
 
John Canfield, "In your store did you get a bigger unit?"    I meant to ask,    In your story did you get a bigger unit? bill
 
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