In motion KVH satellite

[Smoky]

I am having trouble operating my new in motion KVH satellite system.

It works fine if I am content to remain parked.  I turn it on, let it hunt for the satellite, then when it gets full 100% signal I turn it off and it stays locked on.

However, the instructions for in motion suggest that you keep it turned on.  When I do this and am parked, it seems to lock on momentarily, then move on past and the signal drops out.  A few minutes later it works around to lock on again, and then moves past and drops out.  It keeps cycling like this indefinitely.  Well at least for more than ten minutes after which I give up.

I don't even think I am supposed to turn it off when I am parked.  But at least when I do that it stops cycling, and stays locked on.

Anyone else use the in motion satellite?  Am I operating it incorrectly?

I have another problem with the same system.

I brought two receivers to the dealer to have set up.  They are already active for Direct TV and I have used them with my trailer.  I expected one would be in the salon and the other in the bedroom.

However after fussing with them for a bit, the dealer tells me there is no direct cable from the satellite to the bedroom.  He says the system is designed to work with one "dual" receiver in the salon.  A cable runs from the dual receiver to the salon TV and another cable from the dual receiver to the bedroom TV.  The bedroom is then controlled remotely by a radio frequency remote.

I know this kind of equipment exists.  I also know they did not allow room for a satellite receiver in the bedroom. Is this what other Newmar owners are doing?  Controlling two TVs from a dual receiver located in the salon?  Do I have to go out and buy a new dual satellite receiver if I want independent operation in the bedroom?

A third question involves how to run from an outdoor tripod dish into the coach.  I use this when a tree or building blocks reception from the roof.  Like in my driveway my house blocks my dome on the roof.

Can I run from an external tripod dish into the coach via the cable TV connector?

 

[Ron]

I will let someone who has in motion antenna answer your questions regarding that.  But I can tell you it is possible to connect the tripod dTV dish via your cable connection.  You net a set of dublexers one for each end of the cable tv cable.  These cane be purched at Radio Shack.

 

[Smoky]

Thanks Ron.  I will pick those up today if I can.

 

[Terry A. Brewer]

Smoky

>>A few minutes later it works around to lock on again, and then moves past and drops out.? It keeps cycling like this indefinitely.<<


I have a Trac star & it doesn't operate like that. It does keep peaking to retain the strongest signal...but you shouldn't lose the signal once its found it.

If you have a dual LNB & two cables running from it to your front receiver, tie one of them to the front receiver & the other to the rear receiver. The cable from your bedroom probably terminates on a switch box in the front of the coach. Find & remove it & attach it with a barrel connector to the second line of the LNB. Of course you will lose sending any VCR/DVD etc signals from the front switch box to the rear TV.

Terry
At Clark Fork, ID

 

[Ron]

Thanks Ron.? I will pick those up today if I can.

If you don't get everything figured out before you reach Sam's Camp maybe I will be able to help you.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Hello Smoky:

Can I run from an external tripod dish into the coach via the cable TV connector?

On all the RV's I've owned (2 MH's, a trailer, and a 5thW) the culprit has been the the signal booster. Park cable doesn't need it (or for me it never has) so see no reason to keep it connected to the booster. Even if the booster is turned off, it still screws up the signal from the dish. If you unhook the end inside at the booster, it is then just a line of cable from your remote dish outside the rig to your receiver. You then can connect the cable directly to the receiver -- or do an A/B switch thing.

 

[Ned]

The TV amplifier (signal booster) should ONLY be used with an off-the-air antenna.  It is not intended for use with cable TV and will definitely not work with a DirecTV antenna feed.  I doubt it would pass the DC voltages to the LNB.  Turning it off doesn not remove it from the circuit.

 

[John From Detroit]

The TV amplifier (signal booster) should ONLY be used with an off-the-air antenna.  It is not intended for use with cable TV and will definitely not work with a DirecTV antenna feed.  I doubt it would pass the DC voltages to the LNB.  Turning it off doesn not remove it from the circuit.

Gee, in my MH the TV Amplifer can only be used for the off-the-air antenna.. Wineguard actually put the amplifier IN the antenna, the box in the MH is nothing more than a switch and power supply... Off or on, it's not there far as the satallite input is concerned.

Course...... I'm not sure where the satalitte input is on the motor home... That's one thing that's not in the manual  I got to write Damon on that.  I really need a cable diagram, some of the connections do not make sense to this electroincs tech

 

[Ned]

John,

That's normally how the amplifier is wired, but without tracing cables or a valid diagram, I won't make that assumption   The box with the switch and light is the amplifier, I believe.

 

[Smoky]

I am ok on the cable connection.? It is NOT wired to the amplifier.

Terry, wondering if I could add an AB switch so that the bedroom receiver could be switched between the factory installed mode (which would let it receive DVD input etc) and LNB2 mode?

 

[Terry A. Brewer]

Smoky

>>Terry, wondering if I could add an AB switch so that the bedroom receiver could be switched between the factory installed mode (which would let it receive DVD input etc, and LNB2 mode?<<

Yes that would work.

Terry
At Clark Fork, ID

 

[Tom]

This is an old topic that I found through the Search feature while trying to resolve a similar issue with my KVH in-motion system (at rest).

If you have a dual LNB & two cables running from it to your front receiver, tie one of them to the front receiver & the other to the rear receiver.

My son and I scratched our heads for several days trying to figure out why the KVH would sometimes lock on the correct satellite and other times lock on the wrong one. I took a second receiver and hooked it to the coax from the second LNB, and voilla! This is counter to what KVH suggests, but it works.

A big thanks to Terry, albeit a belated one.