Live satellite TV on a yacht is a must-have, if you ask me. It’s great to sit on the deck and relax, but when the time comes for bed, it’s nice to have some TV to watch. It’s also a great way to spend a rainy hour or two, because that does sometimes happen while you’re out on the water. Satellite internet is great, of course, but it’s not always the best choice for video. If you’re using a data capped plan — and you probably are — you’ll use it up pretty quickly if you try to do a lot of streaming video.
Of course you know all that, and that’s why you have satellite TV on your boat. Considering how complex and advanced they are, marine satellite systems need very little maintenance. But on the other hand, the plastic outer dome, called a radome, can get a little dirty. Seagulls sometimes take their turns, there’s salt spray, and sometimes there are even worse things. Just like every other surface on your boat, the dome sometimes needs cleaning. Luckily it’s easy.
Low pressure water and mild soap are all it takes
That outer radome is tough. It’s designed to last through storms, sea water, and more. So when it comes to cleaning it, you’ll find that you don’t have to do anything special. Avoid high-pressure water jets and use mild soap. You can gently wipe it or you can spray it, and for the most part you won’t have any problems. There are sensitive electronics inside the dome, but they are sealed inside and light water pressure won’t be a problem.
What about those dome wipes?
You’ve probably seen something like these Dome Magic wipes, available from Solid Signal. Since I’ve just told you that mild detergent and low pressure water are all you need, you might be wondering why they even exist.
The purpose of these wipes isn’t to clean the dome. I can see why you might think it is, but it isn’t. The purpose of these wipes is to limit the effects of rain fade. Wiping a dome with Dome Magic wipes will add a hydrophobic coating to the outside. Rather than coating the dome and beading up, water will be more likely to simply roll right off. That’s going to help you get better reception when the weather is a little gloomy. Since that’s exactly when you’re going to be wanting to watch TV, they’re a good investment.
Have more questions about the tech on your boat?
There’s only one place you can go to get the answers you need about entertainment and satellite technology on your boat. The experts at Signal Connect have been helping boat owners and engineers for over two decades. We’ve done more satellite activations than anyone else in the world! Whether you want DIRECTV, DISH, Starlink, Viasat, or any other entertainment solution, you’ll want to work with the best in the business. When you call us, you’ll get a friendly, knowledgeable expert who will help you with everything you need.
Call us at 888-233-7563. If this isn’t the right time to talk, no problem! Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you at the time you tell us to.
