The other day I talked to a boat owner who was just getting everything ready for the summer. That’s pretty common this time of year, of course. As the snow melts, folks take the boat out of drydock and get ready for another year of marine fun. Except in this case, it didn’t seem like things were going smoothly for the boat’s on-board satellite TV system.
Wait, satellite TV? Boats still have those things?
It’s pretty popular to say that satellite TV is on its way out, and with recent changes in satellite internet, you might be thinking that satellite TV is a thing of the past. The funny thing is, though, reality isn’t like that. Satellite internet is great for the things you do most of the time with internet, like emails, social media, and shopping. But it’s not always the best choice for video. A lot of people have chosen to keep satellite TV because it’s reliable, it has all the content they want, and there are no data caps.
That’s why it can be frustrating to turn on the satellite TV system and get a message that there’s no signal. It doesn’t happen often, but it can happen when you’re getting the boat ready for the summer. There are generally two reasons that you’ll see signal loss when you turn on the system for the first time. One’s easy to fix, and one takes a phone call to Signal Connect. Either way, there are options.
The most likely problem
If you’re having signal loss problem while you’re in the marina, the most likely problem is that your satellite TV system just can’t see the satellites. You’ll need a good clear view of the southern and western sky. That’s pretty easy to do if you’re out at sea but sometimes when you’re in the slip your boat is next to other boats that block the view. It’s a much more common problem than you think. To solve this problem, just take a trip out to the harbor and check to see if the problem goes away.
Another thing to try: reset the ACU
Here’s a fact: sometimes computers don’t start up the way they should after a long nap. Sometimes it takes restarting them to make them work right. I’m not quite sure why this is really an issue, but the fact is… it’s an issue. Luckily, it’s easy to reset the antenna control unit on most mobile satellite systems. Just locate the antenna control unit, it’s the box that the actual satellite dish connects to. Then follow these instructions on how to reset it. Many times the problem will go away after you do this.
If you have a KVH HD7…
There’s an issue with KVH’s older HD satellite system. If you are watching in high definition, if you have a KVH system that’s more than a few years old, it could be affecting you. Follow the instructions on this page to find out more.
The most common issue: your locals just aren’t there anymore
If you turn on your satellite system and notice local channels aren’t there anymore, check to see if you have national channels. Try channel 202 or 360 to see if you still have national channels. If you do, the issue may just be that your local channels aren’t available to you.
Many marine customers over the years have chosen smaller, less expensive domes like Intellian’s i3 and KVH’s TV3. These satellite systems will only see DIRECTV’s 101 satellite. This doesn’t mean they can’t get HD signals, but there are only 6 HD channels on that satellite. The rest of them are in standard definition.
This is a problem for local channels. DIRECTV is actively taking local channel support off the 101 satellite. They’ve already taken local channel support away from some of the largest marine markets in the country like New Orleans and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. The local channels are still available on DIRECTV’s 99 and 103 satellites, but your smaller satellite system can’t see those satellites at all.
Why are they doing this?
Believe it or not, it’s going to be win in the long term. Very few DIRECTV customers use the standard definition local channels on the 101 satellite anymore. By retiring them, there’s more room for HD channels on that satellite. The 101 satellite is DIRECTV’s newest and most reliable satellite and also has the best performance on rainy days. There’s room for over 100 HD channels on that satellite once the older SD versions are gone. So in the long term you’ll get better channel selection and better picture quality. However, you may lose local channels in the process unless you upgrade to a larger DIRECTV system.
You have options
There are other options, too. The thing is, I can’t really go into detail about them here. Our Signal Connect team can go through all your options, but you’ll need to call us. We specialize in giving great customer service to all our marine enthusiasts, and nobody does it better than Signal Connect. When you’re ready to take action, take a few minutes and learn what great customer service is all about. Call the experts at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below for fast service!
