Are you new to the world of luxury yachting? Maybe you’re just looking at all those boats in the local marina. It sure can give you something to strive for. One thing you’ll notice is that practically every luxury yacht has a pair of white, gumdrop-shaped, domes on it. Sometimes they have a brand name like Intellian on them, other times they’re just solid white. You might have some idea that they have something to do with satellite communication. You’d be right on that guess. But why is it that you sometimes see boats with two, and sometimes you see boats with only one? Is there any sense to it? It’s all good, let me explain.
What do those things do?
The technical term for the white gumdrops is radomes. A radome is a covering for an antenna. In this case, the radomes allow the satellite dishes inside to move around freely, and keep the delicate parts away from the corrosive sea air. They may not look like they’re moving on the outside, but they are. A typical marine satellite system will make tiny adjustments several times a minute, sometimes more. It’s all needed to keep the dish aimed while the boat is constantly moving.
A typical radome can house one of many antennas. The most common use is satellite television. Satellite TV is a popular add-on for the luxury set. It’s less expensive than streaming and you can use it up to 50-100 miles off shore. Cell service generally doesn’t get much further than five miles off. However, that’s not the only thing you can do with these devices. Many of them do satellite internet instead, and some of the older ones will do voice calls. Using a satellite system just for voice is pretty rare these days, but it was common a generation ago.
It’s just one thing at a time
The thing, though, is that you really can’t do multiple things with the same satellite system. It’s TV or internet, really. There’s no one dome that can do both. So it’s fairly common to see one system for satellite TV (or, as we call it, TVRO), and one system for satellite-based internet (or as we call it, VSAT). But of course, that’s only half the story. Interestingly enough, the other half of the story has to do with psychology.
What you want vs what you have
If you only have satellite TV on your yacht, and someone else passes you by with both satellite TV and internet, you might feel a little jealous. You might not want the world to know that you’re “satellite TV only.” You might want them to think of you in that top echelon of people who can afford whatever they want.
Or, you may just think that one dome looks a bit lopsided. The extra weight isn’t really an issue, it just may look a little bit off to you.
Whichever the case, there’s an option and it’s a popular one.
An empty dome?
Yep, you can just get an empty dome. It’s seriously the same radome without any electronics in it. You’d be surprised at how many of the domes you see on yachts are totally devoid of gear. It’s all psychology, designed to appeal to your desire to climb the ladder of success and have everything look balanced. I’ve even heard of how some folks put multiple empty domes on a yacht and some have nothing but empty domes! It’s all for show, but isn’t that a big part of why you have a shiny yacht in the first place? I totally get it.
Empty domes or real working equipment, we have you covered.
No matter what you need to live your best digital life, the folks at Signal Connect can help! We can lay out all the options for you. Whether you need better cell service on the water, a satellite TV system, or a full-blown high-speed internet system we can take care of you. We specialize in proven solutions that will be here today and tomorrow. And of course, we offer the best customer service.
Signal Connect’s reps work with the biggest players in the industry. We speak their language so you don’t have to. You’ll work with one point of contact, someone who can get you what you need. They’ll answer their phones when you call, and get back to you over e-mail too. We’re not talking mass-market call centers here. We’re talking real experts. That’s what you deserve, and that’s what we offer.
Give us a call today. The number is 888-233-7563 and we’ll give you the best service you’ve ever gotten. Why? Because we care. Let us take the opportunity to show you. Call during East Coast business hours for the first contact, so we can get you to the right person. After that, a lot of our experts will answer the phone 24/7. If it’s after hours when you’re reading this, just fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
