KVH Models

D

Doc

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I have been told that the only thing different on a KVH R1 and and the KVH M1 is the decal. It is an RV vs Marine designation but in reality they are exactly the same in all other aspects...including multi axis tracking.

The R1 is about $400 cheaper. It also comes with a 12v Direct TV box and is a one wire hook up from the antenna to the switch.

Thoughts?
 
I'm not sure the mounting is the same between the KVH M1 and R1.

A note to all users KVH or Intellian that use Dish Networks sat at 61.5 degree there are changes that need to be done to still receive this bird. I believe the frequency has changed. You should get a notification from KVH or Dish Networks about this. If anyone needs the KVH notice here is a link about the changes that must be made.

KVH Technical Bulletin: DISH Network Changes to 61.5°W Satellite

Products Affected: TracVision M1DX, M3DX, M5, M7, M9

DISH Network® recently changed the tracking parameters of its 61.5°W satellite. Since TracVision® antennas use these parameters to identify and track the satellite, the antenna may no longer be able to track 61.5°W.

As a result of this change by DISH Network, customers who wish to receive programming from the 61.5°W satellite will need to implement the following modification depending on the antenna type:

TracVision M1DX or M3DX: The satellite tracking parameters must be modified by entering antenna commands using the Flash Update Wizard* as follows:

Connect your laptop to the TracVision antenna’s main board and turn on the system.*
Enter the commands listed below into the Wizard’s “Command Line” box:
HALT
(at)DEBUGON
(at)SATCONFIG,61W,12987,20000,78,0x1002,L,U,3
ZAP
* Please refer to the Flash Update Wizard’s Help file for details.

Note: Once the software modification is complete, the interface box will report a tracking frequency of 12412

The complete Technical Bulletin s available on the KVH Partner Portal. Download the bulletin now or log in to the Partner Portal any time to access it.

When I have substituted the (at) symbol for the
real at symbol that this board messes up.
Bill
 
FYI: 61.5 carries some local stations as well as SD channels. The majority of HD programming is on 72.7.

It's the old VOOM bird for those that remember that fiasco :-)
 
quote:
Originally posted by Billylll

I'm not sure the mounting is the same between the KVH M1 and R1.

A note to all users KVH or Intellian that use Dish Networks sat at 61.5 degree there are changes that need to be done to still receive this bird. I believe the frequency has changed. You should get a notification from KVH or Dish Networks about this. If anyone needs the KVH notice here is a link about the changes that must be made.

KVH Technical Bulletin: DISH Network Changes to 61.5°W Satellite

Products Affected: TracVision M1DX, M3DX, M5, M7, M9

DISH Network® recently changed the tracking parameters of its 61.5°W satellite. Since TracVision® antennas use these parameters to identify and track the satellite, the antenna may no longer be able to track 61.5°W.

As a result of this change by DISH Network, customers who wish to receive programming from the 61.5°W satellite will need to implement the following modification depending on the antenna type:

TracVision M1DX or M3DX: The satellite tracking parameters must be modified by entering antenna commands using the Flash Update Wizard* as follows:

Connect your laptop to the TracVision antenna’s main board and turn on the system.*
Enter the commands listed below into the Wizard’s “Command Line” box:
HALT
(at)DEBUGON
(at)SATCONFIG,61W,12987,20000,78,0x1002,L,U,3
ZAP
* Please refer to the Flash Update Wizard’s Help file for details.

Note: Once the software modification is complete, the interface box will report a tracking frequency of 12412

The complete Technical Bulletin s available on the KVH Partner Portal. Download the bulletin now or log in to the Partner Portal any time to access it.

When I have substituted the (at) symbol for the
real at symbol that this board messes up.
Bill

Click to expand...


Yup... Found this out the hard way. All fired up to watch the Pats and Red Sox this weekend. Go to boat to test on Friday before departure and can't track Sat61. I get a lot of programing on 61 so that's a problem. A call to KVH tech support confirms this.

I also found out that according to KVH, Dish has reconfigured Sats at least 3 times this year while Direct hasn't done it in 5 years.

In fairness to KVH, it has nothing to do with them. But they did charge we $50 to walk me thru fixing it over the phone, a task that also requires a lap top and a serial cable. But at least the Sox and Pats won and after an hr on the phone with tech support I was back in biz.

Sorry to hijack thread. Direct TV is a better choice and I may switch next season.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Prospective

I also found out that according to KVH, Dish has reconfigured Sats at least 3 times this year while Direct hasn't done it in 5 years.

In fairness to KVH, it has nothing to do with them. But they did charge we $50 to walk me thru fixing it over the phone, a task that also requires a lap top and a serial cable. But at least the Sox and Pats won and after an hr on the phone with tech support I was back in biz.

Sorry to hijack thread. Direct TV is a better choice and I may switch next season.

Click to expand...


IMHO, this actually is a KVH issue. I have Dish Network and haven't had to do a thing to keep my programming on any of their "Easter Arc" satellites (61.5 included) at 3 different locations, including my boat. It seems that KVH can't handle upgrades very well. Charging you for their shortcomings is pathetic. I prefer Dish to DirecTV because Dish stays up on technology and is a much better value programming-wise.
 
My Dish setup at home(HD)uses sats at 110, 119, 129. 129 is mostly all HD. What do you get at 61.5? I have no use for it here, must just be for NE locals? If not try one of the others. I've had to do no reprogramming so it all must be all on 61.5.
 
Kurt KVH isn't charging for this change it can be done by the owner of a system assuming you can do basic upgrades and have a laptop. If your receiver had a modem (most boats don't) this wouldn't need to be done by the end user. I'm pretty sure Intellian is having the same issues? I'm not privy to the service bulletins for Intellian only KVH.
I do know that my KVH M3 on Direct hasn't needed any service or upgrades but it rests on one DTV satellite and it is more expensive than Dish monthly service.
Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by Billylll

Kurt KVH isn't charging for this change it can be done by the owner of a system assuming you can do basic upgrades and have a laptop. If your receiver had a modem (most boats don't) this wouldn't need to be done by the end user. I'm pretty sure Intellian is having the same issues? I'm not privy to the service bulletins for Intellian only KVH.
I do know that my KVH M3 on Direct hasn't needed any service or upgrades but it rests on one DTV satellite and it is more expensive than Dish monthly service.
Bill

Click to expand...


I will be the first to admit "tech" is not my thing. And I don't have a total understanding of the technology behind sat tv or KVH. But I do know two things.

One is that I need 61.5. It not only carries locals but also several of the cable channels we watch regularly. Strangely I don't seem to use 110 for anything.

Second this patch, as KVH refers to it, is hardly a laypersons thing. It requires you to connect your laptop to the rear of the J-box via a serial cable. Since most modern laptops don't have serial ports you need to buy and configure a USB to serial cable. You also need an internet connection, not always an easy task on a boat. You then need to install some type of terminal software so you can "talk" to the J-box. Assuming that all goes correctly (a big assumption) and you get the data stream then you need to enter in a string of nonsensical commands to install the patch. I would also point out none of this would be possible if you suddenly ran into this problem while away on cruise w/o your laptop and serial cable.

I paid $50 bucks to have KVH tech support walk me through it. I would probably try it on my own next time now that I have a clue about the process. But whether it's KVH or DISH, if that were a normal part of home satellite TV, nobody would EVER own it.
 
Good points Kurt and Prospective, I think the phone support fee should be waived in this case.
Now I understand since I have laptops with serial connections, the ability to connect to the internet and hyper terminal installed the upgrade at 1st glance didn't look difficult.
I can see where it could create big issues for many boaters especially if they didn't have an internet connection and or the serial connection.
Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by RickB

My Dish setup at home(HD)uses sats at 110, 119, 129. 129 is mostly all HD. What do you get at 61.5? I have no use for it here, must just be for NE locals? If not try one of the others. I've had to do no reprogramming so it all must be all on 61.5.

Click to expand...


Rick, you're correct. 61.5, 72.7 and 77 are called "Eastern Arc" and are just mirrors of 110, 119, and 129. 61.5, at the moment, carries mostly spot-beams of local channels as well as SD versions of "cable" channels. 72.5 carries most of the HD content.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Prospective

One is that I need 61.5. It not only carries locals but also several of the cable channels we watch regularly. Strangely I don't seem to use 110 for anything.
Click to expand...


There is some content on 61.5 that 72.7 doesn't carry (like Encore). My locals are on 61.5, but I don't need more than at my house 72.7 because I can get more locals via OTA than what is in the spot-beams at my house (both Baltimore and DC channels). At my ski condo in SW PA I have two legacy dishes. One points at 72.7 and the other at 61.5 so I can get Baltimore locals outside of Pittsburg. As for my boat, I just have a single LNB tracking dish. I flip back and forth between 61.5 and 72.7 depending on what I want to watch. But I've never had to do any sort of upgrades to the dish. I find it interesting that KVH has required such.

Perhaps you should give 110 or 119 a try the next time you have issues? They carry the same content as 61.5 and 72.7.

Here's something that may entice you to stay with Dish: If you have any premium channels (or the sports package), go into your online account and remove the packages from your subscription. At the next screen you'll get "As a loyal Dish Network customer we'd like to offer you these same channels at 50% off for the next 5 months". I do this every 6 months :-)
 
Kurt, I don't even have 72.7 as an option, I've never heard of it. Just, 110, 119, and 61. As for 119, I do get some channels off of that but not all of them. Some are on one and some are on 61.5. I haven't counted but seems like about half and half. All I do is download the program guide, I don't seem to have the option of choosing which satellite to watch a station on. It's either one satellite or the other. Some stations on one, some on the other.
 
That's strange that KVH mixes 61.5 in with the Western Arc satellites. 110 and 61.5 carry the same programming (as do 72.7 and 119) I believe.

Select 61.5 and 110 here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/thelist/index.php?page=sub and hit "generate". It will give you a list of what channels are on what satellites.
 
You would think, that as big as KVH is and as many systems out there including cruise liners....they would rent some space on a satellite and download their updates automatically ,,
 
If you mean my original question about the M1 and the R1 being the same, the question never got answered.
 
I just looked at a spare M1 dome I have and it looks like the M1 dome could be mounted using the tabs they show in the R1DX installation PDF.
Bill
 
So, aside from the mounting they both are "in motion" dishes and the R1 on a boat would work just as good as the M1.

The R1 is quite a bit cheaper.
 
I wouldn't buy anything from KVH if they we're the last company on planet earth.
 
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