Calling all satellite genius's

[Ryan Wright]

Keith,

You can probably do this yourself. Chances are the system just needs
some updated firmware.

Give me some slack here as I've only worked on one of these systems
before, but I do "computer stuff" for a living, so I'll explain what I
know: The system I worked on was installed on a yacht that a friend of
a friend got from some friend. You know how it goes. Anyway, the dish
would rotate and try to track signals but could never lock and hold a
signal.

The solution was a firmware update. The firmware is basically software
that is installed onto the microprocessor in the dish. Get onto the
manufacturer's web site and see if you can find downloads or updates
for your particular dish. If you can, you need to install those
updates onto the dish. This is usually as easy as plugging a standard
serial (RS-232) cable from your computer into the dish and running the
program you download from the manufacturer. On the dish I worked with,
once I updated the firmware and rebooted the dish (powered down & back
up), it found and locked a signal straight off and worked fine.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92
Tri-Cities, WA

On 6/1/07, Keith Strehle wrote:
> Tom, thanks for your reply. I have done everything I can to make it
> work. It's time to call in the expert. I called the company who
> sent me to a local RV place to get some help. When I get the guy to
> come out and do his thing I should be up and running. Either way you
> look at it I'm ahead of the game. The dish and control box were
> given to me. So a couple hundred bucks to get it working will still
> be a bargain.
>
> Thanks again, Keith
> 84FC35
>
>
> --- In wanderlodge@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Seitz" wrote:
> >
> > Keith,I have a Datron system. I was have some trouble a couple
> years
> > ago. I finally got a guy out to look at it and I had to buy a cable
> > to hook the sat. to a laptop and he downloaded the latest software.
> > I then learned how to set it realinment mode to recalibrate the
> > internal compase and its been working great ever since then. Do
> > you know how to put it in search mode? or calibration mode?
> > Tom 90 SP36 Alpharetta GA.
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In wanderlodge@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Strehle"
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Sorry about that... I have an automatic, roof mount, DATRON
> > (Cruise)
> > > DBS30500 Single LNB Mobile Satellite and a Sony SAT-B50 receiver.
> > I'm
> > > using Directv. I had the Directv guy check it for signal and it
> > > stands up and rotates sometimes so I know it works. That leads me
> > > back to the control box/receiver.
> > >
> > > That's all I know at this point.
> > >
> > > Thanks for your help,
> > >
> > > Keith
> > > 84FC35
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In wanderlodge@yahoogroups.com, "randydupree" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > we need to know what dish,automatic or not,dish or
> direct,tripod
> > > mount,roof mount.etc.
> > > > Randy
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: Keith Strehle
> > > > To: wanderlodge@yahoogroups.com
> > > > Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 1:51 PM
> > > > Subject: [wanderlodge] Calling all satellite genius's
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Can anyone advise me on how to get a dish going? Or maybe
> some
> > > tips on
> > > > troubleshooting?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks, Keith
> > > > 84FC35
> > > > San Diego
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

[Ryan Wright]

Hi Roger,

On 6/1/07, rogerwwebb@... wrote:
>
> Ryan,
>
> What brand of satellite dish were you referring? I have a similar problem
> with my KVH Tracvision not locking on the satellite.
>

You know, I don't recall. It's been a year or two. KVH sounds
familiar, though, so it may have been one of those. I'd guess most if
not all brands require occasional firmware updates to keep running. I
know a few years back DirecTV changed something on their system that
necessitated firmware updates to all of the in-motion type dishes (at
least all made by the manufacturer of the dish I was dealing with).
This is why I got called in to fix it.

Once I realized firmware was the issue it was a quick, five minute
fix. That's the first thing I'd check if I were working on any dish.
They usually also have some built-in diagnostics you can activate by
connecting to the serial port and issuing commands; how to do this and
the list of commands available can also be downloaded from the
manufacturer's web site, assuming your dish is capable of it.

-Ryan