KVH L3 Tracvision

[72Stick]

Hi All,

We bought a KVH TracVision L3 in-motion antenna brand new for our RV back in 2003. We subscribe to Dish Network using a Dish Network 301 receiver. Until we bought the L3 for the RV, we were using a tripod and manually aligning a dish outside the RV for both satellites. When we bought the L3, I told the salesman I didn’t want to manually find satellites anymore. He told us that all we had to do was turn the KVH unit on and it would automatically see both satellites. That didn't work out so well. We finally had to add an AB switch to get the L3 to see both satellites.



The L3 worked fairly well for a few years. Then it started having trouble finding the 110 satellite. KVH came out with a really cool software program for the laptop that updated the antenna and it worked well until they stopped supporting the L3 and discontinued the update program. The L3 finally stopped finding the 110 satellite again and wouldn’t stay locked on the 119. I was using KVH’s customer service to add patches to keep the L3 going until last year when they said they would have to charge me to run the patches. KVH told me I should have the boards reprogrammed with the latest software and I wouldn't need the patches anymore. I bit the bullet, pulled the boards and sent them to KVH for the latest software upgrade.

Now the unit finds the 119 sat fairly well, but still doesn’t lock-on to the 110 satellite. It hunts for a while then goes back to the 119. KVH told me that with the latest software upgrade I wouldn’t even need the AB switch to change satellites. Currently, with or without the AB switch, we only receive programming from the 119 satellite.

If anyone has had these issues with Dish Network using the KVH L3 tracking antenna and figured out how to get the antenna to see both of Dish Network’s satellites, I’d sure like to know how they are doing it?

Thanks!

[Brussam]

Please explain how the AB switch is being connected.

I assume you are still using the 301 Receiver.

[72Stick]

Yes, we are still using the same Dish receiver and it's the 301.

The KVH on/off panel has a 6 pin jack next to the on/off switch. The AB switch jacks in there.

There's an IEEE input jack on the back side of the on/off panel. That's where we connected the laptop for installing the update program and the patches when KVH was a little more user friendly.

[72Stick]

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Well, guess what?

I left a message on the KVH web site and they called today. Jack, the tech, and I went over everything I've done to fix the antenna. He asked if I had installed a power supply and ground block between the antenna and the receiver. I said we have the power supply and I grounded the case on the receiver. He said that won't do it. You have to put a coax ground block between the antenna and the receiver. I looked one up online and sent the wife out to pick one up at lunch. I installed it tonight and ground it to the frame. WOW, it fixed it!! The picture is great, better than ever. It finds both satellites!

The thing cost me a whole $2 and after the headaches I've had trying to fix this thing, I'd have paid someone $200 for it.