Fix marine satellite reception problems in one easy step

Are you reading this article while your boat’s in the marina? Are you reading it because you turned on your satellite TV and got the dreaded “loss of signal” message? I’m here to help. There are a lot of reasons this could be happening and most of them can be solved without needing to make a phone call or send an email. There’s one super easy step you can take that will help you understand signal loss issues quickly.

Step 1 (and this is the only step)​


Here’s all you have to do. Go out on deck and look around you at the other boats in the marina. Is it possible they’re blocking the southern or western sky? Chances are that’s the cause of your signal loss. Marine satellite systems expect to get a clear view of the sky and if you have another boat next to you that may not be possible. There’s only so much height you can give a satellite system and there’s always a chance there’s a bigger boat out there.

If you think that another boat is blocking your satellite signal, take your boat out for a little trip! If the problem magically goes away once you’re out on the water, you know what the problem really was.

What if that’s not the problem?​


There are several more things you can try which can help you figure out whether or not you need phone support or a visit from an installer. Here are a few of them.

Do you have a KVH HD7?​


KVH’s older HD7 satellite antennas will need an update in order to keep functioning. Check out signalconnect.com/hd7 for more information.

Have you tried rebooting?​


A lot of problems can be solved with a simple reboot. Remember, satellite equipment is really just a bunch of fancy computers and computers need reboots. Here’s a tutorial on how to reboot DIRECTV equipment and here’s one on how to reset your antenna control unit.

Are you outside your local area?​


If you are outside your local area, you may lose access to local channels. Try tuning to one of your favorite national channels to see if everything is fine with those channels. If it is, and you’re outside your local area, it’s normal not to have local channels.

Are you using a smaller satellite dome with standard definition service?​


If you have a 30cm or 50cm satellite antenna like the Intellian i3, KVH TV3, or KVH TV5, you may have lost your local channels due to changes in DIRECTV’s satellite signal. Since 2019, DIRECTV has been turning off standard definition local channels market by market. If you’re using a smaller satellite antenna with DIRECTV service, you’ve probably been watching standard definition locals whether or not you realized it. The long term solution for this issue is to upgrade to a larger antenna, but there are other options to consider if you’re not ready to do that.

Find out more by calling Signal Connect​


The team at Signal Connect has over 20 years of experience with marine satellite television. We’re happy to help you with your satellite TV issues and help you choose the right entertainment options for your boat. Call the experts at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours or fill out the form below for 24 hour support.


The post Fix marine satellite reception problems in one easy step appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.

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