Sat TV Anti-Depression

After sharing all of this info, we will have to get together some day to compare projects - We were talking about poking the bow into the Erie Canal this summer - I wasn't planning on going far, maybe Rochester - any plans on ever heading that way?

I installed a 23" LCD HDTV on the stb arch before last season. It is a Sceptre 23" LCD HDTV from Costo for $299.00 and the picture is excellent. I am very careful to make sure all the canvas is properly installed in the stb. side before washing and it has not gotten wet yet. I also installed a Big Bay Mini PC running on 12V inverter where the old CD shuffler was in the bar cabinet and it is an easy hook up to the TV, also on inverter. Now I have a computer hooked up with DVD player to the TV along with a monitor at the helm. Last year in the North Channel we would fish all day and then watch a DVD at anchor that evening. Could not have been better.

My davit is manufactured by Quick Lift Yacht Davits of Miami 800 lbs limit. It does not have a winch - only lifts up and down and rotates. My Jet Ski is a stand up Kawasaki 800cc so it is not necessary. Anything bigger and you will need a larger style with winch.

Thanks for the questions, it is helping get through a very snowy day!

If you look at the first picture, the thermostat is installed next to the speaker, under the port arch, with the small vent next to it. The seat facing aft is the best seat in the house when you would like to stretch out and watch TV, the A/C hits you right in the neck.
 
Bob,

Are you oging to install your own mount and sat dish? A KVH dealer wants $3,000.00 to do an install. That seems like a lot. How tall is your custom mount? Has carver said that it is not too heavy or tall for your arch? I have a 2005 33SS. I plan to ask Carver and PYI about max weight and max height for a mount. Do you have any info on this type of stuff? Is an install difficult? I am quite handy.
 
TurboWarp,
If you go to this PYI site you can see the different radar arches.
Below is the custom radar/sat mast that I had constructed for my boat. Jason from PYI just loaded it on the web site. The spreader light under the wings will be mounted closer underneath the wings. The picture shows it differently. I also have a mount for a rearview camera and I have added task lights under the wings. Below is my link to my new boat and pictures of my old boat. The radar arch is made of aluminum. So the mast will not have a problem supporting the weight. The sat dish weight 10-12 lbs if I am not mistaken. The open array is pushed forward to balance the weight as well. It took a few weeks to develop the look that I wanted. Jason from PYI is great to work with. I highly recomend him.

With respect to the installation. I am installing it myself. I installed the last mast for my Carver Montego. It took one day to install and wire. This may take a little longer. I think 2 days. It is not difficult to install. In January's Motor Boating Magazine on page 91 they show how to install the SeaKing HD1500. I can't wait to see it.

http://www.pbase.com/rbutka/2001_trojan_yacht

http://www.seaviewglobal.com/products/196

93553982.jpg
 
MIke,
I would like to go through the Lock one time. I am not sure if we will get up there this year. We were planing to go out to Long Island and Block Island again this year. I would like to get together one day to compare notes and projects. I like the idea of the Davit. I have been looking into them. I looked at Steel Head out of Canada, and Marquip,and Quicklift out of FL. The killer is the Davits cost more that a Jet Ski (used of course). I definitely will look at the TV's
 
Bob,

Very impressive mount. Looks great. Nice boat too. I like the all around light pole you selected. I don't like the other PYI one that has 3 angles. Any reason to think that the mast will block the radar at 180 degrees? Does up show up at all on screen? At $3,000.00 just for mounting, not counting equipment, I can't see how that is worth it. When I calculate the labor hours that is about 30 hours for a professional. Can't see it, so I am going to do it myself, at my leasure, before spring commisionsing and re-launch. I need a very tall ladder, which I have. I am hoping that the radar cable has a few coils in the arch in case I need it.

The only thing I am concerned about is where to pick up the power. Do you think I need a home run for power or can I pick up 12v where the rardar picks it up? Which may be a home run anyway.

Do you know if the maufacturer honors the warranty for self-install? When do yo plan to start your install? I am down in Southern MD so I can start in about a month. I have to take off my shrink wrap.

Thanks Bob,

TurboWarp
 
TurboWarp,

I would recommend running power from a separate breaker for the Sat dish that will not interfere with any other equipment. Also this would eliminate any power surge from other equipment that you may turn on or off. Just remember to use the correct breaker the manufacturer suggests. The last thing you want to do is install or use a breaker that is under or over rated for that circuit. Usually your radar needs to be on a separate power supply.

With respect to the SeaKing that I purchased, you only need to run one or two RG-6 cables that come with the system, to the dish. It is depended on the number of Sat receivers you plan to install. I will be using two for this install. So I will run the Cable from the dish to the equipment. I am planning to start the install as soon as the weather breaks up here.
As far as warranty goes, unless it state in the instructions and warranty paper work that it has to be installed by a certified technician, your good. I have never had a problem with warranties on work that I have done. In my former life I used to install Sat/Data communication dishes. Most were uplink and downlink dishes back in the 80's . They started as small as 24" all the way up to 16'. Boy I wish I could forget those days..
 
Thanks Bob,

I used to install 6' dishes for 9.6 Kbps down in the Southwest. No phone lines out there. You are up in NY?
 
TurboWarp,
We boat on the Hudson, But I live in NJ. About 45 minutes from the Marina.
 
I used to live in Dutchess County as a kid. Tivoli & Rhinebeck. Beautiful up there. Lots of hardwood trees.
 
Turbowarp,

My SeaKing makes very little noise at all. You cannot hear it unless you are standing right next to it. After the initial setup where it locates and locks on to the satellite, it should not move very much when at the dock. When I am at anchor you cannot hear it at all in the cockpit when watching TV and when under way there is no way you will hear it over my diesels.

Take a trip to you local electronics store and ask for a demonstration of the system you are interested in. I know my installer has a setup they take to the boat shows and it includes a dome with the top removed so you can see and hear the unit operating. Theirs is a KVH and I do not remember any excessive noise when shopping. The only thing I can think of is that the mount used in the article amplified the sound somehow - maybe a rubber dampener in between would solve the mentioned problem.
 
Thanks Mike,

I have not seen one set up in a store but its good to "hear" :) that you don't have any undue noise.

Turbo
 
TurboWarp,
Looks like a Very good article, I will be reading this. I like how they include all the costs. Funny, I thought that was an older Trojan. There was a guy at our Marina that had the same boat.

Mike,
thanks for the update with respect to how quiet it is. I am looking forward to installing it soon.
 
Bob & Mike, et al

Some interesting stuff I have been reading. Apparently, according to KVH, Directv is moving ALL their HD content to their ka-band satellites. This means that when this is completed, none of the existing manufacturer HD antennas will be able to receive HD broadcasts from Directv. Dish network will continue with ku-band for the time being. Since I have Directv at home, the monthly cost of having Dish on the boat is too costly. I don't want Dish network at home because I am happy with Directv and they have much more HD content.

Since this is the case, I am now looking st SD (standard definition) which is much cheaper. I don't yet have HD TV's on my boat anyway.

Anyone know about this? I read it at http://www.kvh.com/pdf/SOS1_HDTVFactvsFiction_2.08.pdf

Thought you might like to know.

TurboWarp
 
Get a SLINGBOX....they are amazing. There is no monthly fee involved. As long as no one is at home, it controls and displays your home tv/dvd/dbs/cable/dvr units via the internet. This unit will most likely revolutionize TV the way TIVO did 10 years ago.

One step less involved would be to get a generation 3 TIVO (no, a crappy DVR from your sat/cable supplier will not work). The new tivo's have wireless connectivity capabilities and you can relatively easily transfer all of your shows from your TIVO to your laptop while at home. If a standard TIVO can't hold enough tv for your weekend on the boat, you may have some issues. When on the boat, play from the laptop or connect it to the monitor on board. Check out x10.com if you need an inexpensive way to transmit the signal to a second tv on board (its about $50).

Just my thoughts....senseless to spend so darn much for boat tv....especially since you should be....hmmm....boating!

Jim
 
Turbowarp,
Yes this information is true. Both Direct TV and SeaKing did inform me of this. The one thing they did not know at the time was when. The reason I purchase SeaKing 1500HD was that it was only an extra $150 for the HD component. If they move existing 7-8 channels that are presently on Direct TV, you are still able to to get standard Digital TV. That will work for me.

ChefJunk,
I have two children, at night when were on the hook for the weekend it is a nice feature to have, the Dish that is. During the day the kids are having too much fun swimming all day. They can watch different channels or a movie if they want. I have had Sat TV at my doc for 8 years, now with a larger boat that can support it, it comes in handy. I never said it was cheap. Hmm.. you did say that it was so darn much for boat TV. What is cheap in Boating. BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand. Plus my wife wanted the Sat dish as well on this boat. I have the mast and the dish, too late to turn back now....
 
Thanks,

I am looking at the SeaKing 1500 also. The KVH does not seem to offer much other then maybe a little less risk in the purchase.

QUESTION: If I have two receivers and am watching a channel, do I lose my picture if the second recciver changes to a channel that is on a diffrent satelite?

Thx !
 
??? I did notice the KVH M2/M3 claims there is no cable wrap IE: unlimited azimuth. The Sea King 1500HD mentions 720deg which is roughly two times around. I this an issue for the TV viewer? Will you lose the signal at some point or will it be completely transparent to the user? Thanks
 
geomut

I believe you have the KVH and Sea King reversed as it pertains to cable wrap. The Sea kings are all unlimited. Swinging on the hook it can be a problem from time to time.
 
The Sea King 1500hd is unlimited, I was looking at the wrong unit. The Sea King1200HU does cable rap at 720deg.
 
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