TracVision HD7 Installation Manual

®

TracVision

HD7

Installation Guide

TracVision® HD7 Installation Guide

These instructions explain how to install the TracVision HD7 satellite TV antenna system on a
vessel. Complete instructions on how to use the system are provided in the User’s Guide.

Installation Steps

1. Inspect Parts and Get Tools ................. 3

2. Plan the Antenna Installation .............. 4

3. Plan the ACU Installation .................... 5

4. Determine RF Cable Requirements..... 6

5. Prepare the Antenna Site...................... 7

6. Remove the Restraints .......................... 8

7. Wire the Antenna .................................. 9

8. Mount the Antenna ............................. 10

9. Mount the ACU ................................... 11

10. Wire the ACU....................................... 13

11. Wire for DIRECTV Service................. 14

12. Configure Each Receiver/DVR ......... 16

13. Connect the ACU to the Network..... 17

14. Update the Software if Necessary..... 21

15. Educate the Customer......................... 22

Who Should Install the System?

To ensure a safe and effective installation, KVH recommends that a KVH-authorized marine
technician install the TracVision antenna. KVH-authorized technicians have the tools and
electronics expertise necessary to install the system. To find a technician near you, visit
www.kvh.com/wheretogetservice.

Technical Support

If you need technical assistance, please contact KVH Technical Support:

Phone: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
(Mon.-Fri., 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Eastern)
(Sat., 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Eastern)

KVH, TracVision, and the unique light-colored dome with dark contrasting baseplate are registered trademarks of

KVH Industries, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective companies. The information in this document is subject to

change without notice. No company shall be liable for errors contained herein. © 2009 KVH Industries, Inc., All rights reserved.

54-0662 Rev. B

1

Always lift the antenna by the baseplate and
never by the radome or any portion of the
internal antenna assembly (see Figure 1).

IMPORTANT!

1

Radome

Baseplate

Inspect Parts and Get Tools

Before you begin, follow the steps below to
ensure you have everything needed to complete
the installation.

a. Unpack the box and ensure it contains

everything shown on the Kitpack Contents
List. Save the packaging for future use.

b. Carefully examine all of the supplied parts to

ensure nothing was damaged in shipment.

c. Gather the tools and materials listed below.

You will need these items to complete the
installation.

• #0 Flat-head screwdriver

• #1 Phillips screwdriver

Figure 1 TracVision HD7 Antenna

Figure 2 Antenna Control Unit (ACU)

TRACKING SATS

CONTROL UNIT

ANTENNA

POWER

DIRECTV 99-101-103

CHANGE

ACCEPT

MENU

EXIT

®

• #2 Phillips screwdriver

• Electric drill and 1/2" (13 mm) drill
bit

• 3" (80 mm) hole saw

• 5/8" open-end wrench

• 9/16" nut driver or wrench

• 7/16" open-end wrench

• Light hammer and center punch

• Wire strippers and terminal lug
crimper

•Cutting pliers

• RG-6 or RG-11 RF coax cabling with

®

Snap-N-Seal

F-connectors; refer to

Step 4 on page 6 for details

• Satellite TV receivers and/or DVRs

• Surge protector or uninterruptible
power supply (UPS) (recommended)

3

Do not mount the antenna at the same level as
the radar because the radar’s energy will
overload/damage the antenna’s LNB.

IMPORTANT!

FWD

12"

[30.5 cm]

27.28"

[69.3 cm]

6"

[15.2 cm]

6"

[15.2 cm]

12"

[30.5 cm]

Ø.50"

[1.3 cm]

Ø26"

[66.6 cm]

2

Plan the Antenna Installation

Before you begin, consider the following antenna
installation guidelines:

• The antenna must be mounted outside the
radar’s beam pattern.

• Minimize blockage. The antenna requires a
clear view of the sky to receive satellite TV
(see Figure 3). The fewer obstructions, the
better the system will perform.

• Make sure the mounting surface is wide
enough to accommodate the antenna’s base
(see Figure 4). Also make sure it is flat, level
(within ±1°), strong enough to support the
antenna’s weight (61 lbs (28 kg)), and rigid
enough to withstand vibration.

Figure 3 Blockage from Obstruction

15° to 75°
Look Angle

Blocked!

Mast

Figure 4 Antenna Dimensions

Vessel Platform

Antenna

• Select a location that is as close as possible to
the intersection of the vessel’s fore-and-aft
centerline and midships.

• The antenna must be located within 100 ft
(30 m) of the ACU.

4

3

Plan the ACU Installation

Before you begin, consider the following ACU
installation guidelines:

• Select an ACU mounting location in a dry,
well-ventilated area belowdecks away from
any heat sources or salt spray.

• The ACU’s front panel should be easily
accessible to the user.

• Ensure the supplied router location provides
adequate WiFi reception. Do not install it in
an area surrounded by metal or near any
electrical devices that emit RF noise.

• The ACU must be located within 100 ft (30 m)
of the antenna.

• You can choose from two ACU mounting
options:

Option A - Equipment Rack Mounting

Figure 5 ACU Dimensions

1.52"

[3.8 cm]

[48.26 cm]

2.63"

[6.68 cm]

11.18"
[28.40 cm]

19.00"

4.81"
[12.22 cm]

1.02"

[2.60 cm]

If desired, you can mount the ACU in a standard
19" (482.6 mm) equipment rack.

NOTE: The ACU is 1.5U in height.

Option B - Horizontal Surface Mounting

If desired, you can remove the rack-mount
brackets from the front panel of the ACU, and
secure the ACU underneath or on top of a
horizontal surface using the supplied horizontal
mounting brackets.

1.75"
[4.45 cm]

16.75"

[42.55 cm]

18.31"

[46.51 cm]

4X

Ø.25"

[0.64 cm]

[1.12 cm]

0.44"

5

4

Determine RF Cable Requirements

Follow the instructions below to determine the
quantity and type of RF cables needed.

What Type of RF Cables are Needed?

To ensure optimal performance, refer to the table
below to select the required RF cable type for
your installation.

For Lengths Use RF Cable Type

Up to 100 ft (30 m) RG-6

100 ft (30 m) to

RG-11

200 ft (61 m)

NOTE: Only use RF cable lengths 200 ft (61 m) or
less.

How Many RF Cables are Needed?

The number of RF cables varies according to the
quantity of receivers and/or DVRs. Consider the
following guidelines.

Figure 6 Typical Wiring (DIRECTV Only)

Antenna

=

RG-6/RG-11

RF

RF Cable

RF

SWM

Power

Inserter

SWM

Data

(RF1)

IRDSWM

RF

8-Way Splitter

RF

RF RF RF RF

Power

TRACKING SATS

DIRECTV 99/101/103

®

CONTROL UNIT

MENU

ANTENNA

POWER

RFRFRF

CHANGE

EXIT

ACCEPT

Vessel
AC Ground

Supports up to 8 Tuners

Each SWM Receiver = 1 Tuner = 1 RF Cable
Each DVR = 2 Tuners = 1 RF Cable

ACU

• Since the 8-way splitter supports up to 8
tuners, you can connect any number of SWM
receivers/DVRs that adds up to 8 tuners or
less.

• Each receiver has a single tuner, and requires
one RF cable. Each DVR has two tuners, and
requires one RF cable.

NOTE: One 100 ft (30 m) RG-11 RF cable is supplied
with the TracVision HD7 system.

NOTE: Refer to Step 11 on page 14 for complete
receiver/DVR connection instructions.

What Type of RF Cable Connectors are
Needed?

Be sure to use only Snap-N-Seal F-type
connectors. Twist-on connectors and other low­quality connector types degrade performance.

6

5

Prepare the Antenna Site

Follow the steps below to drill the antenna’s
mounting holes and cable access hole.

a. Unfold the antenna mounting template

(supplied in the Customer Welcome Kit) and
place it onto the mounting surface. Make sure
the “FWD” (forward) arrow points toward
the bow and is parallel to the vessel’s
centerline (see Figure 7).

b. Using a light hammer and center punch,

mark the locations for the four mounting
holes and cable access hole on the mounting
surface in the locations indicated on the
template.

c. Drill a 1/2" (1.3 cm) hole at the four mounting

hole locations. Later, you will insert four
3/8"-16 bolts through these holes to secure
the antenna to the mounting surface.

d. Cut out the 3" (8 cm) hole at the cable access

hole location. Smooth the edges of the hole to
protect the cables. Later, you will route the
cables through this hole and into the vessel.

e. Clean and dry the antenna mounting surface.

Figure 7 Antenna Mounting Holes Layout

3" ( 8 cm)

Cable Access Hole

12"

(30.5 cm)

1/2" ( 1.3 cm)

Mounting Hole (x4)

Figure 8 Foam Seal

Align with

Cable Access

Hole

(30.5 cm)

FWD

12"

f. Peel off the paper backing from the supplied

foam seal to expose the adhesive.

g. Press the foam seal down firmly onto the

mounting surface (not the antenna’s
baseplate), ensuring the hole in the foam seal
aligns with the cable access hole in the
mounting surface (see Figure 8).

NOTE: Apply the foam seal to the vessel mounting
surface, not to the antenna’s baseplate. You will have
difficulty connecting the cables to the antenna if the
foam seal is attached to the baseplate.

7

Screw (x6)

Radome

Baseplate

Bracket

and Bolt (x2)

Bolt and
Washer (x2)

6

Remove the Restraints

Internal restraints prevent the antenna assembly
from moving during shipment. Follow these
steps to remove these shipping restraints.

NOTE: Be sure to keep the shipping restraint
hardware for future use.

a. Using a #2 Phillips screwdriver, remove the

six #10-32 Phillips screws securing the
radome to the baseplate (see Figure 9).

b. Carefully lift the radome straight up off the

antenna. Then set it aside in a safe place.

c. Using a 9/16" nut driver or wrench, remove

the four bolts, two brackets, and two washers
securing the antenna to the shipping pallet
(see Figure 10).

NOTE: You will remove additional shipping
restraints after you mount the antenna.

Figure 9 Radome Screws

Figure 10 Shipping Restraints

8

To ensure the RF cables are fully seated
during connection, ensure the sealing nuts on
the antenna’s RF connectors are flush with the
antenna base before you connect RF cables.

IMPORTANT!

SWM
(RF1)

RF4

RF2

RF3

POWER

DATA

For

DIRECTV

SWM
Receivers
and DVRs

Only

For non­SWM
Receivers
Only (DISH
Network,
Bell TV,
Legacy
DIRECTV
Receivers)

Sealing
Nut

Antenna

Base

Proper Sealing Nut Position

7

Wire the Antenna

.

Connect the Power and Data Cables

Connect and hand-tighten the data and power
cables to the antenna (see Figure 11).

Connect an RF Cable to SWM (RF1)

a. Connect an RF cable to the antenna’s SWM

(RF1) connector. Then, using a 7/16" open­end wrench, tighten the RF cable for 1/4 turn.

b. Using a 5/8" open-end wrench, turn the

sealing nut on the connector (between the RF
cable and the antenna) until the O-ring forms
a seal against the F-connector.

Figure 11 Antenna Connectors/Compatible Receivers

SWM Receiver/DVR Models*

HR20

HR21

Connect Additional RF Cables - Non-SWM
Receivers/DVRs Only

Follow the instructions below if you need to
connect non-SWM receivers/DVRs. Non-SWM
receivers/DVRs include Bell TV, DISH Network,
and legacy DIRECTV receivers.

NOTE: SWM-compatible receivers/DVRs are listed
in the table at right.

a. Connect RF cables to the antenna’s RF2 and

RF3 connectors (see Figure 11).

b. Using a 7/16" open-end wrench, tighten the

c. Label the ends of the SWM (RF1), RF2, and

Route Cables

Route the cables belowdecks through the cable
access hole. Leave an adequate service loop,
approximately 8" (20 cm) of slack, in the cables
for easy serviceability.

RF cables to the antenna for 1/4 turn. Then
using a 5/8" open-end wrench, turn the
sealing nut on the connector until the O-ring
forms a seal against the F-connector.

RF3 cables for easy identification later.

HR21 Pro

HR22

HR23

H20

H21

H22

H23

R16

R22

R23

D12

D13

*NOTE: Additional SWM-compatible receivers/DVRs
might become available at any time. If your receiver or
DVR model is not listed here, check the receiver’s/
DVR’s manual to see if it is SWM-compatible.

9

You will need to rotate the antenna assembly
by hand to see all four mounting holes. Rotate
the antenna assembly slowly to avoid
damaging the antenna.

IMPORTANT!

IMPORTANT

Tie-wrap

Tie-wrap

IMPORTANT

8

Mount the Antenna

Follow the steps below to mount the antenna to
the mounting surface.

a. Place the antenna baseplate over the holes

drilled in the mounting surface.

b. Ensure the forward arrow inside the

baseplate points toward the bow and is
parallel to the vessel’s centerline (see
Figure 12).

c. At each of the four baseplate mounting holes,

place a 3/8" fender washer on a 3/8"-16 bolt
and insert the bolt into the hole from above
(see Figure 13).

d. Secure each mounting bolt to the mounting

surface using a 3/8" flat washer, a 3/8" lock
washer, and a 3/8"-16 hex nut from below
(see Figure 13).

e. Tighten all four bolts until the four rubber

feet on the baseplate are bottomed against the
mounting surface and the foam seal is fully
compressed.

Figure 12 Forward Arrow Location

Figure 13 Antenna Mounting

3/8"-16 Bolt (x4)

3/8" Fender Washer (x4)

Antenna Base

Foam Seal

Mounting Surface

3/8" Flat Washer (x4)

3/8" Lock Washer (x4)

3/8"-16 Hex Nut (x4)

Using cutting pliers, cut and remove both of

f.

the tie-wraps equipped with paper tags (see
Figure 14).

g. Reinstall the radome onto the antenna. Secure

the radome in place using the six #10-32
screws you removed in Step 6 on page 8.

h. Install a plastic screw cap (supplied in the kit)

over the six radome screws.

10

Figure 14 Shipping Restraint Tie-wraps

Mounting
Hole (x4)

M6 Screw
and Washer (x4)

9

Mount the ACU

Follow the steps below to mount the ACU to a
standard 19" (482.6 mm) equipment rack, or
above or beneath a horizontal surface.

Option A - Equipment Rack Mounting

a. Align the four mounting holes on the front

panel of the ACU, to the mounting holes on
the equipment rack (see Figure 15).

b. Secure the ACU to the equipment rack using

four M6 screws and washers (see Figure 15).

Figure 15 ACU Equipment Rack Mounting

11