TracVision LF, SF Installation Manual

TracVision®LF/SF Installation Guide

These instructions explain how to install the TracVision LF/SF
satellite TV antenna system on a vehicle. Complete instructions
on how to use the system are provided in the User’s Guide and
the selected receiver’s owner ’s manual.

Step See Page:

1. Inspect Parts and Get Tools 2

2. Plan the Installation 3

3. Remove the Shipping Restraint 4

4. Mount the Antenna 5

5. Cut the Switchplate Mounting Hole 6

6. Wire the Antenna 7

7. Seal the Cable Access Hole 8

8. Wire the Receiver(s) 9

9. Wire the Switchplate 10

10. Mount the Switchplate 11

11. Test the System 12

1

54-0286 Rev. A

Technical Support

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

Phone: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Internet: www.kvh.com/help

Satellite Receiver 1

RF2

TV 1

Data/Power

Vehicle

Power

12 VDC

Switchplate

Satellite Receiver 2

TV 2

TracVision Antenna

RF1

Low-speed Data

(optional)

(DIRECTV

®

only)

2

1. Unpack the box and ensure it contains everything

shown on the Contents List. Note: Cables for the

LF/SF system are stored beneath the antenna unit
during shipping.

2. Carefully examine all of the supplied parts to
ensure nothing was damaged in shipment.

3. Gather all of the tools and materials listed below.
You will need these items to complete the
installation.

• Electric drill

• 3⁄16" drill bit

• 3⁄4" hole saw and auger bit

• #2 Phillips and #0 flat tip screwdrivers

• Silicone sealant or RTV

• 7⁄16"-open end wrench

• Adhesive suitable for specific roof

construction and materials (e.g., Liquid Nails)

• Rivet gun and 3⁄16"-rivets (or other fastener

suitable for specific roof construction)

• RG6 or RG11 (75 ohms) RF cable (if installing

more than one receiver)

• Augat IT1000 Tool (KVH part #19-0242)

• Snap-N-Seal®F-connector(s)

(KVH part #23-0170)

Inspect Parts and Get Tools

1

Always lift the antenna unit by the
gray baseplate, never by the
radome!

3

54-0286 Rev. A

Before you begin, consider the following installation guidelines:

• The antenna requires a 15° to 75° look angle and
must have an unobstructed view of the southern
sky to receive satellite TV.

• Find a location on a flat part of the roof on the
centerline of the vehicle, away from any
obstructions that might block the satellite signal
(the antenna should be at least 18" away from the
nearest air conditioner).

Figure 1

Antenna Blockage

• The antenna must be mounted on a horizontal
surface with a minimum roof (or other mounting
surface) radius of 250". When placed flat on the
mounting surface, the mounting plates should be
less than

7

⁄16" above the mounting surface (see

Figure 2).

Figure 2

Maximum Mounting Surface Slope

• When choosing a location for the switchplate, find
a dry, flat location that will be easily accessible to
the user. Take into account cable lengths between
components, as well as accessibility to the
equipment after installation.

If you need to paint the radome,

use ONLY non-metallic
automotive paint without a
primer coat. Metallic paint or paint

having metallic color will block
satellite signals.

Plan the Installation

2

Any gap larger than 7⁄16" will warp
the baseplate and seriously
damage the antenna.

Blocked!

Air Conditioner

Vehicle Roof

TracVision Antenna

7

16

" Maximum Gap

1. At the bottom of the antenna baseplate, cut the tie-

wrap and pull it out of the baseplate. You do not
need to remove the radome. This tie-wrap secures the
antenna’s LNB (low-noise block) to prevent
shipping damage (see Figure 3).

Figure 3

Shipping Restraint

2. After removing the tie-wrap, seal the two holes
with the plugs provided in the kitpack (see
Figure 4).

Figure 4

Antenna Baseplate (Bottom View)

4

Once you remove the shipping
restraint, handle the antenna unit
carefully. Improper handling may
damage the unit.

Remove the Shipping Restraint

3

Shipping Restraint (Tie-wrap)

Seal two tie-wrap holes

1. Apply construction adhesive to the bottom of the
antenna’s four mounting plates across all of the
holes.

Figure 5

Proper Orientation of the Antenna Unit

2. Place the antenna on the roof on the centerline of
the vehicle so that the two arrows on the antenna’s
front mounting plate point toward the front of the
vehicle.

3. Attach the four mounting plates to the roof using
20

3

⁄16"-diameter rivets (or other appropriate

fasteners).

4. Seal the rivets/screws with silicone sealant (or
equivalent).

5

54-0286 Rev. A

Mount the Antenna

4

Forward Mounting

Plate Arrows

Vehicle

Centerline

Baseplate
Connectors

Front of

Vehicle

Top View Side View

Vehicle

Centerline

Mounting Plate

(1 of 4)

Front of

Vehicle

Cut the Switchplate Mounting Hole

1. Find a dry, flat location inside the vehicle within
27 feet of the antenna for mounting the
switchplate. The switchplate must be easily

accessible to the user.

2. Using the template supplied in Appendix B, cut
out the switchplate mounting hole in the
mounting surface.

Figure 6

Switchplate Cutout Dimensions

6

5

A full-size template has been
provided for you in Appendix B.

2"

2.5"

Wire the Antenna

1. Mark a location on the roof for the cable access
hole. You will route cables from the antenna
through the hole and into the vehicle.

2. Drill the

3

⁄4" cable access hole in the location you

marked in the previous step.

3. Connect the antenna data/power cable to the
antenna’s center connector (see Figure 7).

Figure 7

Antenna Baseplate Connectors

4. Connect one RF cable to the antenna’s “RF1”
connector. Tighten the sealing nut, found at the
base of the connector, onto the end of the RF cable.
If you plan to connect more than one receiver,
connect a second RF cable to the “RF2” connector.

5. Route the cables down through the access hole in
the roof. Be sure to maintain a service loop
(approximately 8") on the roof to allow plenty of
slack.

6. Route the data/power cable to the switchplate
location inside the vehicle.

7. Route the RF1 cable to the primary satellite TV
receiver.

8. (Optional) Route the RF2 cable to the second
receiver, if applicable.

6

Leave the protective cap installed
on the RF2 connector unless
connecting a second RF cable to
the TracVision LF/SF.

7

54-0286 Rev. A

RF2

(Optional, to 2nd

Receiver)

Data/Power

(to Switchplate)

RF1
(to Receiver)

8

1. Seal the cable access hole with a liberal amount of
silicone sealant or RTV to protect against leakage.

2. Install the clamshell ventilator supplied in the
kitpack. It must be mounted with the opening
facing the rear of the vehicle over the cable access
hole using three of the supplied #6 screws (see
Figure 8).

Figure 8

Installing the Clamshell Ventilator

Seal the Cable Access Hole

7

Data/Power and RF Cables

(2nd RF Cable Optional)

#6 Screw

Vehicle Roof

RF2,

(to Receiver #2)

Optional

Clamshell
Ventilator

RF1
(to Receiver #1)

Data/Power
(to Switchplate)

1. Connect the RF1 cable to the primary receiver’s
“Satellite In” connector (see Figure 9).

Figure 9

Receiver Rear Panel Connections (Example)

2. Connect the supplied ground wire to any screw on
the receiver’s rear panel. Connect the other end to
a suitable ground.

3. If you need to connect two receivers, connect the
RF2 cable and a second ground wire to the second
receiver. If you need to connect more than two
receivers, you will need to install an active
multiswitch; see Appendix A.

4. (DIRECTV Only) If your primary receiver is a
DIRECTV

®

receiver equipped with a low-speed
data port, you can connect the receiver to the
switchplate (see Figure 9). This allows the receiver
to control satellite selection. Connect the supplied

data cable (a standard RJ11 telephone handset
cord) to the receiver’s low-speed data port. Route
the other end of the data cable to the switchplate
location.

Wire the Receiver(s)

8

9

54-0286 Rev. A

SATELLITE IN

TV ANT/CABLE IN

DATA PORT

SATELLITE IN

DATA PORT

(NOT SATELLITE)

OUT TO TV

RL

AUDIO VIDEO S-VIDEO

DIGITAL

AUDIO OUT

PHONE JACK

10

1. Connect the antenna’s data/power cable to the
switchplate’s data/power connector and lock in
place.

Figure 10

Switchplate Connections

2. If you connected a data cable to a DIRECTV

receiver’s low-speed data port (see page 9), connect
the other end of the data cable to the switchplate’s
RJ11 jack (see Figure 10).

3. Disconnect the vehicle’s power by removing the
appropriate vehicle fuse. Test the circuit to ensure
that no power is present.

4. Connect the vehicle power and ground wires to
the switchplate terminals (see Figure 10). The

antenna requires clean +12 VDC, 5-amp power.
Therefore, KVH strongly recommends using a
12 VDC, 5-amp AC/DC power supply to power
the TracVision LF/SF system.

Before connecting vehicle power,
disconnect power by removing the
appropriate vehicle fuse. Test the
circuit to ensure that no power is
present.

Wire the Switchplate

9

Switchplate Mounting

Hole (1 of 2)

Input Power

(+12 VDC)

Ground

RJ11 Jack
(Data Cable to Receiver

Data/Power Connector

Maintenance Port
(DB9 Connector)

- Optional

)

1. Carefully fit the switchplate assembly into the

panel cutout you created earlier (see page 6).

2. Secure the switchplate to the mounting surface
using two supplied #6 screws (see Figure 11).

Figure 11

Mounting the Switchplate

3. Reinstall the vehicle fuse you removed earlier (see
page 10).

Mount the Switchplate

10

11

54-0286 Rev. A

#6 Screw

12

Now all you need to do is turn the system on and follow the
steps below to test the TracVision system.

1. Park the vehicle in a blockage-free area. The
antenna requires an unobstructed view of the
southern sky to receive satellite signals.

2. Turn on the receiver(s) and TV(s). For instructions

on operating the receiver, refer to the receiver’s owner’s
manual.

3. Set the switchplate’s power switch to the ON (up)
position (see Figure 12).

Figure 12

Switchplate Power Switch Positions

4. Wait several minutes for system startup and initial
satellite acquisition.

5. Verify that a program guide appears on the TV.
Only the preview channels are viewable until the
customer activates the receiver. If no picture is
seen, check the connections and ensure the
antenna is tracking the correct satellite. See the
User’s Guide for details.

6. (TracVision LF only) Take a road test and verify that
the antenna tracks the satellite while the vehicle is
moving.

7. When you have finished testing, download the
KVH Flash Wizard for free at www.kvh.com/wizard.
Follow the directions on the webpage to obtain
any software updates (if applicable).

For information on operation,
troubleshooting, and DISH 500
Configuration, please refer to the

User’s Guide.

Test the System

11

Status Light

ON

OFF

The customer must activate the
receiver to watch satellite TV.

To activate a DIRECTV receiver,
call KVH at 1-888-584-4163.

To activate a DISH Network
receiver, call 1-800-333-DISH.

To activate an ExpressVu receiver,
call 1-888-SKY-DISH.

Be sure to leave the

User’s Guide

and

Product Registration Form

inside the vehicle for the customer

.

Appendix A Installing 3

+

Receivers

Connecting more than two receivers requires an active
multiswitch (KVH part # 19-0123, Channel Master model
6214IFD, or equivalent). Install the multiswitch between the
antenna unit and the receivers. Figure 13 illustrates a typical
wiring arrangement for three or four receivers. If you need to

connect more than four receivers, contact KVH for additional wiring
instructions.

Figure 13

Using an Active Multiswitch

(DIRECTV Only) Attach the
low-speed data cable to the master
receiver. The master receiver must
remain on for the secondary
receivers to function properly.

Instead of grounding individual
receivers, as explained on page 9,
you can simply ground the
multiswitch.

A1

54-0286 Rev. A

TracVision Receiver Data Cable
Connector on Switchplate (Optional)

TracVision RF Connectors

RF1

DC Power

DC In RHCP

Out 1 Out 2 Out 3 Out 4

Receiver #1 Receiver #2 Receiver #4Receiver #3

+13V

Multiswitch

VHF/UHF LHCP

+18V

RF2

B1

54-0286 Rev. A

Appendix B Switchplate Template

2"

2.5"