KVH C3 Sat TV Report
David,
First some background. We use DirecTV mounted to a "Follow-Me-TV" unit. We
subscribe to the local programming feature. When we are home we get all the
Tampa Bay broadcast channels. In fact we get them in the Keys and as far
north as about St. Augustine. When we got to Jacksonville we called DirecTV
and asked to be switched over to the Jacksonville local programming, which
they were willing to do. However, although we could see the channels listed
on the guide, we could not actually receive them. The customer service rep
finally figured out that our old, round dish with a singly LNB would not
receive the local signal. We needed to upgrade to an oval dish with 3 LNB's.
They were willing to do this for free but we were leaving Jax the next day.
We told them that we' get in touch when we were going to be in one place for a
length of time. Fast foreword to New Bern. I left Cindy and the boat there
so it seemed like a good opportunity to get this done. I contacted DirecTV
again and asked to switch our service address and local channels. After a bit
of messing around the service rep informed me that in the New Bern area we
needed two dishes in order, one for local programming and the regular one.
Sure enough, as we looked around we saw houses that had two dishes, aimed in
different directions. We said not to bother and we hooked up to the cable TV
at the marina. Fast forward again and we are anchored in the Piankatank Rivah
and I called DirecTV to see about switching to the Washington DC local
programming. It took a 23 minute cell phone call but we got it done. No
replacement oval dish, no 3 LNB's and no second dish.
My question is this. Does the KVH C3 mitigate all this foolishness. Can you
get local programming and will the KVH allow you to switch between satellites?
If so, it might be worth the difference.
Regards,
Randy Pickelmann
MORNING STAR
boat currently lying Solomons, MD
I'm at my desk in Clearwater, FL
Timely post. I just called Follow-Me TV yesterday and ordered a unit. Even
though I don't really want to watch TOO much TV (one of the reasons to be
out boating) I just hate getting stuck with one channel and being forced to
watch Nanny 911 or nothing. :-)
I asked about changing my "local" channels when traveling. Ray told me that
your local channels are good for maybe 150 - 200 mile radius around your
local spot. After that, you can call in and have them change your locale to
wherever you are. He did warn that the phones are staffed by a lot of
minimum wage folks reading a script on a computer. He suggested that if you
got one on the phone who hesitated or said they cannot do this, just
politely say thanks, hang up, and call back. You'll probably get somebody on
the second or third try who can make it happen, if you don't get one on the
first try. The local feeds are sort of "spot - beamed" into those local
areas, therefore you can't get them too far out.
If you want the national feeds all the time, which are the New York
stations, just give them a NY address and tell them that's where you are
actually going to install the setup. These national feeds are beamed to
every dish, all the time, so you don't have that geographical effect. This
is one way around the restriction on national feeds for boats vs. RV's and
trucks. Keep in mind I haven't done this, just passing on what he told me. I
plan to install the unit early next week, and get a local dealer to come out
and install the dish. Oh joy, more wire running!
Keith
"When a crisis hits and you don't have to change your politics, you know you
were right all along." - Matt Bell
----- Original Message -----
From: "Randy Pickelmann" rwp_48@yahoo.com
David,
First some background. We use DirecTV mounted to a "Follow-Me-TV" unit.
We
subscribe to the local programming feature. When we are home we get all
the
Tampa Bay broadcast channels. In fact we get them in the Keys and as far
north as about St. Augustine. When we got to Jacksonville we called
DirecTV
and asked to be switched over to the Jacksonville local programming, which
they were willing to do. However, although we could see the channels
listed
on the guide, we could not actually receive them. The customer service
rep
finally figured out that our old, round dish with a singly LNB would not
receive the local signal.
My question is this. Does the KVH C3 mitigate all
this foolishness. Can you
get local programming and will the KVH allow you to
switch between satellites?
Randy, yes the C3 switches to a different satellite
when changing to local channels. It takes a little
while and posts a "searching for satellite" message
while it is changing position. I subscribe to the
Fort Myers channels and get them in the keys but lost
them in the Florida panhandle.
Aparently Direct TV did not give you and grief about
switching to a different local channel set even though
you are on a boat. I have yet to try that.
Larry Larsen
Endeavour 38 TrawlerCat
Sitara, Lying at Lake Pickwick
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
well... i dont' think India has a minimum wage, do they ? last time i
called (couple of weeks ago for a billing issue), i noticed that for the
first time my call to direct TV was routed to a center in india...
pascal
miami fl
----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith" keith@anastasia3.com
wherever you are. He did warn that the phones are staffed by a lot of
minimum wage folks reading a script on a computer. He suggested that if
you
got one on the phone who hesitated or said they cannot do this, just
politely say thanks, hang up, and call back. You'll probably get somebody
on
the second or third try who can make it happen, if you don't get one on
the
first try.
On 6/14/06 10:08 AM, "l larsen" larry3285@yahoo.com wrote:
yes the C3 switches to a different satellite
when changing to local channels. It takes a little
while and posts a "searching for satellite" message
while it is changing position.
We have the KVH RV version and simultaneously get the local channels
(currently DC but had Palm Beach while in Abacos) and "Distant Network
Service for Mobile Customers" (a $9 option, which gives you NYC an LA local
stations). All channels are available all the time, there is no re-orienting
of the dish required.
Bob
Robert Calhoun Smith Jr
M/V MARY KATHRYN
Hatteras 58 LRC
South River
Annapolis, MD