Last August after using our KVH-R5SL/Dish Satellite 211k system for a week while we had service in Decatur, IN, I noticed a note on the system saying that I needed to update my Dish 211k Receiver to the new software. If I didn't, the sky would fall and it would be the end of civilization as I knew it! Being the early adapter that I am, I did it and BOOM ... dead KVH antenna!
I spent almost 4 hours on the cell phone fighting with Dish Tech support, but they couldn't, or wouldn't reset my receiver back to the working software.
Now it's November, and we find out "the rest of the story".
It seems that Dish reconfigured the transmitters on their satellites, thereby rendering many old antennas and control boards unable to locate and lock on to the satellite. KVH R4SL and R5SL Antennas were effected, along with other older antennas and lots of yacht equipment and 18-wheeler stuff too. They now refer to them as legacy antennas.
(There are references and links to this sad tale all over the Net)
But, don't feel to bad for KVH...they knew it was comming for years! Their two latest Satellite antennas for RV's, the RV-1 and the A-9 are equipped with a different RF control board. The RF7. I hear it works great. (I assume RF stands for "radio frequency")
I guess it is up to us "legacy" owners to pound the new RF7 board out of KVH or our RV-Builders unless we want to spend $1,200 to $3,500 (plus installation) for a new antenna.
The contacts for KLH are:
401-847-3327 support@kvh.com techs@kvh.com
If you have any luck, drop me a note.
Dick
