Kingdome 9704 Questions

dougrainer wrote:
You should NOT have THAT low of voltage on a GOOD charged up system, Doug

I don't know how I could expect much more than 12.5 volts on a loaded system. The voltage was a little low to the dome, only because that circuit was quite heavily loaded w/ the tv, rec, and dome searching, which includes the 400 watt inverter.

I'm still feeling like I gained some voltage to the dome by getting rid of 15 ft of 16 ga wire wadded up in a ball under that panel.

Next time out will tell more.

You should NOT have THAT low of voltage on a GOOD charged up system, Doug

Thanks Doug.
I fired it up this morning, after shortening the cable last nite, and I feel like I did it some good, because it did the complete search at 12.1 volts under load of tv, sat rec, and dome search. This is not battery voltage. The volt meter is connected into the entertainment center, same place as the Dome power lead is, and about 15 ft from the batteries, thru twin lead 8ga wire. When it quit searching, voltage read 12.3. Another volt meter at the 12v DC center was reading 12,5, about 10 ft from batts, but w/ heavier.....2 ga? cable.

Isn't there such a thing as a wad of DC wire setting up resistence, there by loosing voltage ? At any rate, I feel like I'm getting more voltage to the dome now,.....it sounds better too.

I'm glad the dome searching twice may be operating correctly looking at 2 sats to toggle between.

Thanks for your thoughts.

1. You did NOT say you had it set up to toggle between the 2 sats. THAT will make it do what it does
2. The Voltage IS critical. WHAT is the voltage and don't say 12+. Give the actual voltage. Domes, not just KD, are required to have a 12.6 voltage and above to function correctly. That is why some Dome makers want you to use a 120 volt to 12 volt transformer to make sure you have the required voltage at all times
3. That extra cable will not affect your voltage supply as along as you have a GOOD supply. The fact that you state with the 12 volt charging system on (APU or Shore) and the KD operates correctly, then your battery 12 volt supply is not correct. A GOOD 12 volt supply will have at a minimum 12.6 volts. Doug

I believe low voltage because it never shuts down w/ genset or big engine running, (14v) only when volt meter at 12+.
The dealer had it tapped in to the 12v tv receptical, so I moved it to a heavier circuit that runs the entertainment center, which improved it, but still shuts down now and then w/ volt meter showing 12+ under load of tv, sat rec, and dome searching.
I called KD, and they wanted to know the voltage reading AT THE DOME and while searching. But I haven't got that ambitious yet. Yesterday I found 15 ft of excess coax and power lead stuffed behind a panel. I shortened both, so now hoping it will improve the voltage situation w/ 15 ft shorter power lead.
But fact still remains, it should operate correctly w/ 12+ volts, but it didn't.

I many times just shut the dome off when it peaks on sat the first time, and it always plays tv on 101. But when I'm going to want it to toggle between sats for local channels, then I must leave it on, and let it search again. This may be normal operation, even tho it peaks the 101 sat first time around ??

1. The amperage draw is minimal. It will operate on less than a 10 amp DC supply. HOW do you know you have a Low Voltage shutdown problem. What indicates that??
2. Yes, you need the receiver connected
3. The reason it stops and then hunts again and then completely stops is because even tho you have it programmed for the 101 Sat, it CAN see and momentarily stop at the Direct 119 sat. It then communicates with the 119 and realizes it is at the wrong Sat and then reacquires at the 101.
4. KD has no published specs on what the minimal 12 volt supply should be, you would have to call them. Doug