Vessel type
Yachts and expedition vessels: the picture has to be invisible
On a yacht the equipment is judged by what the guests do not see — no drop-outs at dinner, no camera boxes on the teak, no menu with the wrong logo. That makes this a specification where the third axis, the distribution layer and the housing finish all matter at once.
Why this is usually a 3-axis job
Two things separate a yacht or an expedition vessel from a workboat: speed and heel. A fast yacht changes heading quickly, which loads the tracking rate; a sailing or expedition vessel stays heeled for hours, which is exactly the case a 2-axis platform cannot correct because it has no cross-level axis.
The X Series documents elevation from −5° to 115° and cross-level ±35° with a third stabilization axis plus automatic skew. That combination is what keeps the geometry right when the deck is not level, and the −5° lower limit matters on a low-profile motor yacht where the antenna sits close to the waterline.
Aperture for the passage, not the marina
A yacht in its home marina is inside a strong footprint and would work with the smallest antenna on the list. The specification has to be written for the passage — the weakest contour the boat will cross, and the rain margin needed at that latitude. The published ladder ends at 41 dBW on the 105 cm model, which is what makes a mid-ocean Ku lock possible.
The trade is weight and structure: 125 kg at 105 cm is a mast or hardtop load path, not a bracket. Plan it with the naval architect while the deck is still a drawing.
Distribution and the small details
This is the segment where IPTV pays for itself on presentation rather than on channel count: a custom menu, a boot screen with the vessel's name, information insertion and catch-up playback are documented features of the IPTV route, and they are what a guest actually sees. Where the yacht already has a coax backbone, a CATV headend gets the broadcast channels there for less.
Cameras follow the same logic. A dome under a deck overhang and a fixed IR camera at the transom are choices made to disappear; the IP68 compact dome covers the positions that get washed down, the zoom dome covers a wide area from one point. The wiper PTZ stays where it is needed for a working deck, not in the guest areas.
Specify against these points
- Passage contours, not marina contours
- Whether the hull heels for hours or only rolls
- Mounting structure and load path for 37–125 kg
- What the guest sees: menu, boot screen, camera housings
A typical configuration for this vessel
An example, not a quotation — the model follows the route and the footprint. Send the route and the numbers come back with the model.
Buyer questions
Yachts & expedition
Can a 2-axis antenna work on a motor yacht?+−
On a displacement motor yacht that rolls and rights itself, yes. On a sailing yacht or a fast planing hull the continuous heel and rapid heading changes are the two cases where the third axis and the extra tracking demand pay off.
How heavy a system can a hardtop take?+−
That is a structural question, not an equipment one: 125 kg on a 105 cm dish with its lever arm needs a load path to the hull. The 64 cm model at 37 kg is the usual starting point for a retrofit.
Is IPTV overkill on a small yacht?+−
It depends on what the owner wants to see. Broadcast television alone is cheaper on CATV; branded menus, CCTV channels and catch-up are IPTV features and are the reason the route exists on this class of vessel.
Do the cameras have to be hazardous-area rated on a yacht?+−
Only where the space is a hazardous area — typically fuel and machinery spaces. On deck the same housings are often chosen for IP68 and the wiper rather than for the marking.