Example configuration
A yacht that crosses oceans
This is written for the passage rather than the marina: a 3-axis antenna with enough aperture to hold a fringe footprint, a distribution layer the owner can brand, and a satellite data terminal because beyond the coast there is nothing else.
The package, layer by layer
| Layer | Item | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| Antenna | X8 or X10 3-axis TVRO | 43 / 41 dBW with cross-level ±35° — the aperture that holds a fringe footprint on passage |
| Control | ACU Advanced | Route tracking across footprints; settings changed from the office, not the rack |
| Distribution | IPTV headend | Branded menu, boot screen, catch-up, CCTV in the same list |
| Deck cameras | 2 × dome, 1 × fixed IR | Housings that disappear into the superstructure; IP68 where the deck floods |
| Connectivity | VSAT terminal | Internet, voice and video on passage, in the band the operator sells |
| Connectivity | 4G/5G marine antenna | In port and along the coast, at a fraction of airtime cost |
The antenna is the decision that cannot be revisited
A yacht can change a headend in an afternoon. Changing an antenna means a new hole in a hardtop and a new load path, so the aperture is the one item worth over-specifying. The published ladder ends at 41 dBW on the 105 cm model — that is the number that makes a mid-ocean Ku lock possible rather than theoretical.
Weight follows: 80 kg at 85 cm and 125 kg at 105 cm. That is a naval architect conversation during the refit, not a bracket purchase after it.
Why IPTV here
On this class of vessel the distribution layer is what the owner sees: a menu with the vessel's name, a boot screen, information pages and catch-up. Those are documented features of the IPTV route, not custom development. CCTV can sit in the same list, which means one remote for the saloon television.
Where a yacht already has coax and plain televisions, a CATV headend gets the broadcast channels there for less money — this package assumes a LAN exists, which on a modern yacht it usually does.
Two links, one handover
The VSAT terminal carries the passage; the cellular antenna carries the coast. Without a handover policy they are two systems that both bill; with one, the yacht uses the cheap link whenever it can. The policy is a configuration decision and should be agreed with whoever supplies the airtime.
What is not in this package
- Airtime contracts — satellite service is bought from an operator, not from the hardware supplier
- Structural work for the 80–125 kg antenna and its load path
- Wiper PTZ cameras — a working-deck item, not a guest-area one
An example configuration, not a quotation — the model follows the route, the footprint and the area plan.
Buyer questions
Ocean yacht
Is 105 cm really necessary?+−
Only if the route crosses fringe footprints. The honest test is the contour map: if the weakest point of the passage is 41–43 dBW, then yes; if the yacht stays inside 46 dBW, the 64 cm model covers it and saves 88 kg.
Can the TV system work while the VSAT is busy?+−
Yes — they are separate paths. TVRO is receive-only on its own antenna and does not compete with the data terminal for bandwidth.
What happens to the picture when the antenna loses the satellite?+−
The receiver loses the transponder, and the distribution layer shows whatever it is configured to show. On the IPTV route the headend can hold other sources — CCTV, stored content — while the antenna reacquires.