Community Forums

Sky_Boss · 08-21-2015, 11:31 AM

I hope I won't end up sounding like a shill for RF Mogul...but...

As of last night my RF Mogul dish configured for DirecTV is now INOPERATIVE. This MIGHT apply to MOTO SAT HD dishes also but I don't know that for a fact.

RF Mogul engineers started RFM but inherited legacy designs from Moto Sat. The problem has been that much of the hardware and all of the software came out of Korea and that has caused major headaches for changes and upgrades.

The most recent RFM dishes included a vGPS that was able to locate one of many satellites and then use it to put the dish in the proper alignment for the LNB to do all of the final tuning.

As of some time yesterday sat 119W, Transponder 21 was changed or discontinued and that has rendered RFM's vGPS unusable. The system will point in the general direction of the proper satellites but goes through an endless loop of peaking and tweaking but never hands off final alignment chores to the LNB.

After talking to RFM folks they have said this could also affect DISH TV but there is a way to manually peak and aim DISH but not for DirecTV. They also said they have little to no hope for the Korean company to provide a software fix so...

RFM is selling all the hardware needed to upgrade current RFM HD systems to the Eagle 2 (DirecTV) system. The new system is American made and directly under the control of RFM. One nice feature is that it includes a true GPS for quicker acquisition.

Upgrade cost is $1000 plus shipping.

Information on Eagle system. The Eagle 2 is for DirecTV.

They can be reached at INFO@RFMOGUL.COM

toddb · 08-22-2015, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

I hope I won't end up sounding like a shill for RF Mogul...but...

As of last night my RF Mogul dish configured for DirecTV is now INOPERATIVE. This MIGHT apply to MOTO SAT HD dishes also but I don't know that for a fact.

RF Mogul engineers started RFM but inherited legacy designs from Moto Sat. The problem has been that much of the hardware and all of the software came out of Korea and that has caused major headaches for changes and upgrades.

The most recent RFM dishes included a vGPS that was able to locate one of many satellites and then use it to put the dish in the proper alignment for the LNB to do all of the final tuning.

As of some time yesterday sat 119W, Transponder 21 was changed or discontinued and that has rendered RFM's vGPS unusable. The system will point in the general direction of the proper satellites but goes through an endless loop of peaking and tweaking but never hands off final alignment chores to the LNB.

After talking to RFM folks they have said this could also affect DISH TV but there is a way to manually peak and aim DISH but not for DirecTV. They also said they have little to no hope for the Korean company to provide a software fix so...

RFM is selling all the hardware needed to upgrade current RFM HD systems to the Eagle 2 (DirecTV) system. The new system is American made and directly under the control of RFM. One nice feature is that it includes a true GPS for quicker acquisition.

Upgrade cost is $1000 plus shipping.

Information on Eagle system. The Eagle 2 is for DirecTV.

They can be reached at INFO@RFMOGUL.COM

Craaaaaap.
Discoved this exact problem Friday night. Have an approx 4 year old RFM1000 unit. Had not used the system for the previous week. Sent e-mail into RFMogul late yesterday but had not heard back yet, asking about the problem and upgrade path. From previous discussion with them when I upgraded to v1.59 of firmware, they noted that some of the old system (dish and LNB arm) can be re-used, but it needed a new mount, new controller and new landing place for the LNB arm.

Will look into the upgrade. Wife is getting cranky missing HD TV and I'm missing Formula 1 racing this weekend

Sky_Boss · 08-22-2015, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddb

...Will look into the upgrade. Wife is getting cranky missing HD TV and I'm missing Formula 1 racing this weekend

I was investigating this upgrade before this problem. My only concern is the distance from the motor to the top of the dish after it is folded down. My current dish has a few inches of clearance from an AC shroud so I need to measure the clearance and compare it to the new specifications. With a little luck I will only need to add/change to the newer touch down plate.

The other thing will be installing the GPS. From what I was told new installation install the GPS on the back of the dish but upgrades they tend to install it inside the coach if it has a fiberglass roof. That does require another wire but keeps the GPS out of the elements. I don't know...I will have to see if I it as easy as they say. LOL

I'm attaching the installation instructions.

two-niner · 08-24-2015, 12:40 PM

I also found out the hard way. First let me say the rf mogul worked perfectly everytime, and we have been in some deep canyons in the west.
Second, somewhere (maybe at one of the many rallys) someone could replace/install the latest system for DirectTV at a price that makes the upgrade look super expensive.
It makes one ponder which way to go?

Sky_Boss · 08-24-2015, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by two-niner

I also found out the hard way. First let me say the rf mogul worked perfectly everytime, and we have been in some deep canyons in the west.
Second, somewhere (maybe at one of the many rallys) someone could replace/install the latest system for DirectTV at a price that makes the upgrade look super expensive.
It makes one ponder which way to go?

To the best of my knowledge...

This upgrade is a combination roof top hardware and a new controller. You use your current base plate and the dish itself. You will need to remove the dish motor assembly from the base plate because it is replaced as is the LNB arm. You will also get a new roof top box to connect dish wires to the coax going into the coach.

The part I am foggy about is the GPS installation. It can be mounted on the dish or in the coach but I think that requires another wire through the roof weather plate.

I know you will get a new power supply to the controller box but the connector remains the same so no change there. I don't remember exactly but I THINK you get a new power injector also. Ir so, it has all the same connections.

I talked with RFM folk today and they expect to ship out 5 units this week. It sounds like they have about 10 orders already.

Take that all for what it is worth.

two-niner · 08-24-2015, 02:48 PM

Not sure about their ability to converse in an honest manner.

Still waiting on their email to arrive with the "price list" etc,.

PT BARNUM comes to mind.....

two-niner · 08-25-2015, 10:25 AM

So far today the only person I could talk with (phone) was tech support. He assured me it woul take less than an hour to upgrade?

Next part is to get in touch with Jim P. the salesperson. Called (801)895-3308, left message, so far nothing. Hopefully I, the individual, will be able to purchase the upgrade and have it sent to Austin, TX. The regular seller/installer are individual contractors and have no legal bond to RF Mogul, but are the preferred buyer(s). They go to the front of the line.

two-niner · 08-25-2015, 10:36 AM

Forgot to add: SKY BOSS, do you have a better phone number for purchasing the upgrade? Or does anybody have a good #.

ernieh · 08-25-2015, 11:28 AM

Interesting, especially for those who were encouraged (on this forum and others as well) to choose the RFM over the Winegard Travler.

docj · 08-25-2015, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernieh

Interesting, especially for those who were encouraged (on this forum and others as well) to choose the RFM over the Winegard Travler.

I personally received quite a bit of static for saying that I was reluctant to put that much money into a product being sold by a startup even though the people involved had terrific credentials.

It does sound as if the "Eagle" system is a significant improvement over the first-generation RFM system, but IMHO it is poor form to leave those early customers with no alternative other than a ~$1k upgrade (plus installation).

Sky_Boss · 08-25-2015, 12:58 PM

I don't think any previous comments were directed at me but just for clarification...

I don't think I advocated one over the other. I've only said that I was happy with my RFM. I'm certain that I would be happy with the Trav'ler if I had that.

I chose RFM because at the time it was the lowest cost option for a dish with SWM for my DirecTV/Genie system that was being installed with it. That choice may have been in part because I was happy with the Moto Sat I had but couldn't convert from Dish to DirecTV. I admit I wasn't savvy to the fact parts and software, in large part, were under the control of a Korean company that didn't want to stay in the SAT TV business. OK...Now I know. LOL

From a purely cost basis it is cheaper for me to go with the RFM upgrade at $1,000 compared to approximately $1,500 (plus any odds and ends) for the Winegard. I don't think that reasoning is too crazy. With the upgrade I can do all the work myself and the only real modification is a longer landing plate.

From a technical standpoint prior to loss of Sat 119, transponder 21 signal, the system worked great. I did have one problem this summer when a thin coax went bad but that happens. The fact that RFM has re-engineered their line and gotten complete control of both hardware and software is comforting to a great degree. If that was not the case I would have seriously considered the Trav'ler.

Am I a dope for letting a "start up" company soak $1,000 out of me? Maybe.

Anyway, the point of my topic wasn't to compare RFM to anyone but just put out information on what I have learned.

two-niner · 08-25-2015, 01:42 PM

SKY BOSS: I went with the MotoSat reasoning also. Don't believe any comments were aimed at you.

Jim still elusive at RFM.

docj · 08-25-2015, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

I don't think any previous comments were directed at me but just for clarification...

Nothing was directed at you; in fact, I think the strongest comments I received were from someone on an entirely different forum. At the time there were a lot of people strongly supporting RFM some of whom had known the key personnel in their prior lives at MotoSAT (I presume).

At the time I wasn't throwing stones at RFM, I was just making an observation that there were risks associated with buying a first-generation product from what was essentially a startup company. I wasn't wishing bad luck on anyone, just raising concerns that there were risks and whether or not the company could weather them would be an issue.

There's probably no way that RFM could have known that they would eventually lose that transponder signal so the issue doesn't seem as if it's related to their design. The only real issue is their inability to create a work-around for their hardware and their unwillingness (or inability) to make the upgrade less costly for their customers. Not to say that Winegard would have acted any differently.

toddb · 08-26-2015, 10:58 AM

RFM has been a good system for us for almost 4 years. They don't control what happens to the satellites! Like Sky Boss, cheaper to upgrade existing RFM system than to go with Winegard system.

I did talk to Jim at RFM, he said phones were pretty busy, offered to put me in line for a kit. I ended up working thru Innovative Coach in Junction City Oregon 541-998-1504 to order my upgrade kit as they had a few on order from RFM, should be in later this week. Getting it in OR keeps me from paying the great(?) state of AZ sales tax and I get it fixed sooner.

Todd
PS need to update sig...49K miles on the Ellipse now....