Our Hatt 58 had the M7 when we bought her a year and a half ago. We had many frustrating challenges with DTV and switched to DISH, which has been a huge improvement. it is important to know when your M7 was made. The pre-2009 units are not upgradeable to the RF7 board. Ours was made circa 2011 so we upgraded to RF7 and get all 3 DISH satellites and pretty much everything we watch in HD. Also installed 2 Terabyte HDD on back of DISH receiver and get good DVR. Love fast forwarding through commercials.
Here is KVH Tech bulletin last year. If you check your serial # against these you can find out if you already have Rf7, or if you can upgrade:
Date: February 4, 2016
Subject: DISH Network Satellites Changing to 8PSK Modulation
Products Affected TracVision® C3, 4, 6, G4, G6, G8, M1DX, M3DX, M5, M7, and M9
Problem Description DISH Network® is in the process of converting most of its satellite signals from QPSK modulation to a more efficient 8PSK format. This upgrade will allow DISH Network to provide additional content and more highdefinition programming, improving the customer experience. However, like many other technological advances today, the new format is not backward compatible with older receiver or antenna equipment. Therefore, some older TracVision antenna models may need to be upgraded or replaced to continue receiving the full line-up of DISH Network’s programming.
IMPORTANT! KVH’s latest generation of TracVision products (HD11, TV1, TV3, TV5, TV6, and TV8) are fully compatible with 8PSK format. TracVision M5, M7, and M9 Systems Built After 2008 These antennas must have an RF7 board installed to decode 8PSK signals. Customers who have an antenna equipped with an RF7 board will just need to update its tracking parameters whenever DISH Network makes a change. KVH started building antennas with the RF7 board in October 2013. However, M5, M7, and M9 antennas built from January 2009 through October 2013 can be upgraded in the field (see upgrade kits below) if the customer chooses to continue receiving DISH Network programming. Switching to DIRECTV service is another option. TracVision Model RF7 Installed at Factory Serial Numbers Suitable for RF7 Upgrade Serial Numbers RF7 Board Upgrade Kit Part No. M5 131000890 and later 0901xxxx – 131000889 72-0599-02 M7 131000307 and later 0901xxxx – 131000306 72-0599-03 M9 131000141 and later 0901xxxx – 131000140 72-0599-01
TracVision M5, M7, and M9 Systems Built Before 2009 Antennas built prior to 2009 (serial numbers earlier than 090100001) cannot decode 8PSK signals and cannot be upgraded with an RF7 board. Therefore, they will not be able to track DISH Network’s 61.5°W or 129°W satellites when DISH Network upgrades to 8PSK. However, they may still track 110°W and 119°W on alternate transponders (refer to Technical Bulletin 15_T_MAR_LND_3, dated December 11, 2015, for details). To receive programming on DISH Network’s 61.5°W or 129°W satellite, customers may choose to replace their older antenna with a new model that can decode 8PSK signals. KVH is currently running a cash back promotion for TracVision customers who upgrade to a new TV3 or TV5 system. Please see the KVH Partner Portal for details (under Sales Support > Promotions and Offers). Switching to DIRECTV service is another option.
