Antenna and satcom installation and removal
NAVION installs, aligns, commissions and removes marine satellite antennas on vessels calling at ports in Busan, Vladivostok and China: VSAT domes in Ku and Ka-band, Inmarsat FBB and Iridium terminals. Work covers the whole chain, from the line-of-sight survey and pedestal mounting through cable runs, deck penetrations and grounding, to commissioning with your airtime provider. It is planned around the port-call window so the vessel sails on schedule.
Message us on TelegramSatellite antenna work on a vessel alongside is decided before anyone goes aloft. We start with a line-of-sight and blockage survey: walking the monkey island, mast platforms and funnel deck, plotting obstructions by azimuth and elevation, and checking what crane booms, kingposts and the radar scanner do to the beam in service. That survey fixes where the dome lands, how long the cable run is, and whether the job fits the port call. We do this across Busan, in Gamcheon fishing port, the Yeongdo repair yards and Busan New Port.
What the job includes
- Line-of-sight and blockage survey
- VSAT dome installation, Ku and Ka-band
- Inmarsat FBB and Iridium terminal fitting
- Mast and monkey-island mounting
- Deck and bulkhead penetrations
- Grounding, bonding and surge protection
- Azimuth, elevation and skew alignment
- Commissioning with the airtime provider
- Blockage zones and radiation-hazard setup
- Antenna removal and dismounting
Timing
- Line-of-sight and blockage survey
- typically 2-4 hours
- Inmarsat FBB or Iridium terminal fit
- typically 1 day alongside
- VSAT dome installation
- typically 1-2 days alongside
- Commissioning with the provider
- typically 2-4 hours
- Antenna removal, blanking and crating
- typically 4-8 hours
What we need from the vessel
- Access to the mast or monkey island, and a working-aloft permit where the vessel's system requires one. We stop work aloft in strong wind or heavy rain.
- Vessel power for the above- and below-deck units during commissioning, and agreement on putting the radar to standby while people are working near the dome.
- A heading source at the antenna control unit: gyro NMEA HDT or a satellite compass output.
- Airtime provider details: the account, the terminal activation contact and a network operations centre line for the commissioning window. We cannot transmit without them.
- An engineer or electrician who can show us cable routes, spare penetrations and the ship's earth points.
- Vessel and yard permission for hot work if a pedestal or platform has to be welded.
Documents issued
- Installation report: antenna position, pedestal detail and the cable route as fitted
- Blockage map with the TX-mute sectors as programmed
- Alignment and commissioning record: bow offset, skew, RX level, Eb/N0 and the cross-pol result confirmed with the provider
- Cable schedule with connector types, measured run lengths and penetration positions
- Removal record: what was dismounted, how penetrations were sealed, condition of the unit at hand-over
Frequently asked
Can a VSAT dome be installed while the vessel is working cargo?
Often yes, but not in every position. Work aloft has to be coordinated with crane movements, and the transmitter stays off until the deck around the antenna is clear, so we plan the aloft phase for a window when the gear near that mast is idle. Wind and heavy rain stop work aloft regardless of the schedule.
Do you supply the airtime contract?
No. We install, align and commission the hardware against whatever provider you already use. For the commissioning window we need the account details and a contact at the provider's network operations centre, because cross-pol and carrier line-up cannot be completed without them on the line.
Related services
Onboard IP networks and CCTV
Structured cabling, PoE switching, VLAN separation of navigation and crew traffic, accommodation Wi-Fi, IP cameras recording to an onboard NVR.
Read moreGMDSS and radio equipment
Annual GMDSS testing (areas A1–A4), radio survey preparation, DSC and Inmarsat service, EPIRB and SART checks, shore maintenance agreement, class documentation.
Read moreCustom brackets and mounts
Non-standard mounts measured on board, fabricated in Busan, fitted before you sail: transducer fairings, sensor cages, mast and console brackets.
Read moreSend us the antenna model and your Busan ETA
Photos of the mast and the terminal type are usually enough to plan the fit. Write to [email protected] or message us on Telegram and we will confirm what the port call allows.