SAT-ELITE has successfully completed an intensive overnight repair and recovery operation involving a dual SAILOR XTR800 VSAT antenna system onboard a commercial vessel in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
The vessel had experienced major VSAT system issues, leaving both antennas offline and affecting onboard internet connectivity relied upon by the crew for daily communications and welfare services.
Working against the clock, the SAT-ELITE engineering team boarded the vessel late evening and worked continuously from 9PM through to 6AM to diagnose, repair, calibrate, and restore both VSAT systems back to full operational status.
After travelling internationally from Spain to Brazil and then onward to Rio Grande, the SAT-ELITE engineer entered the vessel during the evening and immediately began troubleshooting operations.
The project required:
- Fast fault diagnosis
- Real-time engineering decisions
- Coordination with remote technical teams
- Continuous communication with vessel crew
- Overnight repair work while the vessel remained operational
Despite the tight timeframe and challenging working conditions, the system was fully restored before departure.
Upon inspection, multiple faults and installation issues were identified across both SAILOR XTR800 antenna systems, including:
- ACUs stuck in SAFE MODE with multiple active alarms
- Incorrectly reinstalled components from previous troubleshooting attempts
- Motor, belt, GNSS, and azimuth calibration faults
- Poor cable management and damaged connectors inside the rack
- Incorrect orientation of the AZ zero reference sensor on the secondary antenna
The vessel’s VSAT system had lost operational stability, with both antennas offline and unable to achieve reliable RX/TX lock.
Repair & Calibration Process
SAT-ELITE carried out a full mechanical and software recovery process on both antenna systems.
Work completed included:
- Re-alignment of EL and XEL motor pulleys
- Belt tension adjustments and securing procedures
- Full ZRM calibration of EL and XEL axis
- Azimuth recalibration on both antennas
- Cable calibration and signal optimisation
- Replacement of faulty azimuth motor components
- Identification and correction of incorrectly mounted reference sensor
- Restoration of RX, TX and ONLINE modem status on both systems
During final testing, an additional network issue was discovered involving a damaged RJ45 connector feeding the MASTER ACU. This was identified and corrected immediately, bringing both systems fully back online.
Teamwork & Communication Were Critical
Projects like this are never completed alone.
Strong communication between SAT-ELITE engineers, remote technical support teams, onboard crew, and operational contacts ensured the repair process moved quickly and efficiently throughout the night.
The ability to troubleshoot under pressure, adapt in real time, and maintain clear communication was essential to delivering a successful outcome within the vessel’s limited port window.
By the end of the overnight operation:
- Both SAILOR XTR800 antennas were fully operational
- RX and TX lock successfully restored on both systems
- Crew internet connectivity returned to normal
- System performance validated and confirmed operational before departure
The vessel departed port with stable and operational VSAT connectivity once again. Finally finished at 6AM, job well done!