Forum Discussion

mikestock's avatar
mikestock
Explorer
Mar 11, 2016

Is DirecTV stronger in the East than in the West?

In January we took a trip from Birmingham, AL to Phoenix, AZ and returned. I noticed that the further west we traveled, the lower our signal strength. Part of the time we were only using SD via the King Dome and part of the time I was using a Slimline3 SWM setup on a tripod. I always set the tilt based on my location. I began the trip at around 33.5° latitude and ended up in Phoenix at about the same. 33.5° was about the highest latitude at which we set up during the trip. I know, to expect the signal to degrade as I move north but not east to west.

I expected that through Texas I would have experienced a near 100% on the 101 but every move west I saw reduction. In Phoenix, where I set up the Slimline 3 my signal on the 101, 99 and 103 with a perfectly blue sky were well below what I normally get around Birmingham. It wasn't a big deal because I never lost any programming.

It is, just a curiosity to me. Is DirecTV intentionally sending a stronger signal east of the Mississippi than west.
  • 2oldman wrote:
    I have noticed nothing like that. I don't recall ever seeing anything over 95%.


    I am sitting and looking at my 101 signals being received by the small, King Dome dish. I get 100% on transponders 18 and 28 nd also get 97% on several others.
  • mikestock wrote:
    2oldman wrote:
    I have noticed nothing like that. I don't recall ever seeing anything over 95%.
    I am sitting and looking at my 101 signals being received by the small, King Dome dish. I get 100% on transponders 18 and 28 nd also get 97% on several others.
    Sorry.. I'm talking about the horizontal strength bar on the next page in the DTV setup.. I think it's the signal strength screen (or maybe signal meters).

    I just get over 90% on that screen, check the other two sats, and I'm done. This is a Slimline dish.
  • Sorry.. I'm talking about the horizontal strength bar on the next page in the DTV setup.. I think it's the signal strength screen (or maybe signal meters).


    That is good for searching by relative strength but only gives the signal strength on the Transponder 1.

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