Learned something about satellite tv

[mikestock]

Learned something today that most of you in the North already knew and most of us in the deep South did not.

We had an unusual December 4 to 5 inch snow south of Birmingham during the night and most of the day.

We lost all of the HD channels on our DirecTV and eventually the SD channels, around noon. I knew it was overcast and the temp. was about 31, but not like weather when we usually lose service. I finally went outside and looked at my dish, on the roof. The circumference was coated with a snow buildup. Got my water hose, which was, thankfully, not frozen. Had enough pressure to reach up two floors and clear it off.

New experience.

Moved from FORUM TECHNICAL SUPPORT

[myredracer]

Where we are in Canada, the face of our dish is almost vertical so snow is never a problem.

I've been wondering though why a few times a year we lose the sat connection. Then reading up on sat forums ('cause am getting into FTA sat TV), I finally discovered that is called "rain fade" and is a common issue. And we sure get plenty of rain out on the west coast... 😞

Now, if I could just figure out how to get rid of OTA stations dropping out for hours at a time on some days. Maybe I need one of those 10' long yagi style antennas on a tall pole attached to the trailer. 🙂

[Bill_Satellite]

True, but the satellites orbit 22,236 miles above the Earth and it's that signal being broadcast from the satellite that must make it through those last few feet or inches. However, I am perfectly OK with the idea that it's nearly 50,000 miles. I actual mis-read your post when I responded. My bad! Sorry.

[GordonThree]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Make that 22,236 miles! You can also make that the last few centimeters as dew on your dome will also block that signal.

Signals have to make a round trip? Uplink from a satellite broadcast facility and downlink to cpe.

[Bill_Satellite]

Make that 22,236 miles! You can also make that the last few centimeters as dew on your dome will also block that signal.

[GordonThree]

It's kinda funny think about. The signal has traveled more than 50,000 miles to reach you, and the last few thousand feet make the biggest difference.

[ktmrfs]

sat frequencies are near what is used in your microwave oven. That is frequencies that cause a water molecule to resonate which equals friction which equal heat, which equals energy absorption.

So, basically anything with water in it will attenuate sat frequencies.

Heavy thunderstorms can have the same effect.

[Bill_Satellite]

Yep, what he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^!
Water blocks the signal, dew, trees leaves, branches was well as poles and bridges! Thin plastic bag is invisible to the satellite signal.

[joebedford]

Our second day ever in the RGV - December 2004. Note the pristine white cover on the satellite dish 🙂

Our stick house has no trees around it but for some reason the previous owner put the dish at the very peak of the roof. Maybe he thought putting it closer to the satellite would give better reception. I nearly killed myself climbing up there to brush it off. I immediately moved it down to the bottom where I can brush the snow with a broom.

[GordonThree]

mr. ed wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
Don't need to buy a heater. Get a heavy black trash bag, a big one, and cover the dish and lnbs with it. tape it really good around the shaft under the dish.

The looseness of the bag will keep most accumulation off, and the black color will self heat if the sun pokes out.

Can the signal get through the trash bag? I know from experience that just having tree leaves in the way will usually kill the signal.

Yes, no problem with the few mills of plastic. It's worked for me winter after winter.

Leaves have water, and branches, both of which kill the signal.

[mr__ed]

GordonThree wrote:
Don't need to buy a heater. Get a heavy black trash bag, a big one, and cover the dish and lnbs with it. tape it really good around the shaft under the dish.

The looseness of the bag will keep most accumulation off, and the black color will self heat if the sun pokes out.

Can the signal get through the trash bag? I know from experience that just having tree leaves in the way will usually kill the signal.

[mikestock]

cpaulsen wrote:
Spray it with windshield de-icer before it snows.

Have to tie off. Steep roof, 20' to the ground. Don't think so.

[3oaks]

chuckbear wrote:
Or do as we do and NEVER put ourselves and our dish anywhere that snow could possibly accumulate. Chuck

That's not for us. I would much rather plow snow and brush it off the dish than mow grass or eat dust. 😉

[Dutch_12078]

wa8yxm wrote:
Have known that since before Satallite TV was around.. Commercial Microwave towers (USed to toss TV from a studio in one city to a transmitter in another) all have heaters in them to melt the snow.

When we lived on a mountaintop in the Adirondacks, we had a 15' Hughes aimable C-band dish that used to collect a lot of snow. I programmed in a phantom satellite that would dump the dish almost completely over backwards when selected, usually getting rid of enough snow to get the signal back without me having to go out and clean it off. Now with these little KA/KU dishes, I just spray the face with dry silicone and snow usually just slides off.

[KrowNB]

GordonThree wrote:
Don't need to buy a heater. Get a heavy black trash bag, a big one, and cover the dish and lnbs with it. tape it really good around the shaft under the dish.

The looseness of the bag will keep most accumulation off, and the black color will self heat if the sun pokes out.

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