Satellite TV service in Alaska?

[MamaGoose]

We were discussing satellite TV service for our RV, and during the discussion, the installer said that we would not be able to get any satellite TV reception in Alaska. This is the first time we had heard such a thing.

Can anyone verify this? We were considering Dish or Direct TV.

[gatorcq]

Dish network, traveled AK in 2014. Winegard SK Traveler on Roof. We changed service address to get locals. Worked just about everywhere we went.

[Popsie]

MamaGoose wrote:

Popsie wrote:
In Alaska and Hawaii, 7 foot dishes are used to get good signals.

That probably wouldn't mount too well on the roof of the RV, lol!

Agreed, but it will mount on a tripod. I think that stowing the large dish might be a little more challenging :B

[Ivylog]

You need a larger dish to get a usable signal... not 7' but something in the 39" range. Since you are in CA, you may be able to find one fairly cheap.
I converter my obsolete Hughes Sat internet dish to a Direct TV dish by putting a SL3 lnb on it. Even with a large enough dish, the problem in AK is you often have a hill that blocks the view of the sat that is very low on the horizon.
You might be able to use a Direct slimline dish that you increase the focal length so you use all of the dish's signal into a SL3 lnb. if you are going to be in AK for several months then I'd start with a dish like this, but with a SL3 lnb on it. I use this size dish in N GA so I do not get rain fade.

[MamaGoose]

Popsie wrote:
In Alaska and Hawaii, 7 foot dishes are used to get good signals.

That probably wouldn't mount too well on the roof of the RV, lol!

[Popsie]

In Alaska and Hawaii, 7 foot dishes are used to get good signals.

[dahkota]

When we were in Alaska this summer, we lost reception somewhere around Smithers. We were using a road trip mission, which is small and doesn't move downward much. Another RVer, with a Travler, managed to get some satellites (though not all) around Whitehorse. The problem is trees and mountains in the way combined with the angle your dish can achieve. Most of the dishes we saw in Alaska were large and pointed almost down at the ground.

[jerseyjim]

These satellites are located just about at the equator. That's why you must aim the dish in a "southerly direction". The further north one goes, the lower the dish has to be aimed. VERY far north, you might not be able to aim the dish at all. g'luck!

[MamaGoose]

OK, thanks! Good to know.

[tonymull]

He's right. The satellites are too close to the horizon. Anywhere north of Kamloops it starts to be a problem. You'll get a picture sometimes, but it won't be consistently clear. Much better in winter though 😉

[Trackrig]

Some places it's hard to get. Most of the places in the US, you generally point the dish in an upward direction. The satellites are more or less over the center or lower US so to get them from up here, your dish has to point down low to the south. This allows the trees and mountains to interfere a lot more with the reception. So yes, you'll get reception in Alaska, it just isn't going to be as easy as in the States.

Bill