DirecTV dish and snow?

[JB]

My DirecTV receiver is getting no signal. I looked at the dish and it is partially covered with snow.

It is still snowing, so before I get out a ladder and climb up there to clear it off I would like someone to tell me if the snow is the problem or if the receiver is down.

Thanks.

 

[slasmith1]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

$5 bet it is the snow.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

I gotta say JB that I've had snow and ice on my DTV dish many times over the years and it never lost signal because of it. But I guess it could happen under certain conditions..

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

Here in Canada we have Shaw Direct sattellite TV and have had problems when the snow is wet and sticky.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

I have directv and have had problems with snow, ice and heavy rain.
Usually not a complete loss of signal though, it will come and go and
look strange. Have had to knock snow off a few times but very heavy
rain seems to effect it more, it will completely lose signal until
rain lets up.

BE CAREFUL ON THAT LADDER IN THE SNOW!!!!

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

I used to work for DirecTV and it a depends on where on the dish the snow is sticking.
If it is on the upper half of the face of the dish then the signal is lost.
Usually a broom fixes that if you can reach it.

The LNBs or the eye looking things can also collect snow on the face of them.The round part facing the dish.

Freezing rain on the dish and usually it still works fine because the coating of ice is reflective and the signal still bounces off the dish and into the LNBs.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

Like others have said snow will cause a no signal. I have also seen were the lens on the signal pick up fogs up.

I don,t now if others have seen this before but when it snows really hard with big flakes you can see the blips on your tv screen from the snow.

 

[Tubingluvr]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

I was told by my installer of my dish to coat the dish with rain-x to prevent snow build up.
So far so good.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

I bet it is the snow as well.

That RainX is a pretty good idea. But, we don't have snow problems in South GA...

 

[JB]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

Okay. I got the ladder out and climbed up with a broom.

DANG! it was cold up there and the ladder steps were slicker than snake snot, but I brushed it all off and came back down muttering oaths about what I would do if that didn't help.

Got signal. Thanks, gentlemen.

 

[Don S]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

Can we assume that you will be moving the dish to a more accessible position when the weather gets better?

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

Glad you survived.
My dish is on a pole 3' off the ground.

The things we will do just to watch television.

I would have done the same thing. And hopefully
lived to tell about it just like you.

JB, after getting to know you here, I would have
thought you'd just say the hell with it, I'll just go
read a book.

 

[JustJason]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

DANG! it was cold up there

I don't want to hear about it!!!

This afternoon it was about 7 degrees and the wind was whipping 50 to 60 MPH. Puts the wind chill at around -23F

 

[bruceb58]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

You may want to check the pointing of your dish just to make sure it has max signal so it can tolerate a little more snow on it.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

What the well-dressed satellite dish is wearing this season....


http://www.wedgiecovers.com/products.htm

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

What the well-dressed satellite dish is wearing this season....


http://www.wedgiecovers.com/products.htm

Those do work to some degree but they collect snow too.
They also degrade the signal to some extent.

If you check signal strength with the on screen menu all transponders should be in the 90's. If not the dish needs adjusted.
Signals below 90 will have rain fade much faster.

Most of the time it comes down to the tech that installed the dish and what meter he used to align it.
The cheap meters are so-so while the one like i have that was 600 bucks i can really dial one in.

Remember this is a line of sight signal so a heavy thunderstorm or snow even miles away can effect signal strength.

GLAD YOU GOT TV JB!

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

Those do work to some degree but they collect snow too.
They also degrade the signal to some extent.

OK, far be it from me to argue with anyone from the snowbelt....

I can only speak from my experience; I used to have 5-6 outages per year at the cottage due to snow.
Signal strength runs ~ 95%.
Since I added a cover I have not had a single loss of signal.

 

[rbh]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

You could always try a little leanto roof over it, nothing big, but will keep all but the blowing snow off, just make sure it has the same angle or more as the dish.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

OK, far be it from me to argue with anyone from the snowbelt....

I can only speak from my experience; I used to have 5-6 outages per year at the cottage due to snow.
Signal strength runs ~ 95%.
Since I added a cover I have not had a single loss of signal.

That is great!

We see very few of those covers in this area.
I know when i went through Tech training for DirecTV they told us to remove those covers when doing a service call and tell the customer they are not needed...

See,now i have proof they work better that DTV told us..

 

[joed]

Re: DirecTV dish and snow?

Trick I read about but have never tried.
Fill a super soaker with windshield washer fluid. Squirt dish from ground level. You could even heat the fluid a bit first.