Any experience with the IceZapper® dish heater?

**HammerHead001** · 12-04-2008 10:52 AM

I just put my ice zapper on last week. There was nothing to it - simple install. I spent $75 for mine. I got the one that is "always on" vs the thermostatically controlled option that was more expensive.

We have had 1 light snow and it worked fine. Beats loading my super soaker with hot water, standing on my deck and blasting the snow off!

I have heard of people putting PAM or other spray greases with some success.

**jjnemoiii** · 12-04-2008 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by NutFlush920

I too, just went outside to clean my dish. I have never had a problem in the past. What gives? All this talk about dish heaters jinxed me.

This is however, my first year with SWM LNB. Could that be a SWM drawback somehow?

NutFlush, Same for me. I think its the slimline dish. I had Dish Network for 10 years, no problem. I think the ice helped hold my snow on. a quick brush off with a broom and all was back to normal.

**Jimbo** · 12-04-2008 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by NutFlush920

I'll let them worry about the problem. DTV installed the SWM LNB Slimline for them in the same place the old dish was though.

I just don't understand why all these problems this year. Winter just started too. Neither of us have ever had these kind of problems until now. It is just odd to me.

I don't know how the weather is in OH is but, here in WI we got 5" of light fluffy snow today. Nothing major and nothing uncommon for WI winter. Last year was our worst winter since the 80's and I never lost signal, not even once.

The snow on my dish tonight was very little, just on the bottom of the dish and on the arm. The LNB was clear as could be. It blows my mind how that little bit would make this much fuss. My dish is peaked very high last time I checked right before winter (was being proactive).

Could it be that THIS year we are all watching from the 99 and 103 sats vs the 101, 110 and 119, different technology Mpeg4 vs Mpeg2 on the new sats, much smaller window, thus were being affected more this year ... ka vs ku ???

Jimbo

**Jimbo** · 12-04-2008 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by HammerHead001

I just put my ice zapper on last week. There was nothing to it - simple install. I spent $75 for mine. I got the one that is "always on" vs the thermostatically controlled option that was more expensive.

We have had 1 light snow and it worked fine. Beats loading my super soaker with hot water, standing on my deck and blasting the snow off!

I have heard of people putting PAM or other spray greases with some success.

Welcome to the site !

Are you using the Slimline and the Ice Zapper is the two strips on the back of the dish, right ?

Where did you order it from and how long did it take to get, I've been debating for awhile now.
Where are you at?

I tried Pam one year with NO success ... she refused to go out after the first time !

Jimbo

**jtwex** · 12-04-2008 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I tried Pam one year with NO success ... she refused to go out after the first time !
Jimbo

Good one Jim, she's just being difficult again.

The acclimation process is the most difficult time of the year for the dishes. As someone who has had their dish 40ft above the house attached to the chimney I can tell you that the first snow fall is the worst. The 99/103 window is indeed more susceptible to snow/rain fade; either use a dish heater or a spotlight adjacent to the dish (pug in as necessary). I find a nice silicone spray helps but since many others report no benefit I'd stick with a heater.

**mikegreen** · 12-04-2008 11:56 PM

So all last year - including the 13" of snow in March - I never had a problem with my dish... Today I get home after being gone 3 days and it is horrible... bad signals..
I am in Dayton.

Does anyone else think this is a satellite issue and not an individual dish issue? I looked at my dish and cannot see any ice or stuff on the LNBs - cant see the bottom 1/3rd of the dish, however.

**jtwex** · 12-05-2008 02:00 AM

Originally Posted by mikegreen

cant see the bottom 1/3rd of the dish, however.

**NutFlush920** · 12-05-2008 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Could it be that THIS year we are all watching from the 99 and 103 sats vs the 101, 110 and 119, different technology Mpeg4 vs Mpeg2 on the new sats, much smaller window, thus were being affected more this year ... ka vs ku ???

Jimbo

This is very possible. Now the question is, what is going to be done about it? This many people having this many problems. I don't think each individual person should be held responsible for their own fix just to enjoy the service. This is a wide spread issue that needs to be looked at closer by DirecTV I think. There are a lot of subscribers in "snow" climates that are going to be really upset about this issue that the MPEG4 channels go out much more easily. I am a die hard DirecTV fan and have had it for many many years but, this is not acceptable to me.

**Jimbo** · 12-05-2008 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by NutFlush920

This is very possible. Now the question is, what is going to be done about it? This many people having this many problems. I don't think each individual person should be held responsible for their own fix just to enjoy the service. This is a wide spread issue that needs to be looked at closer by DirecTV I think. There are a lot of subscribers in "snow" climates that are going to be really upset about this issue that the MPEG4 channels go out much more easily. I am a die hard DirecTV fan and have had it for many many years but, this is not acceptable to me.

Well, has anyone started a D* email campain to discuss this issue directly with the ones in the know at D* yet ?

Jimbo

**jtwex** · 12-05-2008 06:52 PM

Perhaps an email campaign will persuade them to mass produce some heaters that would otherwise be cost prohibitive. I will say that I always was surprised that I was reporting problems with snow fade (in Chicago) while others were saying, meh..maybe once a year. I had the AT9 from day one (three years ago?) and absolutely had snow fade issues; I attributed my problem to having a dish located high above the chimney where weather tended to affect it more. Maybe it just took time for everyone to climb aboard the Slimline series for complaints to pile up among the masses.

Just to clarify, the initial bad weather (i.e. the first time it snows & crosses the 32 degree threshold) tends to be the worst it gets. Maybe it's the metal on the dish acclimating to the temperature change, I don't really know.

I have found that silicone or (gasp Magic Dome) does help but others have said that hasn't helped.

Around the holidays I use a spotlight for our chimney wreath & a second spotlight (either regular or heat-lamp type) adjacent to the the Slimline. The heat from either type will melt any snow from within 3ft of the dish.

I will snap a picture of the setup when I get the wreath hung.

edit: it was actually purely by accident last year that I noticed the melted snow near the lights beam.