Signal loss due to snow on dish

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fredw

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Oct 26, 2006
18
0
Port Huron, MI
I have been with dish for over 15 years, i have had a dish 500 and a 1000+. I was swithched to a 1000.4 when i upgraded to a 722k. Now today it is snowing and have lost signal several times due to snow on the dish. with the previous dish antenna's i never lost signal due to snow, have had to clean 3 times so far. Have other people that have had this 1000.4 antenna experienced the same issue? Is there something i can do to prevent snow build up? Thanks for any help.
 
well i dont think there's a way to prevent snow to pile up on the dish, however you can give them a call and tell them that you constantly lose signal with snow, that is not normal, so they might suggest a tech visit to repeak dish, that should get your issue resolved.
 
Snow is going to block the signal no matter what satellites you're looking at.

There are two issues in play:

1. You're 1000.4 is pointing about 10 degrees more skyward than the 1000.
2. You're experiencing an uncharacteristically sloppy snow that is sticking to everything.
 
Didn't they move a Football game to Mon. night because of the amount of snow you have gotten? Could this storm system be causing different conditions than experienced before?
 
Relocate the dish to the ground and pay the neighbor kid $1 to wipe it off when hes out playing.

Issue resolved.

In all honesty, its gonna happen. This is the main reason I like putting the dish on the ground/pole mount. lol301, it is normal in our area.
 
I could have written this post. First big snow of the season and the first with a 1000.4. I can say it's not due to the snowfall but the snow on the dish because my reception resumed instantly when I cleared the snow off. (I could see the TV through the window from the deck.)

But, this is a very wet heavy snow and I also like the 10° more skyward answer. I think the combination of the two is the culprit.
 
Didn't they move a Football game to Mon. night because of the amount of snow you have gotten? Could this storm system be causing different conditions than experienced before?

They moved the football game to Monday because the metrodome collapsed (part of dome) from the snow so they couldn't play there today so the game was move to Detroit on Monday.
 
I put a plastic bag over mine and it kept the snow off until the wind destroyed the bag.
In my area a dish pointing at 110/119 is a catchers mitt for snow. A dish facing to 129 gets nothing. But a 33 Gallon Lawn & Leaf with cinch ties works great on a 500. The vertically oval shape in conjunction with the dark bag is great. It flaps in the wind shaking the snow off and the dark bag absorbs heat from the sun, aiding melting. Up until a couple of months ago I had a 1000.2 the oval is horizontal and thus no peak at the top and the bag would just fill with snow. DO NOT USE PAM or WD-40 or any other kind of spray other than one made for this. It will only gunk up the dish and make it easier of the snow to stick after the spray attracts dirt and bugs. But then there is this from SolidSignal:
Dome Magic Rain-Fade Protecting Spray for Satellite Domes (1830) - King Controls - 1830 - 660045018301. The title it says "dome" and "rain". But in the description is says any DTV or DISH dish for snow too. I haven't tried it yet, because we, in Denver, have yet to have any snow. May have to turn my sprinkling system back on and water if we don't soon. Plus, I'm back with the 500 dishes that I can bag.

Hope this helps.
 

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We have a hand duster we put on a long pole/dowel. We just wipe the snow if the picture starts to show the signs of snow build up.
 
I'm glad the "black garbage bag solution" worked for the members that mentioned it but it absolutely did not work for me. The snow partially melted and froze to the bag--bye, bye signal. Maybe a combination of wind/temperature/type of snow but I took my life in my hands on a very slippery roof last year to get the damned bag off the dish.:eek: Happened the 1st time we had any significant snow. Just my experience.....

Ed
 
I would think that up north you would want your dish on a pole on the ground ,so you could easily sweep the snow off as needed.

Absolutely, IF you can get LOS anywhere on the ground. My dishes were all ground-based 'til a couple of years ago when large trees made it impossible to get reliable signal during the summer.

Ed
 
No LOS on my lot unless the dish is on the roof. We got 16.6" of snow last Saturday, and my signal didn't go out at all. :D It was very cold here though, so I'm sure it didn't stick.

I haven't lost signal before even with a wet snow--until it starts to freeze on the dish. It melts off the next morning (every time so far), so I don't plan on venturing out on the roof!!
 
Absolutely, IF you can get LOS anywhere on the ground. My dishes were all ground-based 'til a couple of years ago when large trees made it impossible to get reliable signal during the summer.

Ed

So maybe 2 sets of Dishes with an A/B box? :D

You could have a ground/pole mount set for winter use, and a roof mount for summer. Then just select whichever set you need at the time. :D
 

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