Does relatively small change in the angle of satelte dish affect snow collection

[dwarren2]

Here in WNY, the angle of my earc dish is so steep it rarely accumulates and snow. The only time I have lost signal is if it's a heavy wet snow. I don't think I've ever lost signal for much more than a hour. My dish is on the edge of the roof, 2 stories up, so I can't reach it.
If your dish is low enough, people have suggested using a super soaker water gun filled with hot water to melt the snow.

 

[david_jr]

I wish you good luck with the garbage bag. I tried this several years ago at the suggestion of others here and experienced NO difference in signal levels either......until the first snow of the season! It was just a light but somewhat wet snow which immediately stuck to the plastic and I lost all 3 satellites. Almost broke my neck getting the damned thing off the roof mounted dish.
For the last 3 years I've had 3 small Katz stick-on heaters on the back of the dish--one in the center and one on each side of the bottom. These heaters are made to stick to engine blocks and are available through Amazon. My dish is mounted on the roof of my garage area (attached) and I simply plug in an extension cord running from the dish to an outlet in the garage when it's snowing or snow is forecast. Works great!
Others have reported good results with the bag fix but it sure didn't work for me.

Ed

Is it this one? You use 3 of these and how long do you leave them on? Are they a fire hazard. Would have to run electric to the roof somehow, but it looks like a good solution.

 

[stardust3]

I wish you good luck with the garbage bag. I tried this several years ago at the suggestion of others here and experienced NO difference in signal levels either......until the first snow of the season! It was just a light but somewhat wet snow which immediately stuck to the plastic and I lost all 3 satellites. Almost broke my neck getting the damned thing off the roof mounted dish.
For the last 3 years I've had 3 small Katz stick-on heaters on the back of the dish--one in the center and one on each side of the bottom. These heaters are made to stick to engine blocks and are available through Amazon. My dish is mounted on the roof of my garage area (attached) and I simply plug in an extension cord running from the dish to an outlet in the garage when it's snowing or snow is forecast. Works great!
Others have reported good results with the bag fix but it sure didn't work for me.

Ed

I was kind of wondering about how well the trash bag would work. With my dish being so easy to get to. My best bet is to make sure the wife bundles up & send her out with a pot of warm water.

 

[navychop]

Is it this one? You use 3 of these and how long do you leave them on? Are they a fire hazard. Would have to run electric to the roof somehow, but it looks like a good solution.

I think 2 or 3 of this one is more popular. You can add a separate temperature switch. Or get an all-in-one like this one or this one.

Just be aware that this one does NOT work well with Dish/Echostar dishes.

You do, of course, have a handy outlet near the dish right?

 

[old corps]

Is it this one? You use 3 of these and how long do you leave them on? Are they a fire hazard. Would have to run electric to the roof somehow, but it looks like a good solution.

Yes! I'm using that one in the center and two of these http://www.amazon.com/Kats-24025-Wa...?ie=UTF8&qid=1391123370&sr=8-126&keywords=Hot Pad Heater&tag=5336121817-20 ---one on each side along the bottom edge.

S/F to your Marine!

Ed

Holy crap, those smaller ones were NO WAY that much $$$ when I bought them--Something like $20 @ piece!!!

 

[old corps]

Yes! I'm using that one in the center and two of these http://www.amazon.com/Kats-24025-Wa...?ie=UTF8&qid=1391123370&sr=8-126&keywords=Hot Pad Heater&tag=5336121817-20 ---one on each side along the bottom edge.

S/F to your Marine!

Ed

Holy crap, those smaller ones were NO WAY that much $$$ when I bought them--Something like $20 @ piece!!!

As I can easily plug in the extension cord I plug them in when it's snowing or snow is forecast. Lately they've been on for days @ a time. I use a 3 outlet extension cord purchased from Harbor Freight and the whole bundle is wrapped numerous times with Press'n Seal and packing tape. Haven't caused a fire yet!

 

[navychop]

Yep, price seems out of line for the single small ones. But the double small with temp sense or switch seem reasonable.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[old corps]

Yep, price seems out of line for the single small ones. But the double small with temp sense or switch seem reasonable.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

+1!

Yeah, if those smaller ones had been priced anywhere close to what they're listed for now I would have just bought one of the normal dish heaters!

Ed

 

[shodobe]

Awile back I bought a spray on application for my dish that applies a Teflon coating to the dish and doesn't allow snow to stick. Now, after saying that we have had little snow here, NorCal, so I'm not sure if it will work. I have tried the Pam technique and it works somewhat but not all the time. The item I bought was at Home Depot for about $18 can't hurt.

 

[old corps]

I also tried a heavy application of RainX that's made for auto windshields. Guess it helped, don't really know because I installed the heaters at the same time.....

Ed

 

[navychop]

I also tried a heavy application of RainX that's made for auto windshields. Guess it helped, don't really know because I installed the heaters at the same time.....

Ed

Yep, a real belt AND suspenders kinda guy. Just like me. And some guy named Bob....

 

[TheKrell]

Well... I've always used a belt to keep my pants from dropping down to my ankles when I exhale. But suspenders?