losing prime time TV in Alaska

[running wolf]

Since about 4-6 weeks people with older equipment are losing more than 80% of the channels at around 6.30pm only to get them back around 10.30pm. This is happening almost every night, calls to dish network were more than frustrating, mysterious clouds etc should be the culprits.
The only thing these people have in common is the older equipment, ours was set up in 2000 or 2001.
I do have a suspicion it might be a bandwidth problem. We do not know -but will find out- how widespread this problem is, we live some 52 mi below the Arctic Circle around the village of Central. I was the last one to lose the signal since I live higher on a south facing slope. People with a larger dish and/or newer equipment are not affected.
We would be extremely grateful for any enlightenment and/or help.
Thanks for your time

Kristine Running Wolf

 

[Van]

We havent heard of it here but after looking at your location on google earth I have to say you do live out in the boon docks.

Welcome to the site and please feel free to take a look around at all the sections, we do have a fair amount of members who also live in Alaska and Im sure they will chime in shortly.

The older equipment may be a culprit but let me ask you what size dish do you and the others have for your service? Are you using a single dish or multiple dishes to get 110 and 119 satellites? Most of the threads about dish service in Alaska are using 3ft or larger to get these signals.

 

[running wolf]

thanks for your reply, the people affected all have 2' dishes, the small one's. The problems started when dish network began to upgrade to HDTV. The folks with the larger dishes don't have the problems. That is why we think it's a bandwith problem, with the small dishes we are the bottom feeders.

 

[running wolf]

I forgot, we only have one dish.
BTW, thanks for your nice welcome words.

 

[dfergie]

I'd like to welcome you to SatelliteGuys also Kristine...

 

[vegassatellite]

The smaller dish is going to have less signal gain than a larger dish. In places like Alaska this can be a big deal since you are further from the equator which makes your distance to the satellite much further and through much more atmosphere, both of which will reduce your signal. As for the specific times it is occurring, I don't know if that is the result of changes to atmospheric density from temperature changes. I know that Alaska has some weird day/night cycles as you get closer to the poles and so I don't know if it could be perhaps that time frame being a temperature extreme or not. A big change in atmospheric density could be the culprit if it is causing more signal to be lost.

 

[Chena]

Since about 4-6 weeks people with older equipment are losing more than 80% of the channels at around 6.30pm only to get them back around 10.30pm.
We would be extremely grateful for any enlightenment and/or help.

Sorry to hear about you losing your signal. I have larger dishes and have had no problems, and haven't heard of anyone having issues (Fairbanks). Have you tried calling any of the "local" dealers and asking them instead of the dish csr's? There are a few in Fairbanks, and Lou's in North Pole (488-3628).

Maybe you will get more replies and ideas here tomorrow.

 

[running wolf]

Thanks for your replies, I contacted a dealer in Fairbanks, he thought that was mighty bizarre and he will look into that. And temperature wise, -we have 15below right now at my place in the hills and some 30below down in the village-, usually during winter we NEVER lose the signal, the colder it gets the higher the number. In summer we lose the signal due to rain clouds.
We know we have to upgrade sooner or later, but for now we really would like to learn what's causing the problem, since it's nothing on our end.

 

[skottey]

Just curious, is Running Wolf really your last name or just a screen name?

 

[running wolf]

both.......
Truth?
it's a given name - I lived for two years with Alaskan Natives- and sells better when you are white and from Germany and want to sell Alaskan arts and crafts..........

BTW, I called Fairbanks dealer and am thinking about directv instead of dishnetwork.
I am reading those opinions here in the directv section, nothing seems perfect, I know, but to shell out for the dishnetwork upgrade (expensive) makes directv look like the better deal.

 

[Mr Tony]

Fairbanks locals are on 110W whereas Anchorage is on 119W

bandwidth isnt the issue. The bigger the dish, the more area the signal can collect. Being that far north the smaller dishes can really hurt signal.

Is it possible to check signal strength? Go into the menu (6-1-1) and select satellite 110 transponder 26. That is where Fairbanks locals are.

 

[skottey]

both.......
Truth?
it's a given name - I lived for two years with Alaskan Natives- and sells better when you are white and from Germany and want to sell Alaskan arts and crafts..........

Cool.... I am an American, stuck with a German last name.. nothing cool like Running Wolf.. haha... But seriously, I shouldn't say I am stuck with it... I am proud of my German heritage and the name, albeit 3rd or 4th generation in the US and I am a human mutt, German, English, Scandinavian, and probably some other European flavors.

Would love to visit Alaska someday. In the summertime of course

Living in Michigan was too cold for me, so I don't think I could handle living in Alaska.

You must have one of those Dish heaters to keep the snow melted off?

 

[Mr Tony]

seen a few TV shows/newscasts/sporting events from Alaska...looks beautiful.

Also love the "Mattress Ranch" commercials from Anchorage, Wasilla and Soldotna

 

[running wolf]

The signal strength is fine during the day, drops all of a sudden at 6.30pm only to recover miraculously at 10.30pm. NEVER happened before, affects people who live miles apart and the only thing they have in common is older equipment. Our small dish was working just fine until 6 weeks ago. All people got the same problems at the same time.

 

[running wolf]

Guess I can not promote my website, but here is a teaser, go to the private section
Alaskan artists Gary & Kristine Tupper - alaskakreations

 

[Chena]

You must have one of those Dish heaters to keep the snow melted off?

It is usually either too cold to snow, or the snow is really dry: like sand or cellophane. We do not usually get wet sticky snow in interior Alaska. Of course with all the warming, all bets are off.

 

[Van]

You knooowwww Ive seen this before with temp sensitive lnbfs but whats funny is that its time specific, can you verify that it is definitely happening to the others in your area at the same time as it happens to you? Has there been any new transmission towers put up in your area such as emergency services or with a prison or utility service? If its localized to your specific area and it happens at the same time each night then Im suspecting a man made interferance source.

 

[Chena]

You knooowwww Ive seen this before with temp sensitive lnbfs but whats funny is that its time specific, can you verify that it is definitely happening to the others in your area at the same time as it happens to you? Has there been any new transmission towers put up in your area such as emergency services or with a prison or utility service? If its localized to your specific area and it happens at the same time each night then Im suspecting a man made interferance source.

Doo doo doo doo: must be Haarp

My husband was wondering if you could be at the edge of the footprint, and maybe the sat has become alittle unstable.

We have never had any temperature related issues here, but the lowest we have seen is -43.

I agree, it seems to be too long a timescale, and too specific a pattern for weather.

 

[skottey]

It is usually either too cold to snow, or the snow is really dry: like sand or cellophane. We do not usually get wet sticky snow in interior Alaska. Of course with all the warming, all bets are off.

Wow, that is interesting. I grew up on Lake Michigan where it would snow by the feet overnight with that wet heavy snow. Of course I didn't have a Dish in those days.

 

[running wolf]

I did a signal strength check again last night, all transponders were pretty high around 65, except for transponder 9, we lost this one from 6.30pm till 9pm. It's definitely man made, I called a dealer who knows an insider technician who might know something. I think it has to do with all that shoveling stations from one satellite to another.
We used to have all channels on 119, now they moved some stations to 110 and tell us we would have to have two dishes to get it.
But we are looking into directv, we'll see what they can offer us.
Beautiful day today, temperature 5 below up here, 15below in the valley.
Kristine Running Wolf