Rain fade short tem solution vs. Long term

[Kentstater72]

Rain fade has become a critical issue (my wife).
I was planning on letting it slide to see about the development of the PVR and possibly a larger dish, but it has ruined her viewing twice now (both SD)
Any thoughts on getting a service call now or is there light at the other end of the cloud filled sky.
I am looking for a way to convince her patience will pay off in the next few months.
Help!

 

[andrzej]

How big is your dish? Larger dish will definitely reduce rain fade.

 

[Kentstater72]

Standard install, 18"
The thing is I have heard that there maybe a dish upgrade with the PVR, am I wrong?

 

[andrzej]

PVR and new dish are unrelated (although may happen roughly at the same time). I would call Voom and ask about larger dish (24" or 30") because you are experiencing unacceptable rain fade. If you are convincing enough, they may upgrade your dish for free.

 

[PSB]

You could always get your own 30" dish, to keep the peace, for the short term until the upgrde. You can them use the 30" for FTA satelllite : )

 

[Kentstater72]

You could always get your own 30" dish, to keep the peace, for the short term until the upgrde. You can them use the 30" for FTA satelllite : )

My apologies, what is FTA?

 

[Dvlos]

If you complain enough, try to log how often you lose shows due to rain fade they will upgrade you for free. Some areas just have rain during certain seasons more and miss out on programming. What's wierd is that D* and E* 18" dish hold up better here in S. FLorida (although they do have rain fade problems too) than V*. I wonder if the angle for the dish has something to do with it also.

 

[Mr Tony]

My apologies, what is FTA?

Free to Air. There are items that you can pick up with a 30" dish and a FTA receiver.

Check out the section in regards to FTA

http://www.satelliteguys.us/forumdisplay.php?f=58

 

[txcruiser]

Rain fade was a BIG reason I had to drop VOOM. I didn't want to go thru the hassle of installing and "testing" a 24 inch dish. If that didn't work do I go up to a 30 inch if available? Then would I have to get the 36" dish that supposedly is coming out any day now? Just not worth it in my opinion. VOOM should be installing bigger dishes upon installation. 18 inch just isn't cutting it.

 

[andrzej]

..
VOOM should be installing bigger dishes upon installation. 18 inch just isn't cutting it.

18"er is "cutting it" for me. I don't want a bigger dish than necessary on my roof, and I am sure that's true for many people.

 

[PSB]

Pretty sure if you had invested in your own 30" dish rain fade would have become an occasional nuisance rather than the norm, if correctly installed. And I agree the 24" dish should really have been used as the base VoOM dish size, its always best to err on the plus side.

 

[Kentstater72]

Well I am not ready to throw in the towel. I really want to stick with VoOm. I guess I feel that until the end of the year I can put up with my wife's gripes (it is nothing compared to red UFO) and then make a final decision based on 05 pricing, DVR, and programing.
Thanks for the info.

 

[Dvlos]

Well for sure that extra Satellite they aren't going to pay for it and not use it, so the elliptical dish has to be coming sometime in the new future.

 

[Kentstater72]

Did I miss a memo?

Well for sure that extra Satellite they aren't going to pay for it and not use it, so the elliptical dish has to be coming sometime in the new future.

I must not be monitoring this forum close enough. Voom has backed off plans for the next satellite?

 

[txcruiser]

It rains ALOT more in the Fall than in the Summer at least where I live. It was going to be a LONG Fall at my home if VOOM remained as is.
I hope you can hold out.
Good Luck.

 

[PSB]

The answer, a 30" dish and a black marker........

 

[Sean Mota]

I must not be monitoring this forum close enough. Voom has backed off plans for the next satellite?

Satellite is in orbit already. They are leasing 13 Tps starting in October 2004. This will require current and new customers to upgrade to a bigger dish.

 

[Kentstater72]

Satellite is in orbit already. They are leasing 13 Tps starting in October 2004. This will require current and new customers to upgrade to a bigger dish.

Sean, this is what I am asking. Can I wait and get an upgrade automatically, or should I take the time and effort to try and talk VoOm into a free upgrade and service call now. I can live with it (the rain fade, not my wife) for a while longer if I am confident that it will be addressed.

 

[Sean Mota]

Sean, this is what I am asking. Can I wait and get an upgrade automatically, or should I take the time and effort to try and talk VoOm into a free upgrade and service call now. I can live with it (the rain fade, not my wife) for a while longer if I am confident that it will be addressed.

If I were you I would go and get a 24 or 30 inches dish. As you know, plans are always subject to change and there's no guarantee that it will be done by October.

 

[andrzej]

Sean, this is what I am asking. Can I wait and get an upgrade automatically, or should I take the time and effort to try and talk VoOm into a free upgrade and service call now. I can live with it (the rain fade, not my wife) for a while longer if I am confident that it will be addressed.

The purpose of this new bigger dish is to be able to receive signals from the old and the new satellite. However, if I understand it correctly, it should also reduce rain fade because of its bigger size.