30" dish

[sloud74]

Has anyone tried getting the 24" or 30" dish right away without having to upgrade from the 18". I live in Portland, Oregon and havent got voom yet (I am sure I will need at least a 24"), but I am wondering if this has been possible with anyone.

 

[txbigguy]

My installer put a 30 inch dish up the very first time. I am in N. Dallas Tx.

 

[sloud74]

Did you ask for it, or did voom make the decision?

 

[jimmykce1]

You need to call and let Voom know that you need the larger dish. otherwise it will not be in the work order for the installer. Maybe you can call Voom and get them to add this note. Also I would check with the installer if they have received this change too.

 

[wbuffetta]

Sloud74, Don't Install Unless You Get At Least A 24" Dish. I Live In Portland & When It's Clear Out My Sig. 91-94, Cloudy 84-85, Rain 69-80 (Sig. Goes Away Below 70).
Once November Is Here Unless I Get A Bigger Dish (Mine Is The 18") I Won't Be Able To Voom.

I Have Been Vooming Since March 16 2004 & Voom Does Not Work In The Rain.

 

[Walter L.]

I also live in Portland. I heard that 30" dish cannot be used in the west coast because of the inclination angle being too low. I got an 18" and is working just fine.
By the way, we have a thread about VOOM in Portland (see link at my signature).

 

[DarrellP]

sloud74, welcome. I live in Woodburn and use a 24" that I already had mounted for Dish HD and I still lose the picture at times. I tweaked it this weekend and gained about 8 points on the strength meter.

Just for kicks Walter, what is your strength using your 18" dish on a clear day? I get around 95 now where I was getting 85 before tweaking.

 

[Walter L.]

sloud74, welcome. I live in Woodburn and use a 24" that I already had mounted for Dish HD and I still lose the picture at times. I tweaked it this weekend and gained about 8 points on the strength meter.

Just for kicks Walter, what is your strength using your 18" dish on a clear day? I get around 95 now where I was getting 85 before tweaking.

Under clear skies the best I've seen is 94, but typically 91. Last night (cloudy skies) it went down to 87.

 

[DarrellP]

I'll have to recheck mine, it doesn't seem like I've gained a whole lot over the 18 on the strength meter, but maybe it just holds up longer under bad weather. I know it made a huge difference with Dish after changing it out.

 

[txbigguy]

Did you ask for it, or did voom make the decision?

No I was going to ask for it but the installer just brought the 30 inch on out. I never had to say anything about it.

 

[iceshark]

I also live in Portland. I heard that 30" dish cannot be used in the west coast because of the inclination angle being too low. I got an 18" and is working just fine.
By the way, we have a thread about VOOM in Portland (see link at my signature).

Dont know where you heard that. I called after sending an email to Wilt about lack of signal with 18inch here in upper Washington state and ordered a 30 inch dish. She just said they dont stock it yet so they are sending it from somewhere to DBS the installer out of Oregon for my this Saturday install.
I will report back.

Plus any dish can be set pointing at the ground if there was a signal there.
If dish declination scale like on some Dtv dish only goes as low as 20 you just have to lower your mast off leval.

My two cents.
Hope it helps!

 

[Walter L.]

Dont know where you heard that.
...

This is where I heard about difficulties pointing 30" in the west coast:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?p=91705#post91705

Anyway, if you get it and it works then it works

 

[iceshark]

This is where I heard about difficulties pointing 30" in the west coast:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?p=91705#post91705

Anyway, if you get it and it works then it works

Your gettin me scared now!
I know you can manually adjust declintaion with mast lowering in worst case.
However it may be that out installers are just normal one class trained in most cases non experts like myself and lots of others here that find non owners manual ways to make it work and wont put in the effort.

I will reconfirm with DBS out of Portland today about install and dish size promised and report back.

Thank you for the post and warning!
I too at times think I am getting wet leaf fade. However I still believe its becasue of where rainbow sits on the horizon for us in Northwest and if horizon is full of deep wet clouds it is much different then shooting to 110 an d 119 thru one layer of clouds.

 

[DarrellP]

The larger the dish is, the narrower your "sweet spot" to the sat is. I have a heck of a time aiming my 24" dish and keeping it dead-on. The slightest movement throws it out by a few numbers on the signal strength.

 

[GeneWildershair]

Your gettin me scared now!
I know you can manually adjust declintaion with mast lowering in worst case.
However it may be that out installers are just normal one class trained in most cases non experts like myself and lots of others here that find non owners manual ways to make it work and wont put in the effort.

I will reconfirm with DBS out of Portland today about install and dish size promised and report back.

Thank you for the post and warning!
I too at times think I am getting wet leaf fade. However I still believe its becasue of where rainbow sits on the horizon for us in Northwest and if horizon is full of deep wet clouds it is much different then shooting to 110 an d 119 thru one layer of clouds.

My installer couldn't get a signal at all, and gave up, saying that it wouldn't work. I had to go up and put a 30" up myself, and yes I had to basically angle the dish all the way down, (as far as it would let me) then I had to mount the pole at a slight angle pointing down. It is harder to get the sweet spot with a larger dish, but it can be done on the west coast, (I am in Northern California btw). All in all it took me about a half hour to put up myself, and I am getting great signals, quality:98-99, and power: 89. I have since not really had much rain to *really* test if it, except for a little lght rain for about an hour or so, and my signal only went as low as 95. BUT with this same light rain with the 18" dish my signal would drop completely out.

 

[iceshark]

My installer couldn't get a signal at all, and gave up, saying that it wouldn't work. I had to go up and put a 30" up myself, and yes I had to basically angle the dish all the way down, (as far as it would let me) then I had to mount the pole at a slight angle pointing down. It is harder to get the sweet spot with a larger dish, but it can be done on the west coast, (I am in Northern California btw). All in all it took me about a half hour to put up myself, and I am getting great signals, quality:98-99, and power: 89. I have since not really had much rain to *really* test if it, except for a little lght rain for about an hour or so, and my signal only went as low as 95. BUT with this same light rain with the 18" dish my signal would drop completely out.

as a old time cband installer store owner, I agree it seems sweet spot or Focal point to be accurate seems harder with KU band signals with larger dish it is one of those carnival mirror type things that makes it seem different then it is.

The fact is its just because of more area density to adjust around.
However It is worth the trouble once you do get that focal point smokin up to your LNB as the signal has more strenght becuase of the added gain of the dish area.

Also helps reduce Terrestrial interferance if dish is deeper as well.

Anyway thank you for your help and updates.
DBS installers from Portland confirmed that Voom is sending them a redesiged
30 Inch dish for Install this Saturday. And you bet I will put the dam thing up and let the installer take a break with a beer if thats what it takes!

My two cents.
Later

 

[GeneWildershair]

as a old time cband installer store owner, I agree it seems sweet spot or Focal point to be accurate seems harder with KU band signals with larger dish it is one of those carnival mirror type things that makes it seem different then it is.

The fact is its just because of more area density to adjust around.
However It is worth the trouble once you do get that focal point smokin up to your LNB as the signal has more strenght becuase of the added gain of the dish area.

Also helps reduce Terrestrial interferance if dish is deeper as well.

Anyway thank you for your help and updates.
DBS installers from Portland confirmed that Voom is sending them a redesiged
30 Inch dish for Install this Saturday. And you bet I will put the dam thing up and let the installer take a break with a beer if thats what it takes!

My two cents.
Later

hey, good luck with the install! I'm sure you'll get it up working in no time!Have fun putting it up,(if that's what it takes), I know I did!

 

[iceshark]

Definatly great posts and replys by you.
THanks for the encouragment.
I will again call installer for reinforcment that he is showing up with new 30inch dish Saturday.
Will post if he does.
Also going to make him or I move it to other side of house for shorter cable run and refuse to let him use diplexer again with OFA. Already prewired my own second run and he just has to hook it up!

See YA!

 

[Vince2]

I'd really like to see whether you get a 30" dish. They would not send one out for me because of the angle issues here in the Pacific NW as I posted earlier. I got a 24" dish instead and still get massive rain fade. Even on the clear days, the best SQ I can dial in (after many hours on the roof) is 81. Trees in the distance are cutting things down and the slightest amout of moisture kills my signal. Until Voom invests in a West coast mirror, I'm done after this summer. Why they don't cater to the largest population of tech savy people in the world is beyond me. Los Angeles is the mecca for entertainment, Silicon Valley for hardware, Seattle for software, and Portland for chips and displays, yet only a few of us can get line of sight. Who the heck is Voom targeting anyways?????????????????

 

[Walter L.]

iceshark:
do you know what Portland company is doing the install: Adams Communications or Direct Broadcast Satellite. The 1st one has 2 installer: the lazy guy (don't remeber his name) and a guy named Steve who works part-time. THe "lazy" guy failed my 1st installation attempt reporting no-lign-of-sight. He never got the dish out of the truck. He also mentioned that his success rate was only 5 out of 25 and blamed it to the low inc. angle.
I called VOOM/Adams and ask for a 2nd opinion. Then, they send Steve and he did my installation without any problem.
I never use the other company (Direct Broadcast Sat), but I heard of very positive installations (much better than Adams).
Anyway, be aware of the "lazy" guy.
Good luck!!! Let us know how it goes.