We had a few inches of heavy wet snow today and it knocked out my reception on my BUD!!! Is there anything that I can do to help prevent this buildup???... Paint?... Coatings?... Gigantic Garbage Bags?... Heat Tape?... I have a 10' Winegard BUD that is a deeper dish shape than any other BUDs I have and it catches snow quite well. On the positive side it sure does catch those signals! Winter is coming and so is the real snow and I already had to get off of the couch to clean the BUD. There was still a layer of ice in the mesh after I swept off what snow I could and that is keeping the Ku band out of my reach! In a previous life I had a DirecTV system and I only cleaned that off twice in 8 years. My BUD last year had to be cleaned about 6 times when we had the wet heavy lake effect snow. Most snow is not a problem but the heavy wet stuff in the fall and early spring is the bugger. Would a solid BUD not collect so much snow??? My brother-in-law had a 9' BUD that was shallower and he only cleaned his once in about 6 years! Any ideas?!?!?!...
BUD Winterization???
- Thread starter Dishman Dan
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Direct the exhaust from your generator at the back side of the dish to warm it up and melt the snow!
If you don't use a generator, try a propane salamander heater (the Anoles are too small, so they do not do the job.
)
If you don't use a generator, try a propane salamander heater (the Anoles are too small, so they do not do the job.
)We do have a couple of salamander heaters like they use in orchards which run on diesel fuel. Hmmm. Maybe in an emergency. I was watching Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase on DVD since my BUD was down. That slippery stuff that he used on the sled should keep snow and ice from sticking on my BUD! I am going to google it and see where to get some!!!... 
buy some heating cable on a roll that is used for pipes. I thought about zip ties to hold the heating cable 4" apart on the back of the dish. Use a thermostatic controller that comes with the heating cable to turn it on when it gets cold outside. some of that cable has a stainless steel braided outer jacket. After installation just paint it black or whatever color your dish is.
I am seriously considering this. At work we have a 1.2 M Ku Hughes dish that is heated but the heater is inside the dish between the inner and outer shell of the dish (fiberglass).
The feedhorn has a heated band that goes around the outside of the feed.
There is small box that contains a thermostat and LED lights that has an ac power cord that plugs into a GFI outlet on the roof.
I am seriously considering this. At work we have a 1.2 M Ku Hughes dish that is heated but the heater is inside the dish between the inner and outer shell of the dish (fiberglass).
The feedhorn has a heated band that goes around the outside of the feed.
There is small box that contains a thermostat and LED lights that has an ac power cord that plugs into a GFI outlet on the roof.
Thanks for the input! I am replying to sergei and truckracer but I cannot figure out how to cut and paste a couple of quotes without my daughter here to help me!
Sergei mentioned the possible ice buildup potential and that is the problem. We only had about 6 inches of snow yesterday and the temperature was just around freezing and it did create ice. I brushed off what I could with a broom but there is still a good 1 to 2 inches of icey snow froze in and on the mesh. It is stubborn and will not come off. Ku band will not come through with the ice but C band has decent quality. Most of the snow we get is on the dry side but sometimes...
Truckracer you have the idea with the heating cable on the BUD which sounds like it should work. I was wondering if the heating cable would cause electrical interference when the thing is on and I am watching satellite TV???
Sergei mentioned the possible ice buildup potential and that is the problem. We only had about 6 inches of snow yesterday and the temperature was just around freezing and it did create ice. I brushed off what I could with a broom but there is still a good 1 to 2 inches of icey snow froze in and on the mesh. It is stubborn and will not come off. Ku band will not come through with the ice but C band has decent quality. Most of the snow we get is on the dry side but sometimes...
Truckracer you have the idea with the heating cable on the BUD which sounds like it should work. I was wondering if the heating cable would cause electrical interference when the thing is on and I am watching satellite TV???
On the back of the dish I don't think it would cause interference being on the back(isolated side) of the reflector. Not saying it couldn't cause interference but I doubt it.
It may not clear all the snow but enough to the point of not losing signal.
It may not clear all the snow but enough to the point of not losing signal.
On the bright side, it's only 26 more weeks till Spring!
NW Pa, lake effect snow? That heavy, wet stuff is like glue.
NW Pa, lake effect snow? That heavy, wet stuff is like glue.
If you decide to go with the heat you might try getting the blue rope style and run some down the dish channels and plugging them into a weather proof box with a power strip inside, then get some longer ones and lace them on the bottom area of the dish, I wouldn't use the flat style, hard to make good bends. You might try using aluminum backed tape like they use on sealing home heating ducts to help focus the heat, it would also hold the tape if not to cold to install now.
I found last year I only lost a couple channels when we had an ice storm, it only took about 2 days to melt as lone as I removed any new snow, and it really helps if your dish is black.
I found last year I only lost a couple channels when we had an ice storm, it only took about 2 days to melt as lone as I removed any new snow, and it really helps if your dish is black.
Remember a few years ago there was an adv on TV for a car polish? They would polish a hood and then show you how everything, including a towel, would slide right off, nothing would stick. Well there was a guy selling it at a flea market so I bought some and polished the upside of my BUD. The first time it snowed I waited until the buildup affected the pic then I moved the dish all the way down and the snow just slid right off. I still have some of that polish. Once a year is all I have to apply the stuff. Works great. Next time I get down to the garage I'll dig it out and post the name, if the wife hasn't thrown it out.
Coool!!! When you say that you moved the dish "all the way down", does that mean you move it through the whole cycle east and west or you actually move it down??? Perhaps if this polish is that slippery then maybe a broom can whack the rest of the buildup off of the BUD!!! When we get the snow towards the lakeshore the winds are out of the southwest. If I turned the BUD away from this direction then the problem would be gone. However most satellites are in that direction plus the Winegard BUD I have is shaped like a deep bowl!
deeper dish more gain... anyway since signals pass thorugh plastic id get a big ass tarp and clamp it around the dish it would look wierd but after a heavy snow the shape of the dish with the cover wouldnt hold much snow if it does a little give it a few taps with a broom stick
Yes the depth really does seem to pull in the signal better! A freind nearby does not get the quality on his shallower BUD like I do. I have seen where some people place garbage bags over the little pizza pan dishes and they claim that worked. Did you trim the excess tarp and make new holes to hold it or just through the thing on?
There's to many variables as to why one persons gets a better signal than someone else and the depth of the dish may or may not be one, that's something the manufacture considers in the overall design of the dish. The overall size of the dish and how well the dish is constructed and setup will determine just how much a signal you can pull in.
Actuated it as far west as it goes, jiggled it back and forth a bit using the remote and 90% of the snow just slid off.
Years ago they used to sell a Dish Shaker kit.. when you pushed the button inside the house, it would vibrate the heck outta the dish and basically shake the snow off the dish (or through it, in the case of a mesh dish)
I will have to go to one of those fancy undie parties with my wife! They might have something that really shakes too!
Seriously now...
The shakers should work for snow and perhaps the heavy wet stuff too especially if some kind of wax is used as suggested. The only option for ice buidup looks like somekind of tarp over the BUD like Techfizzle mentioned. My BUD has a "sheppards hook" for the feedhorn and not the "struts." If a tarp was placed over my type of BUD would it cause the "sheppards hook" to sag??? (Now I am thinking about that party again!)
Seriously now...
The shakers should work for snow and perhaps the heavy wet stuff too especially if some kind of wax is used as suggested. The only option for ice buidup looks like somekind of tarp over the BUD like Techfizzle mentioned. My BUD has a "sheppards hook" for the feedhorn and not the "struts." If a tarp was placed over my type of BUD would it cause the "sheppards hook" to sag??? (Now I am thinking about that party again!)
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