BUD's snow survival <<Easy!

[gizzer777]

Well our 4+ inch of rain storm is now a little snow storm...again, The dish is pulled all the way east but ya still have to sweep the heavy snow off with a broom etc (avoid warping)! Pain...... but oh, so worth it!

Then if it is REALLY snowing, you must go out every few hours and get the snow off to watch C Band...Suppose KU is tougher still!

If you get past W3 in Reno, the BUD is almost at a 10-15deg angle and a lot of snow just falls off....point it South and get ready to sweep!!!!

It will soon be "get the snow blower running time"!

Jeff

 

[Diamond Jim]

Spray that baby with some graphite and the snow will slide right off on it's own.

 

[gizzer777]

GOOD Idea!!!

Spray that baby with some graphite and the snow will slide right off on it's own.

Bet PAM would work too....Use that in the snowblower chute!

THANKS!!!!!
Jeff

 

[Diamond Jim]

Bet PAM would work too....

Never thought of that one, might be better and cheaper than graphite!!

 

[drhydro]

If its REALLY snowing here (like it is today) after i get about 3 inches of accumulation on my dish I loose the weaker KU band signals. I then point my dish @ 137 and take my trusty snow rake to it, cleans off in about 30 seconds. I have yet to loose c band due to snow, but i am sure if i let 6" accumulate on it i would ;-) I am kind of leary applying any coatings to my dish, i would hate to have to clean them off if they should turn sticky over time.

 

[gizzer777]

Next time it snows

If its REALLY snowing here (like it is today) after i get about 3 inches of accumulation on my dish I loose the weaker KU band signals. I then point my dish @ 137 and take my trusty snow rake to it, cleans off in about 30 seconds. I have yet to loose c band due to snow, but i am sure if i let 6" accumulate on it i would ;-) I am kind of leary applying any coatings to my dish, i would hate to have to clean them off if they should turn sticky over time.

next time...I am going to spray a small section of the dish and see what happens, that way I can always easily get it off....It has always worked great from year to year on my snowblower chute (plastic chute and metal also!)...8 ft dish means a case of Pam!!!!

Yep, KU gets clobbered but I am fine with 3 inches or so with C Band....However it is important with the wet stuff to get it off to prevent possible warping!

jeff
Jeff

 

[drhydro]

Yep, KU gets clobbered but I am fine with 3 inches or so with C Band....However it is important with the wet stuff to get it off to prevent possible warping!

While I agree that heavy snow should be taken off a dish as soon as possible, i have had way over 12" of wet heavy stuff on my dish for as long as a couple of days (out of town during a storm). My 10' BUD is a perf. aluminum Channel Master dish, with a thompson saginaw actuator. So far no problem with warping, keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[truckracer]

Wonder if you could get a giant dish heater for a bud, some type of heated webbing that could be ziptied to the back of the dish, with a thermostat control.
I know they make them for the pizza pans.

Or even use pipe heating cable ziptied about 2 inches apart on the rear of the mesh dish. It would take a lot but if you go to a plumbing supply house, you can buy the stuff by the foot and put your own ends and thermostat on it. don't know what it would cost but when it comes to keeping snow off the bud and protecting it from damage, it should be worth it.

Just an idea. Trucker

 

[gizzer777]

They used to....

Wonder if you could get a giant dish heater for a bud, some type of heated webbing that could be ziptied to the back of the dish, with a thermostat control.
I know they make them for the pizza pans.
Or even use pipe heating cable ziptied about 2 inches apart on the rear of the mesh dish. It would take a lot but if you go to a plumbing supply house, you can buy the stuff by the foot and put your own ends and thermostat on it. don't know what it would cost but when it comes to keeping snow off the bud and protecting it from damage, it should be worth it.
Just an idea. Trucker

if I remember, they made some tpye of vibration device and a heater...long time ago!

What is popular in Lake Tahoe is a cloth type BUD cover...snow will not stick to a flat surface as easy!

Jeff