Dish Location

[AlaJoe]

Go here and look at where the installers put my dish. I do not get this, I would think the house would be blocking the signal but the installer swears it is not and that this is actually a good location as it helps keep wind from blowing the dish out of alignment.
I am getting signal strength 100 on 119 and 90 on 110 . I have not had any problems but this sure seems strange to me. Is the installer blowing smoke up my butt or is this OK. I am in Birmingham Alabama if location makes a difference

 

[chaddux]

Go here and look at where the installers put my dish. I do not get this, I would think the house would be blocking the signal but the installer swears it is not and that this is actually a good location as it helps keep wind from blowing the dish out of alignment.
I am getting signal strength 100 on 119 and 90 on 110 . I have not had any problems but this sure seems strange to me. Is the installer blowing smoke up my butt or is this OK. I am in Birmingham Alabama if location makes a difference

The satellites are 20,000 miles up in space. They are coming in at a fairly good angle. Of course, I would think that the fact that you are getting a good signal would be enough to convince you but apparently not. If something is working fine, why would you ask if it's ok? Seems a bit silly and redundant.

 

[ats7627]

Dish Network uses an "offset" DBS dish. This means the signal is actually hitting the dish at a much higher angle than you would think simply by looking at it. If your signals are strong, don't worry about it.

 

[noremac]

Ats7627 is making the right point. Almost all small DBS dishes use what is called an "offset feed" antenna. The dish is a parabolic shape, but it's only the upper portion of a full parabola. So the receive beam that is formed at the feed horn actually comes from a higher angle than your eye may lead you to believe.

See the pic below. The blue represents what would be a full parabolic dish, and the red is an offset section of the same shape. The offset section is all that you have in consumer E* dishes.

 

[AlaJoe]

So My Signal Strenght is good?

I ask this question because when I was inquiring about getting Dish Network I was told I had to have a clear view of the southern sky and this hardly seemed clear and all my neighbors also have dish and none of theres were like this. They were all where the dish faced clearly to the sky.
Also being that there is a possible 125 signal strength me getting 100 on one sat and 90 on the other means I am only getting 80% of max on one and 72% of max on the other so I was worried I would more quickly loose service in bad weather.

 

[Mike500]

That position is fine. The signal levels are fine. As one who installs professionally, the only time I install at the peak of the roof, if I'm putting an OTA antenna and tripod there. Ridge vents would allow easy access to the attic and for running many wall fish outlets.

 

[Liquidforce88]

AlaJoe,

What receivers do you have? Also I don't see any wires comming out of that dish.

 

[chaddux]

AlaJoe,

What receivers do you have? Also I don't see any wires comming out of that dish.

Hmm. Doesn't look like there are. They should at least be visible when they pop out of the LNB arm.

 

[TuxCoder]

I can see some cable at the back of the LNB arm where it meets the dish, as if the cable just runs down the underside of the LNB arm, up the back of the dish a little (almost all of which we can't see), then down through the mast to the foot, and from there the camera angle doesn't allow us to see where it goes next. Or my eyes and imagination are playing tricks on me.

BTW, AlaJoe, nice home page on that website of yours.

 

[hokiecb]

Thats cool that it works, so i definitely wouldnt worry.. but i agree with you, no doubt, that defeats all common sense.

 

[BrianMis]

Where mine is installed it doesn't even look like it's above the tree line, it's on the lower sloped roof on a single story house. But it works great and I have no problems.

 

[Dish Dude]

there is absolutely nothing wrong with the location, absolutely clear line of sight etc. I would find out who did your neighbors and ask why in the name of god would they put the dish up top when it doesn't have to be. This location is very good, you can work on it from the ladder, it is over the soffit. I would say it is placed in a very good location

 

[Mike500]

I'd agree with Dude.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I agree with Mike500.

 

[mudder1310]

Also being that there is a possible 125 signal strength me getting 100 on one sat and 90 on the other means I am only getting 80% of max on one and 72% of max on the other so I was worried I would more quickly loose service in bad weather.

Transponders have different signal levels. I would check your signal on Transponder 11 for both 119 and 110. As long as both are above 90 you'll have no problems.

Something else to think about in regards to dish location is the signal isn't coming in the front of the lnb but rather from an elevation reflected off the pan, here it's around 40*. So unless your roof pitch is something like 8:12 or 10:12 that spot is fine. Plus, the dish itself is mounted over the exterior of the house, something E* stresses. So if you were ever to develop any leaks you'd have no water in the attic!

 

[Pablo_New]

I've seen Super Dishes installed on sides of houses where the actual dish is not facing out away from the house but parallel to it. Since these dishes are larger, it must be done to prevent any wind problems. I thought it was kind of odd at first, but after I thought about it, it's got to be working correctly since these are almost always installed by Dish Network Installers.

 

[fishman]

jst because it's done by DNS installers doesnt mean its correct, in my opinion they do some of the ugliest installs

 

[TNGTony]

There were many messages stating that the Dish Network Dish is an offset dish, but none stating just how offset it is! The dish is aiming 22° higher than it appears. A dish of this time aiming at a satellite 22° up would appear to be perpendicular to the ground. In some parts of the country you may see a dish that appears to be aimed at the ground, but they are getting signal from a satellite only 10° from the horizon. /----

So your dish is aimed at is well above the roof line.

Make believe that the LNB is your eyes and the dish is a mirror. What would your eyes see? In your case, clear blue sky!

See ya
Tony

 

[Pablo_New]

jst because it's done by DNS installers doesnt mean its correct, in my opinion they do some of the ugliest installs

I have to agree with you regarding the "ugly" factor. I had to specifically point out exactly where I wanted mine installed so that it was least visible from the street. My neighbor just had one put in and they put it (I'm guessing based on his preference) on a mini-shed about 30 feet from his house. On top of that, they left the coax on the lawn--real attractive. I really didn't expect them to bury it under a "standard install," and I'm sure he won't bother. He still has his Christmas lights up!

 

[TuxCoder]

He still has his Christmas lights up!

Well, with the way commercialization continues to start our Christmas "preparations" for us earlier and earlier each year , it's more like "he already has his Christmas lights up".