Minneapolis area Rain Fade

[BigTimMN]

Just out of curiosity for any of you Twin Cities members, do you regularly lose 129 on a rainy day? I seem to keep signals from the other sats, but i lose 129 everytime we get any sizeable amount of rain.

its really annoying my wife, and I just want to know if its "normal" or if i should call dish out or be brave and adjust it myself..

 

[db2]

Yes, I just had a seperate dish added for 129. That did the trick.

Before I was getting breakups even with a clear sky and no signal with clouds. TP6 and TP22 were the worst.

 

[B_Kranski]

I am from Western Wisconsin, (La Crosse area) and have no problems, only the larger storms (alot of lightning) really take the channels down. Otherwise seams to work real good.

 

[Mr Tony]

BigTim

What dish do you have? The 1000.2 is larger than a D1000 and shuld do the trick. Otherwise a spearate dish works

 

[gjh3260]

Only get breakup on 129 during a severe thunderstorm. I havent had any problems with just a steady rain.

 

[BigTimMN]

I beleive I have the 1000.2, not real sure off the top of my head. I will have to check it out tonight, I don't want to do 2 dishes.

My issue seems to have been worse this year, than last, so i think it may just need to be peaked a bit. What should i be looking at for good levels on the 129 bird?

 

[volkodav]

i had same problem with dish 1000 so 2 weeks ago i swapped it to dish 1000.2 and it seems to be working better

 

[primetimeguy]

I lose 129 on hard rain and storms. I'd say about 6-7 times this summer. Typically it goes out just prior to the rain/storm as most of the weather comes from the SE. It acts as my weather alert system.

 

[BigTimMN]

seeing as I am not a hardware guy, what is the best way to tell what dish i have?

If it was 6-7 times a summer for me i coudl understand it...

I even lost signal on Sunday afternoon for awhile, during the heavier rain periods.... but only on 129.

My signal strength on 129 TP12 was 38... I am thinking thats pretty low, right?

 

[volkodav]

mine is at 42-43 right now on 129 tp 12. are you sure you don't have tree issue? when it gets windy you lose more often

 

[papalittle]

get someone out there and peak your dish on the 129 port. Winter is around the corner for minnesota so less rain fade for ya! lol. j/k

 

[Mike_H]

Look at the install or launch guides here:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/826671-post1.html

They will show you what the Dish 1000.2 looks like. Pay close attention to the LNB's that are attached.

It is my understanding that the 129 satellite is older and doesn't run it's transponders at double power like the 119 and 110 birds do. I don't even know how many transponders on it are still functional. I'm sure some have failed over time. (I believe that bird is Echostar 5)
Echostar 5, 6 / Ciel 1

If you have a Dish 1000 it should have 3 lnb in 2 cases, one narrow and one double wide. The dish 1000.2 has just 3lnb all in one case.

My wife wasn't happy when the HD for Fox went out on Sunday during the Vikings/Green Bay game. She ended up watching it in Standard Def as Fox is on the 110 bird in standard def.

Looks like I'm going to go with a second antenna. Seems like the best option to help with strength. I would think a single Dish 500 peaked for 129 will be stronger than a Dish 1000.2 trying to compromise most of them.

Note we have lost HD signal a lot this year due to the low power at 129. Standard Def stuff will keep working when the HD goes away. That due to all the light rain storms we seemed to have had this summer.

 

[BigTimMN]

No trees anywhere in sight(New development) so thats not the issue.

and I guess I dont have 1000.2, I am going to call Dish tonight and see if they can send someone out and get it figured out, I have a couple of minor issues as well with the wiring they installed in my house with the ends not crimped on tight as well...

 

[JohnEL]

I also live in MPLS but I do not have locals with DISH- get them FTA on VIP211. Have DISH 500 for 110 & 119 and another, a 300 for 61.5. You mentioned rather not go with two dishs but, in five years only lost 61.5 one time. Do ocasionally loose sats on the 500. Just another alternative:

 

[vikingrob]

I also live in MPLS but I do not have locals with DISH- get them FTA on VIP211. Have DISH 500 for 110 & 119 and another, a 300 for 61.5. You mentioned rather not go with two dishs but, in five years only lost 61.5 one time. Do ocasionally loose sats on the 500. Just another alternative:

It's an alternative, but FSN North HD is on the 129 only, not on the 61.5.

 

[hedbert]

I am having the same issue with 129 with a 100.2 in the MPLS area as well. I had the installer out to re-align the dish and I am about ready to go to a 2 dish solution. Damn the expense! Say if I do this should I have him put in a dish for 61.5 too? What is on 61.5?

 

[Dveldh]

My wife wasn't happy when the HD for Fox went out on Sunday during the Vikings/Green Bay game. She ended up watching it in Standard Def as Fox is on the 110 bird in standard def.

I consider that a blessing...the Fargo-Moorhead OTA HD feed went out for a couple minutes too. But I've been getting more rain fade up here as well than I've ever noticed before. Seems kind of strange that it worked through some really nasty stuff earlier this year, then started doing the fading.

 

[vikingrob]

I am having the same issue with 129 with a 100.2 in the MPLS area as well. I had the installer out to re-align the dish and I am about ready to go to a 2 dish solution. Damn the expense! Say if I do this should I have him put in a dish for 61.5 too? What is on 61.5?

EKB: Dish Network Channels at 61.5°

 

[hedbert]

Looks like 61.5 mirrors 129 just on the other end of the arc. Now to maximize my receptiion could I aim at both 129 and 61.5? If I lose one but not the other I should be able to still watch programing, would be my understanding.

 

[Mike_H]

The cost isn't that much, and I bet if you could find a local sat dealer they may have a dish 500 dish laying around they would give ya.

I'm going to get a compression tool, a spool of coax and some ends and move my 1000 antenna somewhere else and then mount a dish 500 off to the side of that, and move the switch. Put new ends on everything and run a new line up to my upstairs that has been flakey lately and was one of the original lines in the home.(questionable quality)

From what I have seen on the forums here, peaking to the 129 bird can gain you 20 points on the scale. That seems to me to be pretty significant and worth the attempt, just to stabilize things.