Rain Fade In SW Florida?

[AndyMon]

My folks live in N Ft Myers and currently have Comcast. Just got them a Sony 34" XBR910 and want to get them hooked up with some HD. Figured DBS would be the way to go. People keep saying that rain fade is a real problem in SW Florida, especially during the rainy season. Does anyone out there live in the area? How severe is the problem? Do you lose the signal for hours on end? Will a larger dish help? Is E* or D* better? I know E* has the locals, does D*? Thanks for any info you can provide!

 

[ROLLTIDE]

I'm in Mobile AL one of the wetest citys in the USA and lose signal maybey once or twice a day durring a heavy thunderstorm in the summer time . Pic will start breaking up before the storm is right on top of you. You will lose picture for about 5 to 15 mins tops depending on the speed of the storm . I would love to get my hands on a Superdish and see if it improves the rainfade issue.

We get storms durring the summertime that drop 2 inches of rain on you before you know it .

 

[Larry]

I'm about 100 miles or so north of where your folks are and on the coast. Like Mobile, we can get some major rain in a hurry. With the dish correctly aimed, the rain fade isn't as bad as you would expect. I can't really remember being down over 30 minutes and usually it's only 10 minutes or so. Besides, with HD you're probably going to have an OTA antenna which should cover you nicely. Or do what several friends do, keep the very minimum cable service as a backup (not really a bad idea considering tropical storms and stuff).

 

[AndyMon]

I'm about 100 miles or so north of where your folks are and on the coast. Like Mobile, we can get some major rain in a hurry. With the dish correctly aimed, the rain fade isn't as bad as you would expect. I can't really remember being down over 30 minutes and usually it's only 10 minutes or so. Besides, with HD you're probably going to have an OTA antenna which should cover you nicely. Or do what several friends do, keep the very minimum cable service as a backup (not really a bad idea considering tropical storms and stuff).

So, I guess the fade in rainy season is just something you learn to live with?
They're on a fixed income and want to keep their bill down to about $50 p/mo which is what Comcast is charging them down there for Family Cable. Sounds like a ripoff.
OTA is a definite, they're about 11 miles from most of the transmitters with most all of them broadcasting a digital signal. Only WINK is VHF.
I think they'd do better with E* or D* and HD pack instead of cable, there. Premiums might be a bit over the top and I don't know how interested they'd be in HBO, etc. anyway. Too much lewdness and vulgarity, hehehe. Still, they're excited with their new TV and I have to get them some HD so they can really have some eye candy.

 

[harveystern]

rain fade

hi andy i live in miami an the rain knocks it out for a couple of minutes , and doesnot matter how hard it rains it still knocks it out. harvey

 

[REDANDBLACK]

I live right up Interstate 75 from there.Rain fade is not a big problem,every afternoon in the summer we get the big thunderstorms.I only lose the picture for a about a minute.The big problem is if the install is done without waterproofing the connectors(silicone).They get wet and take long to dry out.A little silicone gel on the connectors at the ground block,and any place that gets wet,will make rain fade an non-issue

 

[ROLLTIDE]

Might want to see if you can get your hands on a Super dish . I hear that there great in the rain .

 

[Tampa8]

In the real heavy afternoon storms I do lose signal for an average of four or five minutes. when more "normal" heavy rain comes I tend to lose the signal for one or two minutes before the actual rain starts and not during the rain.

 

[cdru]

In the real heavy afternoon storms I do lose signal for an average of four or five minutes. when more "normal" heavy rain comes I tend to lose the signal for one or two minutes before the actual rain starts and not during the rain.

Which makes sense. Rain fade isn't due to rain, but rather very dense clouds that block the signal. Once it starts to rain, the density of the clouds has to drop, so more signal can get through, restoring your picture.

 

[red hazard]

Cause of Rain Fade

The signal attenuation or outright loss is caused by the rain drops IN THE PATH THE SIGNAL TRAVERSES. Not necessarily at the location of the dish. The higher the rain rate, the more signal loss. KU-band is particularly susceptible because its physical wave length is a multiple of typical rain drop size in the troposphere. The rain drops converts the RF energy to heat through absorption. Reflection and refraction by the rain drops causes additional losses. The southeast of the U.S. has the highest rain rate zone on the continent. About the only method available to increase resistance to rain fade by the general DBS customer is a larger dish. Keeping coax runs short, peaking the dish position, using high quality connectors and coax can also help somewhat, but nothing helps during a torrential downpour.