? Reception Dish Network

[Justa]

I would like to go with Dish Network, for the channel lineup and pricing. I'm concerned with all the negetive comments from friends, co-workers and neighbors. I haven't found one person who recommends Dish. They all claim wind, lite rain, lite snow, partly cloudy etc will cause problems.

Is it really that bad? Is there a clause in the contract for the option to cancel contract without penalty if reception is unacceptible?

I'm located in Omaha, Nebraska area, and the dish would be mounted on a detached garage.

 

[coinmaster32]

If dish comes out and they can't find a signal, then there is no charge.

BOTH directv and dish will go out in a very heavy rain. One is not better that the other. If the dish is mounted on the house, and not on a pole, then wind is not an issue.

If a dish goes out in wind, clouds, or lite rain, then it was not installed properly and needs adjusted.

 

[navychop]

My Dish service has been far more reliable than my previous cable. It's why I shifted.

 

[satelitegangster]

If it is done right it will work right. Same with dtv.

 

[Tampa8]

As mentioned in very heavy rain you can lose the signal, but then for a very short time. It's not so much while it's raining, more as the storm head passes between you and the satellite.
Just like navychop, cable in my area goes out FAR more often and FAR longer - in fact in just one year cable goes out longer and more often than in the total of over 10 years I have had dish. No exggeration.

 

[coinmaster32]

As mentioned in very heavy rain you can lose the signal, but then for a very short time. It's not so much while it's raining, more as the storm head passes between you and the satellite.
Just like navychop, cable in my area goes out FAR more often and FAR longer - in fact in just one year cable goes out longer and more often than in the total of over 10 years I have had dish. No exggeration.

Actually it does have to do with rain.

What causes signal attenuation is mainly wave absorption by the rain drops. There is also some signal scattering, due to refraction and diffraction of electromagnetic waves in and around rain drops. Very heavy snow can also affect signal quality, but it is generally less likely to interfere.

 

[Tampa8]

Actually - NO. It's exactly as I stated, not so much when it's raining, but the stormhead. Rarely, and I mean almost never do I lose the signal during a rainstorm beyond the two minutes or so for the stormehead to pass. It has to be some of the heaviest rain we ever get to lose the signal beyond the stormhead. Yes that is the technical reasons why, but most people do not lose the signal during a rainstorm, but rather as I stated unless their dish is not aligned properly.

 

[3HaloODST]

Actually it does have to do with rain.

What causes signal attenuation is mainly wave absorption by the rain drops. There is also some signal scattering, due to refraction and diffraction of electromagnetic waves in and around rain drops. Very heavy snow can also affect signal quality, but it is generally less likely to interfere.

While most of what you said is true, the rain drops that actually fall to the ground are too large to interfere. It is the droplets in the clouds that cause attenuation.

Sent from my iPhone 4S using SatelliteGuys

 

[dare2be]

While most of what you said is true, the rain drops that actually fall to the ground are too large to interfere. It is the droplets in the clouds that cause attenuation.

Sent from my iPhone 4S using SatelliteGuys

And it's the fact that the droplets in the clouds are more condensed and block a much longer linear path of the signal. It takes quite a large cloud head to interfere significantly with the signal. That's why it only occurs on very large storm cloud heads, as Tampa mentioned.

 

[garys]

I have my dish on a 14 ft. pole which is also attached to a tree, extreme winds will pull it far enough to lose signal and most of that is the wind pushing the tree more that the pushing of the pole and dish. I didn't lose signal from winds during Hurricane Sandy's first night (at least until my power went out anyway.)

 

[boba]

I would like to go with Dish Network, for the channel lineup and pricing. I'm concerned with all the negetive comments from friends, co-workers and neighbors. I haven't found one person who recommends Dish. They all claim wind, lite rain, lite snow, partly cloudy etc will cause problems.

Is it really that bad? Is there a clause in the contract for the option to cancel contract without penalty if reception is unacceptible?

I'm located in Omaha, Nebraska area, and the dish would be mounted on a detached garage.

Located in Omaha you are near the geographic center of the continent. That also puts you near the strongest signal on a conus signal. You also are in a good area for storms moving from Ca. to the east coast. Florida will probably have more storm failures than you will but you won't have a problem with a correctly installed system.

 

[Justa]

Thanks for the response. I can't make a mistake on this with a very limited income. Currently have Cox so I could watch debates and election ($72/month no box, nothing but cable connected directely to tv). I've already made call for disconnect, but looking for a reasonable alternative.

Any ideas for finding a good installer? I just looked in local paper and thrifty nickel but only found the 800#.

The installers in this area must be doing a lousy job, I drove around and found dtv everywhere. One house had both, with the dish network disconnected and the dish still mounted on pole in the yard.

 

[KAB]

I don't believe I have lost signal more than once in the last year...and that was for two or three minutes at most.

 

[Tampa8]

Thanks for the response. I can't make a mistake on this with a very limited income. Currently have Cox so I could watch debates and election ($72/month no box, nothing but cable connected directely to tv). I've already made call for disconnect, but looking for a reasonable alternative.

Any ideas for finding a good installer? I just looked in local paper and thrifty nickel but only found the 800#.

You don't need to find your own installer. Go directly through Dish. (Or you can use a DIRT member here who is a CSR for Dish). You will get the new subscriber discounts that you qualify for, and dish does the instillation.
I totally get the limited income, and even more can recommend Dish. But just to be fair, there is nothing wrong with Direct TV either if for some reason you want them. But for goodness sakes, drop Cable.

 

[Teehar]

The only time we lose signal is from heavy thunderstorm heads,or wet snow.The t/storms usually pass pretty quick.The wet snow you have to either sweep it off or a high pressure squirt gun can do wonders.Still signal loss should not be a problem for most.

 

[KAB]

As was mentioned in another thread/similar subject....friends and co-workers being brainwashed by the cable commercials.

 

[JSheridan]

I would like to go with Dish Network, for the channel lineup and pricing. I'm concerned with all the negetive comments from friends, co-workers and neighbors. I haven't found one person who recommends Dish. They all claim wind, lite rain, lite snow, partly cloudy etc will cause problems.

Is it really that bad? Is there a clause in the contract for the option to cancel contract without penalty if reception is unacceptible?

I'm located in Omaha, Nebraska area, and the dish would be mounted on a detached garage.

Sounds like somebody did a bunch of crappy Dish installs and gave Dish a bad name in your area. Go with a local dealer and get a good install and you'll be happy.

 

[gadgtfreek]

While most of what you said is true, the rain drops that actually fall to the ground are too large to interfere. It is the droplets in the clouds that cause attenuation.

Sent from my iPhone 4S using SatelliteGuys

Exactly, I live in the rainiest, if not one of the rainiest cities in the country. When mine goes out (rare), its during those summer boomers and thick clouds over head. No rain is falling, its just the dense clouds. It confuses some people because they wont lose signal when its pouring.

 

[mmcl26554]

Even if you do get a less than optimal installation or over time the settings degrade, re-peaking the dish is not rocket science. If you can turn a wrench, have a pair of family service walkie talkies and someone to watch the signal at the TV it is rather easy to do it.
Michael

 

[gadgtfreek]

Ive installed my own dish for both Directv and Dish, even a Dish two dish install. First time for each was a little nerve racking, but good reading on these forums and the right tools, its really not hard.