Signal Levels

[DetFan]

What is generally a good signal level? How is everyones signal in rain?
Mine has progressively gotten worse this summer when it rains, used to eb only a really really heavy rain would make it go out, but now its almost like the clouds getting dark, or wind, I just dont get it..

Anyway, what is a good level in general? Wondering IF I need to have them come adjust my dish. or maybe move to the other side of the house, it almos seems like it coinsides with the trees behind us getting leaves this summer, although the dish is not directly in the line of them..

Thanks

 

[iwc5893]

D* tells us as techs that anything above 70 is acceptable, but the higher the better. For the most part, you should be able to get signals in the upper 80's to lower 90's on most transponders on all sats.

I've seen signal strengths as low as 50 that will still get reception, unless the weather was bad.

 

[Jimbo]

What is generally a good signal level? How is everyones signal in rain?
Mine has progressively gotten worse this summer when it rains, used to eb only a really really heavy rain would make it go out, but now its almost like the clouds getting dark, or wind, I just dont get it..

Anyway, what is a good level in general? Wondering IF I need to have them come adjust my dish. or maybe move to the other side of the house, it almos seems like it coinsides with the trees behind us getting leaves this summer, although the dish is not directly in the line of them..

Thanks

Mine are in the mid 90's
IF your dish is in a reasonable spot, go out and put slight pressure on one side of the dish and then the other and top and bottom and see if it goes up or down.
DO NOT LOOSEN ANYTHING WHEN YOU DO THIS.

If it gets alot better then I would suggest adjusting it or having it adjusted.
Also you mentioned that it gets worse when the trees have leaves on them, that said, I would trim the trees or move the dish if you need a better signal.

Jimbo

 

[DetFan]

Mine are in the mid 90's
IF your dish is in a reasonable spot, go out and put slight pressure on one side of the dish and then the other and top and bottom and see if it goes up or down.
DO NOT LOOSEN ANYTHING WHEN YOU DO THIS.

If it gets alot better then I would suggest adjusting it or having it adjusted.
Also you mentioned that it gets worse when the trees have leaves on them, that said, I would trim the trees or move the dish if you need a better signal.

Jimbo

Well the trees are not mine, they in a yard a few houses behind me so I cannot trim them. I think the dish just needs to further up the roof, and I would be willing to bet the signal would increase tremedously. Its not terrible, but I think settling for a high 70 to mid 80 signal is below what the standard should be.

I will test your theory though and see what it gets me.

 

[dcwebman]

Just to confirm what Jimbo said, my signal strength is in the mid-90's too and actually I'm hitting 98-100 on satellite 119. From all the installations I've had in the past 13 years, you should easily be able to get in the upper 80's and above.

 

[tdenton1138]

I don't know what D* needs to lock on as mine are in the 90s, but my OTA signal strengths are only in the 45%-50% range and work like a charm even at that level.