Strange signal level issues

[Andrew K]

For the past few weeks, my signal quality has been really low on certain channels. I couldn't get anything on 118.8W, the signal on everything was flakey on 125W and pixelated, and I couldn't receive the full amount of channels at 97W. I figured that with the heavy winds I'd been having, it may have moved the dish slightly. But when I turned the receiver on tonight, I have had no problems at all. The signal is excellent on everything... including the Phoenix locals at 118.8W. I'm not sure why all of a sudden it's working. Any ideas why?

 

[FaT Air]

Loose connection somewhere? I had similar a while back.

 

[Andrew K]

Loose connection somewhere? I had similar a while back.

Perhaps that was the problem. I know that I recently disconnected the coaxial cable on the receiver and reconnected it.

 

[oblio]

It could be a loose or wet connection or winds pushing on your dish to temporarily deflect it a bit or the dish/mast contracting - expanding with a temperature change or your box acting up or your local atmospherics or solar storm or bad conditions at the uplink sites ...or ..... or.... isn't this a wonderful hobby?

 

[Andrew K]

I'm hoping it was just a bad cable. I did recently switch coaxial cables that were attached to the receiver, so that may have been the issue. I just don't want to go back on the roof and spend too much time moving the dish. My wife hates it when I go up there, and the neighbors think I'm weird.

 

[Cham]

"and the neighbors think I'm weird"
All the more reason to go up there (if you get permission from your better half of course), but make sure you wear a tin foil hat!

 

[Tron]

I only go up on my roof to work on dishes at night when there's a full moon.

Am I weird? My neighbors think I'm beyond that. They're probably frightened, which is mildly amusing. But there's a method to my madness...

I work at night to avoid the hot Louisiana sun, and the glare on my LCD screen when I'm metering.
I work during a full moon so I have just enough soft light to see everything I'm doing.

 

[cyberham]

I only go up on my roof to work on dishes at night when there's a full moon....

I suspect it's the howling you do while up there that worries the neighbors most.

 

[Andrew K]

I prefer going up on the roof at night during the full moon also. I've done that frequently, but my wife would prefer I go up there during the day. I can see just fine up there. My neighbor saw me up on my roof at night putting up Christmas lights, and he walked up my driveway and said "what the heck are you doing up there", like I was some crazy guy. I didn't know what to say to him. Part of the reason I go up there at night is so I'm not noticed. My nosey neighbors need to mind their own business.