Switching to EA - signal strengths?

[lparsons21]

I'm currently on the WA, but will be switched to EA this afternoon.

My current signal strengths are :

110 & 119 = 50's to very low 60's on most TPs
129 = Mid 20's to mid 30's on most TPs

One of the things that has always been an issue is with 129. Doesn't take much of a rain or cloud cover to kill it. Part of that is because of a pesky tree in my neighbors yard which is just partially blocking the LOS this year.

With the EA I have a clear and better LOS with nary a tree in site. So what can I expect for signal strengths?

thanks

 

[Voyager6]

You can get a good idea of what your SS should be from this thread. Look for the posts with the 1000.4 dish. Most of the complaints with the EA dish so far have centered on low 61.5 readings.

 

[lparsons21]

Thanks for the link.

I noticed that the 61.5 readings are certainly better than I get on 129 by at least 10 points. Isn't 61.5 where the most national HD is? With 77 being mostly spot beams for locals? What does 72 provide, SD?

On my current setup, I notice that signals from 119/110 are good enough that it takes a pretty good rain or cloud cover to kill them off. But they are in the 50's to 60's as I noted and from that link, it appears that 61.5 will be around that level too.

 

[Voyager6]

Thanks for the link.

I noticed that the 61.5 readings are certainly better than I get on 129 by at least 10 points. Isn't 61.5 where the most national HD is? With 77 being mostly spot beams for locals? What does 72 provide, SD?

On my current setup, I notice that signals from 119/110 are good enough that it takes a pretty good rain or cloud cover to kill them off. But they are in the 50's to 60's as I noted and from that link, it appears that 61.5 will be around that level too.

E-12 at 61.5 is the spotbeam sat. 72.7 and 77 are both ConUS sats for now. The National HD programming is coming from 61.5 and 72.7 with locals coming from all three. See TheList for all the programming.

 

[brownover]

Thanks for the link.

I noticed that the 61.5 readings are certainly better than I get on 129 by at least 10 points. Isn't 61.5 where the most national HD is? With 77 being mostly spot beams for locals? What does 72 provide, SD?

On my current setup, I notice that signals from 119/110 are good enough that it takes a pretty good rain or cloud cover to kill them off. But they are in the 50's to 60's as I noted and from that link, it appears that 61.5 will be around that level too.

72 provides a lot of ea hd and dish is planning to transition even more to that satellite in the next 12 months. All of the newest hd channels are on 72.5. Click on "the list" at top of page, click on subscription list, click on 72.5 and it will tell you on the hd channels on 72.5

 

[lparsons21]

Well, the installation is done and I'm very well pleased.

The TPs I looked at on all 3 birds are above 54 and that is about what my 110/119 was, but the 129 was about 1/2 that. So rain fade on HD channels should be much less often. That's a big plus.

Thanks for the info about where things are on these birds and the link to 'the list'.

The installation was smooth as could be. They were able to use a very old mast that had once been for the 61.5 wingdish in the early HD days, so no new holes. A bit of cable rerouting and all is good.

The 612 works just great and I know my son will be tickled to have HD now.

 

[lparsons21]

I don't know if this is just wishful thinking or not, but it seems that the SD is a bit better on the EA.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I don't know if this is just wishful thinking or not, but it seems that the SD is a bit better on the EA.

It is better. I have said that for over two years now. The sd in mpeg 4 looks better to me than western arc mpeg 2. Others will argue that the picture resolution is higher on western arc than eastern arc ,but I feel the mpeg 4 compression is kinder to sd than mpeg 2.

 

[lparsons21]

Thanks for the feedback Mike. Glad to know it isn't just my mind tricking me!!!

 

[MikeD-C05]

Your welcome. I only hope that someday there will be NO sd on either arc and all will be in hd.

 

[cloudy]

Stupid question probably, but the direction are the EA in, when viewing from Minnesota?

 

[srcronk]

Stupid question probably, but the direction are the EA in, when viewing from Minnesota?

It's not a stupid question. Go the TheList! (3rd tab from the left), click on satellite angle calculator, and enter your zip code. That'll give you all the information you need.

 

[cloudy]

"TheList"?

 

[Mr Tony]

SatelliteGuys.US_TheList - TheList

it has a list of channels on Dish, Direct and free to air along with a sat calculator.

Here in MN the EA dish is aimed SSE around 150 degrees south (I'm south of you near Mystic Lake...always hit that damn light in Zimmerman at Holiday when going to the cabin on Mille Lacs)

 

[cloudy]

SatelliteGuys.US_TheList - TheList

it has a list of channels on Dish, Direct and free to air along with a sat calculator.

Here in MN the EA dish is aimed SSE around 150 degrees south (I'm south of you near Mystic Lake...always hit that damn light in Zimmerman at Holiday when going to the cabin on Mille Lacs)

based on "dishpointer.com", it looks like the 61.5 is more like SE, and the 72.6 and 77 are more SSE. But regardless, if it is correct, I should be ok as long as I can get the guy to more my dish from the top of the house, to the front of the garage.

Whoa wait. You have a cabin on Mille Lacs? Wow. That's awesome.
I just started fishing again this year (first time in 20 years). That's an amazing lake for fishing.