Satellite reception in Alaska

[cncjim]

I'm planning a trip to Alaska.
What can my friends out there tell me about sattelite reception?
I have a Winegard dome on top of the MH but have not contracted with Dish net or Direct TV as yet.
Do either give a signal in Alaska?
Regards,
cncjim.

[Bill Adams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cncjim I'm planning a trip to Alaska. What can my friends out there tell me about sattelite reception? I have a Winegard dome on top of the MH but have not contracted with Dish net or Direct TV as yet. Do either give a signal in Alaska? Regards, cncjim.

You will not be able to get satellite TV with a dome antenna in AK from either Dish or Direct. You might be able to get a signal with an open face antenna mounted on the roof (for additional height) but even then it might be difficult as you will need to be well away from any trees or other obstructions as the satellite in only about 15-18 degrees above the horizon. You will see much larger antenna on homes and on tripods up there (usually around 30") and the antenna looks like it is pointing at the ground due to the low look angle.

[Denali]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cncjim I'm planning a trip to Alaska. What can my friends out there tell me about sattelite reception? I have a Winegard dome on top of the MH but have not contracted with Dish net or Direct TV as yet. Do either give a signal in Alaska? Regards, cncjim.

Your dome antenna won't work once you get a couple hundred miles north of the US border. We switch to our standard 18" Dish 500 antenna (with Dish network) after that. Once past Prince George, BC, we use a single-LNB 30" dish. With Dish Network, that will work all the way up to Fairbanks, providing you have a clear shot at the satellite.

Aside from the weak signal up there, getting a shot at the satellite is problematic in the Yukon and in Alaska. In Anchorage, the Dish 119 satellite is only 16 degrees above the horizon, and the DirecTV 110 is only 10 degrees above the horizon. That means that all those mountains up there block the view of the satellite in much of the state. In the east side of Anchorage itself there is no satellite reception because of the Chugach Mountains.