Dish Satellite Angles in Canada

[Chief]

Am leaving coastal ga for Canada/Alaska via Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier NP in the US and Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper in Canada.

DW asked if we would be able to receive Dish Network channels in Canada/Alaska? This question raised the question as to how would one obtain satellite angles when no zip code is available (Canada)?

Does anyone have experience with this issue? I don't know, maybe Canada uses zip codes. Is so, then the question becomes "Will Dish Network receivers recognize Canadian zip codes"?

[JCM]

Do you have a dome or a dish?
You can use it with manual controlls and tune it in. Once you find it - make a note of the elevation and direction is aprox south east.
You could even set it up just before you cross the rawhide curtain and make note of the above specs. Your elevation should drop the farther north you go.

[Chief]

JCM, Have a portable dish.

Have always relied on the "menu" angles but your suggestion of keeping track of the last known angles and adjusting for more southeasterly movement as we travel west and less elevation as we travel north should work as long as I can guess at the correct skew angle. Thanks!!!

[Bill Adams]

If is unlikely that you will not be able to receive the Dish Network signal while in the Eastern and Central Canadian Provinces due to the weak signal. Canada does have Postal Codes but they are of no use with a US receiver. You might want to check to see if you can enter your location (Lat/Long) instead of a zip code. Additionally, pointing information is available on line that will get you the correct pointing parameters. If you won't have an internet connection available there are some sites where you can print out the approx. parameters based upon a variety of locations.

[HMXDave]

A dome dish might be able to get DN in the southern part of the provinces....but up around central Alberta (where I live) I need a 36" dish to get 119. Canada uses "postal codes", ie:T4N 5B5....and since DN isn't legally used in Canada, the receivers will not give you azimuth and inclination data up here. Get the zip for Kalispell, MT and that should get you close while you are in Banff/Lake Louise. You likely won't get signal in Jasper as it is farther north.

[wa8yxm]

It depends on how far into Canada you get

You may wish to download a program such as DSLookangle (which you can get from the datastorm users group, google it) or another antenna pointing program that uses Lat & Long from your GPS instead of zip code.

Then you basically skip the zip code when you set up

[hamguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Am leaving coastal ga for Canada/Alaska via Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier NP in the US and Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper in Canada. DW asked if we would be able to receive Dish Network channels in Canada/Alaska? This question raised the question as to how would one obtain satellite angles when no zip code is available (Canada)? Does anyone have experience with this issue? I don't know, maybe Canada uses zip codes. Is so, then the question becomes "Will Dish Network receivers recognize Canadian zip codes"?

Simple answer is that the angle is so low that you need a totally clear horizon for the dish. That means no trees, no mountains,, no cars, etc. Plus, the beam from the satellite diminishes as you go north. So, in Alberta, you lose signal, for all practical purposes at about Calgary.

Remember, the satellite is directly above the equator and ~23,000 miles out.

When we travelled to Alaska, we suffered Canadian cable (when available). I must say, I love our Canadian neighbors but if I had to suffer with their TV fare, I would slit my throat.

[Bill Adams]

As an aside, the DirecTV signal is much stronger much farther into Canada due to the more centrally located satellite and the way the beam has been adjusted. DirecTV service is available to Jasper and possibly higher farther with an open face antenna while it will likely only go as far as Lake Louise with a dome.
I would not expect to receive the Dish Network signal in any of these areas with any standard size dish.