Community Forums

StStg1 · 02-11-2010, 09:52 AM

Here I sit in Dallas. It's been snowing since 4am. I am aware that heavy overcast will block a Sat signal. My question is this. If the Sat dish is covered in snow, will that also block the Sat signal? Currently no signal, it is overcast and my Sat dish is covered. I have DerecTv ad have been plesed with the service.

Izzyblueye · 02-11-2010, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StStg1

Here I sit in Dallas. It's been snowing since 4am. I am aware that heavy overcast will block a Sat signal. My question is this. If the Sat dish is covered in snow, will that also block the Sat signal? Currently no signal, it is overcast and my Sat dish is covered. I have DerecTv ad have been plesed with the service.

Yes it will block your signal. I have had it happen to me several times. Just brush the snow off and the signal will pop back on. Now if it is still snowing the wet stuff hard enough, it will still stop your signal.

steelheadbluesman · 02-11-2010, 12:44 PM

Absolutely, even heavy rain will sometimes wipe out my dish signal. The only solution I've found is to somehow get it under cover so the snow doesn't hang on the dish. One thing I heard of, but have not personally tried yet, is to put a plastic bag over the dish, because the snow won't build up on the plastic, it slides off. So help me, a guy told me he did that and it worked.

If you try it, let us know the results, eh? Good luck, I know how frustrating that is!

powerboatr · 02-11-2010, 12:54 PM

mine is working and we got about 2" out here near lake fork, this morning walking around, my dish was clean with just a few traces of snow
in fact its warmed up enough to start melting it, but the snow is still falling at a rapid rate

sort of hard to see in the picture, but its pretty clean

HD4Mark · 02-11-2010, 01:04 PM

I have had to brush snow off my dish at home a few times but the RV hasn't been used much in that kind of weather. Thank goodness!

If you are using a house type dish like on a tripod there are covers made for them that still let the signal through and keep the snow off.

abarkl · 02-11-2010, 01:08 PM

Spray the dish itself with silicone lubricant to help the snow slide-off.

StStg1 · 02-11-2010, 03:36 PM

Thanks for the info. The snow is still comming down prety heavy. We have about 5"-6" on the ground. I think I will wait untill tomorrow to see about geting the snow off the dish since it's still heavy overcast here.

AFChap · 02-11-2010, 04:16 PM

We are on Lake Murvaul just SW of Carthage TX. Got about 2" today, most has melted off in the past couple of hours as it turned to rain. I've been using my rooftop Dish antenna all day with no problem ...guess it is close enough to vertical that is hasn't been a problem.

Someone mentioned silicone lubricant ...I imagine spray Lemon Pledge would do the job too. I tried it in the toilet bowl a couple of months ago and it has done a great job at keeping things clean there!!!

Bill Adams · 02-11-2010, 06:27 PM

It sounds like you might have a roof mounted dish or you would just go outside and sweep it off. If that's correct and it is an automatic Datastorm antenna you should be able to use the manual motor control to lower the dish until it is vertical (or past) and the snow should slide right off. Use the same control to raise it back to the starting elevation and you should go right back on-line.

MtManLee · 02-12-2010, 05:58 PM

We have had snow this year and rarely lost our internet or tv unless there were storms south of us. Only once have I lost it due to heavy snow on the dish and I think that was back in Dec.

PNWGirl · 02-12-2010, 06:54 PM

I have had DISH since 97. It has only lost signal twice, both times snow. Just brushed it off and walla, signal.

A few years ago we had a massive ice storm. Three inches of ice on the dish and a clean signal. Guess ice is okay.

One of the reasons that I love my satellite--it never goes out. My neighbor is always forgetting that I do not have cable and will call to ask if my cable is out.

Sheila

powerboatr · 02-12-2010, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PNWGirl

I have had DISH since 97.

that makes us Oldies, we first started ours in the end of 96

deadeye916 · 02-12-2010, 07:13 PM

Satellite Dish Covers

steelheadbluesman · 02-12-2010, 10:02 PM

Interesting link, Deadeye.

The site link you provided shows dish covers of PVC coated vinyl. Because they are a plastic sleeve, this solution adds another piece of gear to haul around and another step in the set-up. So, I'm wondering if anyone knows of a plastic/PVC spray? I appreciate the comments about silicone spray and lemon pledge, but I'd like a permanent fix. Any thoughts?