The Solid Signal Blog

The spirit of DIY satellite television is not dead! Every day we have people call Solid Signal because they’re trying to improve their satellite TV system. Most are customers of either DIRECTV or DISH, but there are still some enthusiasts out there working with the older-style C-Band “FTA” dishes. No matter how you get video from the sky, it’s pretty cool that a hobby like this is still thriving 40 years after home satellite television became possible. However, because satellite TV has been around for so long, it’s possible to find a lot of information that’s out-of-date or confusing. This blog has is now in its 18th year and I try to make sure that the really old stuff is weeded out, but with 10,000 articles it’s always possible that...

In the age of generative artificial intelligence, clip art seems like a remnant of a long gone civilization. Today with just a short sentence you can get a very convincing image of virtually anything you want. Here’s the proof. I gave the words “sparkly rainbow muffin” to Photoshop. I got this back in under 30 seconds. But, it wasn’t always like that. Until very recently, if you wanted to show something, you needed a photo of it. Before that, you probably used some sort of illustration, or as it was called in the 1990s, clip art. Clip art is a very interesting thing that’s pretty much disappeared with the exception of the occasional company newsletter. I remember when it was a must-have for anyone who did any sort of design...

Fixed Wireless Internet. I started talking about it years ago. Here’s an article from 2019 when I was already saying it was late in coming. It’s a really cool idea… dump the cable company, put a simple device in your home, and you have internet. When there is more than one choice for internet, the competition makes everyone better and the customer wins. I’ll admit that fixed wireless internet has had a slow start. But here in 2024, it’s the hot new thing that everyone wants. All the major providers are working on fixed wireless options, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the dominant way people get internet at home by 2030. Is fixed wireless internet the right option for you? Wireless internet isn’t available everywhere. It...

An old teacher of mine was fond of saying, “just because you’re right, doesn’t also mean I can’t be right.” This was their way of saying that two things can be true if they don’t necessarily contradict each other. Why do I bring this up? Because here are two things that could possibly be true: You can travel the country in your RV and enjoy yourself. Your RV could be owned by a corporation and you could be getting great tax benefits. Now here’s the thing I want to say right off the top: I’m not a tax attorney. In fact, you should never take financial advice from anyone in the internet, even if they are a tax attorney. But I know enough to try to point you in the right direction. Got it? Let’s get started. Owning an RV through a...

Generally when I talk about Gemini on this blog I’m talking about the DIRECTV products that have come out in the last year or so. But, they’re far from the only things called Gemini. Google’s new AI is called Gemini, and so are a lot of other things. The word “Gemini” is Latin for “twins” and it’s been used for a lot of products over the years. That doesn’t explain why DIRECTV uses it for a single receiver but that’s another whole story. There’s another Gemini, though, and it’s over 40 years old. Say hello to Gemini. The 1983 Gemini, that is. This game console, which came out in 1983, probably doesn’t seem familiar to you even if you were there back then. Yet, its story is not only interesting, it’s also sort of still important...

Thanks to Signal Pro Rob Young for this suggestion! Now that DIRECTV’s H26K Commercial Receiver is in wide release, the questions have been pouring in. I’ve created this document to answer as many questions as I can in a quick, easy-to-use guide. What is so special about the H26K? H26K is DIRECTV’s first truly new receiver since 2015’s H44 Genie Lite. It’s also the first receiver from DIRECTV that is intended only for the commercial market. Prior to the introduction of the H26K, all of DIRECTV’s commercial receivers were simply versions of their residential receivers with different software. The H26K is designed around the needs of commercial customers with multiple mounting options, easy Ethernet networking, and the ability to take...

Reprinted with permission from the weBoost blog. If your business building has trouble maintaining a strong and reliable cellular signal for employees and visitors, chances are Wilson Electronics has a permanent solution for you. If you’re familiar with us, you know we manufacture two different brands of wireless signal amplification systems: weBoost and WilsonPro. But which one is the best fit for you? Here’s the short answer: weBoost for Business products are turnkey, kitted solutions for small and medium-sized businesses WilsonPro systems are more comprehensive and scalable, individually designed for the unique needs of large commercial or enterprise organizations If you’re still unsure which one is best for you, we’ll give...

I personally really like the DIRECTV Gemini remote. It’s light and it balances really well in your hand. There’s just enough backlight to make it usable and it does away with a lot of unnecesary buttons. I even like that it’s dark in color so it’s not going to look grimy. I’m a little surprised but a lot of folks call Solid Signal saying they don’t know how to change the battery in their Gemini remote. But after doing it, I can see where some of the confusion comes from. So here’s a little guide to changing the batteries. If you’re having trouble opening the back hatch, you probably have the type of remote shown below. There’s another kind, which is much easier to open. Step 1: Find the battery hatch. The battery compartment on the...

For the high-end yacht owner, Starlink is turning out to be a must-have accessory. It’s not a replacement for satellite TV, that’s to be sure. But, it’s still something you’ll want to have. It gives you high-speed internet that’s going to be as close to the “at-home” experience as you’re going to get. But then again, I probably don’t have to sell you on Starlink at this point. If you already have Starlink, please skip down a few paragraphs, because I want to quickly cover what makes this system different and why it’s not a replacement for satellite TV. What is Starlink and why is it so special? Starlink is the first service in a new generation of satellite-based internet. Traditionally, satellite internet meant launching a satellite...

A couple of weeks ago, we were contacted by an installer who wanted to get back into satellite television. All over the country, people are flocking back to satellite since streaming costs have gotten so high. A satellite TV plan gives you the ability to add streaming apps, often at no charge, and also gives you hundreds of channels full of the shows you want to watch. This installer told us he did a lot of DIRECTV and DISH installs in the early 2010s and still had all his old equipment. When he fired up his old Accutrac meter, it didn’t work for him. He didn’t give a lot of details, but a lot of that sort of equipment can fail over time if the batteries and capacitors start to leak. Leaky batteries and capacitors are a major problem...

When Frontier RV Resort needed help, they reached out to the experts! Signal Connect was able to completely overhaul their internet infrastructure not once, but twice! After years of being “behind the times,” they are now the local leader in providing great tech to the RVs in their park. At first it was all about Wi-Fi. Bill Fischer of Frontier RV Resort reached out to Signal Connect in 2021 to get help setting up a park-wide Wi-Fi system. Visitors to the park often complain about poor cell service at the park, and park-wide Wi-Fi is the best answer in cases like that. Robert Young, Enterprise Sales Lead, took the call. It wasn’t long before Robert realized the real problem: their existing internet wasn’t going to be able to keep up...

March 17-23, 1990 This week Ken welcomes old friend, comedian Esther Ku. Ken and Ku discuss how long it has been since they’ve talked to each other, starting comedy in Boston, moving to NYC, how we all have a different path, working in marketing, growing up in Chicago, Last Comic Standing, how dues are different, hosting the AVN Porn Awards, working blue, dirty jokes, not taking advice, how what you talk about on stage is way racier than how you live your life, playing piano, growing up in an evangelical home, Sharpie, The Simpsons, Simpsons stuffed animals, St. Patrick’s Day, The Franklin Mint, bootleg Jesus, manipulation, Foxy Boxing, Readers Digest and Time magazine, Loveline, The Real World, The Jamie Foxx Show, Once Bitten...

DIRECTV is the acknowledged 4K leader. Their four 4K channels give you more live 4K programming than anyone else, and that includes streaming apps. There’s plenty of content on 4K channels 103-106 that you can’t get anywhere else, not even on other DIRECTV channels. When something is available in 4K and also in HD, the quality of the 4K feed is always better… …that is if you can watch the 4K feed If you have a DIRECTV Genie client or older receiver, you won’t be able to watch the 4K channels at all. 4K requires a lot more processing and it uses a more advanced compression scheme than HD. Your typical older DIRECTV box just can’t do it. It’s not programmed to be able to handle that kind of information. So, if you see something on a 4K...

Why not get free energy from the sun? Solar technology has evolved massively in the last few years. It’s come down in price and it’s gotten a lot more efficient. In the past where you might have needed 200 square feet of solar panels to provide electricity to your RV, now it can be done with a lot less. It’s finally become possible to bring solar panels with you so you can have electricity wherever you go, even with the RV’s engine turned off. First, of course, you’ll need the solar panels Solid Signal has a decent selection of solar panels, of course. You may also want to check with local solar vendors because a lot of times there are rebates that can apply to your area. Make sure you work with someone reliable, though. Sadly there’s...

The future of internet is wireless. I think we all know that. Here’s how one company is making it happen today. Listen, shop at https://www.solidsignal.com, and call 888-233-7563 for real customer service! Listen to the podcast your way! Just choose one of the following: Option 1: Click on the image above to stream the podcast in your browser. If you use the YouTube player above, be sure to subscribe to get future videos delivered to you! Option 2: The Solid Signal Podcast is available on several podcast aggregators. Search for us, or tap on the links below on your mobile device. If you want us to add another aggregator leave a comment below. Amazon iTunes Overcast TuneIn Spreaker Player.fm Spotify Option 3: Download the podcast in...