I live in Maine and have difficulty receiving HD on the 110 satellite. The best reading by the installer D sent out and later from a local installer was about 55 during perfect weather. There are several HD channels I receive only on perfectly clear nights. After complaining to Directv about this, they credited me with $200 so that I could purchase a larger dish. I got a Channelmaster 36x24 inch dish. I have not yet installed it because I must attach it to a pipe embedded in concrete in my front yard. When the ground thaws in April I will do so. Has anyone of you gone to a larger dish, and if so have you received better reception from the satellites? Just curious.
Can't get HD
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Channel Master Dish
I live in an area of Alabama that is white for digital and analog and due to frequent heavy rains and trees there is frequent rain fade with the 18 inch Phase III dish.
I switched to the 36x24 Channel Master Gainmaster dish and it significantly reduced rain fade. It has to be a "frog strangler " with very limited visibility for me to lose signal. I also get 95-100% signal strength (Samsung TRS160)on all transponders of any use to me and no less than 60 on the other spot beams that are visible to the dish.
I got my dish from Solid Signal but they could not provide me with the adapter to attach to a pipe. Took me forever and dealing with the mfg to get the proper adapter. I mounted it on a 4"x6" pressure treated post plumbed and embedded in the ground about 18 inches. Works great although I now have the adapter but have not installed it yet.
I live in an area of Alabama that is white for digital and analog and due to frequent heavy rains and trees there is frequent rain fade with the 18 inch Phase III dish.
I switched to the 36x24 Channel Master Gainmaster dish and it significantly reduced rain fade. It has to be a "frog strangler " with very limited visibility for me to lose signal. I also get 95-100% signal strength (Samsung TRS160)on all transponders of any use to me and no less than 60 on the other spot beams that are visible to the dish.
I got my dish from Solid Signal but they could not provide me with the adapter to attach to a pipe. Took me forever and dealing with the mfg to get the proper adapter. I mounted it on a 4"x6" pressure treated post plumbed and embedded in the ground about 18 inches. Works great although I now have the adapter but have not installed it yet.
FWIW ... I have been buying our posts from the local fence dealer. They have the correct diameter posts for every dish we have come across. Was in griping the other day about our 44" frost line for a DiRECWAY install we were most likely going to have to jack hammer. He had the answer in the form of a Rhino & air compressor. Took a 12' x 2 3/8" pipe with two 8" anti-spin rebar pieces (crosswise) and drove it through the frost into the ground 7' in less than five minutes. Just before it was set we attached a sheet metal device (used in fence construction) for anti-spin/sway at the top. She's solid and then some.
Bottom line is this, if you need a correct diameter post installed in winter, call a fence guy for a price. If you can time it with another job they might be doing nearby you could probably save yourself some dough.
Bottom line is this, if you need a correct diameter post installed in winter, call a fence guy for a price. If you can time it with another job they might be doing nearby you could probably save yourself some dough.
Your rather unorthodox solution sounds great. However, a few inches below the ground here is solid granite ledge( an old granite quarry). The way I am going to approachit is to imbed threaded rod in concrete and using a pipe flange, plumb the pipe before attaching the dish. A 2" od pipe will work just fine. Glad to hear that the larger dish works well. I have the dish ready to go, but I don't like the cable arrangement as the cables go from the raceway tube to the LNB. The LNBs should be enclosed as in the 18x20 dish. Oh well, as long as it works well, I shouldn't complain. Thanks for your info.
No, I have a clear view a mile across a bay before encountering trees and houses. I checked the pipe I attached the dish to and it is almost plumb, but just a fraction off. Since you sue skew or tilt to get the 110 satellite, I'll bet that the pipe would have to be perfectly plumb. Plumb is not a problem for 101 and 119 because you can adjust your dish up and down and side to side. Am I right on this?
I live in PA and have buildings all around me and I get signal strength in the high 90's on all 3 sats. I have my dish mounted on my third floor roof. The HD sat sits so low that you need to be kinda high up to recieve the best signal. Especially for you since you live even further north than I do.
I don.t get it
If I have a clear view of the satellite, what does it matter how high or low my dish is? It reminds me of the Peanuts cartoon where Lucy stands on a chair so that she can see the moon better.
If I have a clear view of the satellite, what does it matter how high or low my dish is? It reminds me of the Peanuts cartoon where Lucy stands on a chair so that she can see the moon better.
rock on rappy I love that comparison.
you know... why not just mount the larger dish on your existing mount. Why are you setting a pipe and all that BS?
you know... why not just mount the larger dish on your existing mount. Why are you setting a pipe and all that BS?
Good question
The pipe's diameter is too small for the mounting flange on the bigger dish. Also, it is not perfectly plumb. The pipe must be plumb because there is no adjustment of the dish once you mount it on a pipe, only when you mount it on wood because the wood mounting adjustable bracket must come off when you mount on a pipe. Do I make any sense?
The pipe's diameter is too small for the mounting flange on the bigger dish. Also, it is not perfectly plumb. The pipe must be plumb because there is no adjustment of the dish once you mount it on a pipe, only when you mount it on wood because the wood mounting adjustable bracket must come off when you mount on a pipe. Do I make any sense?
hmmm just seems that you'd be able to adjust the angle up - down , left - right, and the rotation of the dish also, regardless of the mount.
But hey... I didnt climb on the roof to hook mine up, so I'm probably talkin' outta my ass.
But hey... I didnt climb on the roof to hook mine up, so I'm probably talkin' outta my ass.
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