Freezing Rain/ NO SIGNAL!

[Nebugeater]

First time in 9 years I have had an issue with Ice was a week ago Saturday in Nebraska. I have DISH network. My dish had OVER 1/2" of ice coating it and a littel on the LNB. Lucky my dish is at an accessible level. It is attached to the base of my deck on the back of the house. Once I figured out what was going on about 1 gal of warm water and the problem was solved. Poured it slowly over the dish and the ice popped off in big chunks as the metal was warmed a bit. Was only out for about 20 Min. as I figured out what was going on. Cleared off the LNB too but that was after the picture was restored.

Went and looked at the dish because I have had snow buildup block the signal in the past. Maybe once or twice a year. If I was on the roof this would be avoided most times I guess but I am blocked from most wind with my install. For most things the install is a big ++++ so I will live with using a broom once or twice a year.

 

[osu1991]

Here are some shots from my office in Downtown Tulsa and around various places as I was surveying damage.

 

[charlesrshell]

Here are some shots from my office in Downtown Tulsa and around various places as I was surveying damage.

WOW, awesome. Thanks for sharing. We just mist it but St. Louis got hit too.

 

[DSpud]

Well just an update, today the ice melted away and my dish is ice free. Did a check switch, and all my sats popped back up. Checked signals, and they are all in the green, but not at the previous levels. my 118 tp 18 is at the 18-20 range. This has two of my HD locals on it that I watch often. So I went on the roof. It was the first time I went up there since the install. I realized that they mounted the 1000+ on the same pole my previous dish 500 was mounted on. (I know because i put it up and my "custom" caulking job could be seen.) So now I have several problems, first, I have a mount that I don't believe is strong enough for the dish, probably causing my dish to be weighed down and out of alignment every time I get ice or snow buildup. Also, my signal is weak, but still in the green. From past experience I know I will be told that the signal is "good enough" and I will have great trouble having someone come out and fix this. I really don't want to mess with the alignment myself as I don't know where to being moving it and I currently have tv and I know that if I start playing with it I may not have it when I am done. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS?

 

[osu1991]

Have someone watch the signal meter and you go up and just lift the edge of the dish up and down and side to side without loosening any bolts. If the signal goes up then you know where to move it.

 

[DSpud]

Wow, what great great information....Genius I tell ya!

 

[Jim5506]

Microwave signals are refracted by passing through miles of liquid water only--not ice and not snow.
The melting ice on the dish is not going to be enough to block a signal on a properly aligned and solidly mounted dish.
The problems are due to misalignment and, rarely, the ice weighing down the antenna so it's not aligned properly.

Water molecules absorb the radiation in the satellite range and ice is just as good at absorbing the radiation as water (also H2O) - it WILL cause LOS I've experienced it myself on my Dish 1000 that is excellently peaked. 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch of ice and shut you down. Melted the ice off with a hair dryer and bingo signal cameback.

 

[charlesrshell]

Is any kind of deice spray from the auto parts store OK to use? Will it not hurt the LNBs, etc.

 

[DSpud]

i would assume Deicer in a can would be fine for use. If you can use it on your car without risk of damaging anything it shouldn't be a problem on the dish.

 

[superdorf]

I tried deicer in a garden tank style sprayer... Got on the top of the ladder and sprayed the dish down with the deicer... It didn't work that great.

I filled the tank with hot water and had much better results, all the ice is gone now and the signal returned.

 

[charlesrshell]

i would assume Deicer in a can would be fine for use. If you can use it on your car without risk of damaging anything it shouldn't be a problem on the dish.

OK, thanks

 

[aegrotatio]

Water molecules absorb the radiation in the satellite range and ice is just as good at absorbing the radiation as water (also H2O) - it WILL cause LOS I've experienced it myself on my Dish 1000 that is excellently peaked. 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch of ice and shut you down. Melted the ice off with a hair dryer and bingo signal cameback.

It's not the molecules, it's the phase that they're in.
Ice water does not refract the same way as liquid water. Ice is also less dense than liquid water and will not refract the microwave signal. 11-12 GHz passes through ice and snow like they do not exist.

That much ice on a dish and dish arm will bend it slightly and misalign it enough to lose your signal.
Thanks for your idea, but it's not correct. Your signal problems are not from passing through ice and snow.

Thanks anyway but no cigar.

I have an FTA dish that gets coated with ice. Pushing it to re-aim it gets the same signal strength as if there were no ice and snow on it.

Your problems lie elsewhere.