How sensitive is a dish to tree branches?

[underscore]

I've been experiencing degraded picture quality on many channels since the spring. There's a tree slowly growing into the line of site of the dish, but it doesn't quite seem like it'd be having an affect on signal yet. But maybe it is. The dish still looks aligned with the numbers is should be aligned at. Here are some signal stats from central Maryland. I'm debating just sucking it up and having DirecTV come out to move the dish (the moving part is easy, I just wouldn't want to risk not being able to re-align it).

101

96 90 95 92 92 98 95 98
91 92 94 91 91 98 91 97
88 10094 87 95 99 95 98
92 88 95 0 96 99 95 100

99c

68 73 73 69 74 64 65 73
69 73 65 73 74 75 NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

99s
0  61  0  0 60 73 NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA 79 53
0  0  57 58 50 36 82 81
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

103s
0  0  0  0  0  0  NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA 82 85
0  0  88 89  0 24 51 82
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

103ca
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
70 61 71 65 66 56 68 58
67 51 69 49 64 48 69 49
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

103cb
77 72 75 72 75 72 73 72
73 71 73 70 72 72 NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

 

[raoul5788]

With the ss numbers on 101 looking good, but off on both 99 and 103, I'm thinking the dish is in need of alignment.

 

[Daddy Dithers]

I agree that a re-alignment would be 1st choice of action. Lots easier than moving the dish and worth a try. We can't see your particular situation so its speculation to an extent. If the 101's numbers were better (they should be) and the numbers were low on the 99 OR the 103 then a tree filling out would more likely be the culprit.

 

[phlatwound]

You may already know this, but just in case you don't........your dish is actually "looking" 20-25 degrees higher than it appears it is, since it is an offset dish. It can appear to be looking directly into some foilage, when in actuality it is looking way over the top of the obstruction.

 

[raoul5788]

I agree that a re-alignment would be 1st choice of action. Lots easier than moving the dish and worth a try. We can't see your particular situation so its speculation to an extent. If the 101's numbers were better (they should be) and the numbers were low on the 99 OR the 103 then a tree filling out would more likely be the culprit.

He might be able to get a point or two better on a few of the transponders, but those are very solid numbers the way they are.

 

[Jimbo]

He might be able to get a point or two better on a few of the transponders, but those are very solid numbers the way they are.

As far as I'm concerned, the 101 is fine, but the rest are low.

 

[Mr Tony]

yeah the rest is low..should be upper 80's low 90's on the HD sat

 

[Jimbo]

To the OP,
YES, a tree branch can EASILY cause this to happen ...

 

[raoul5788]

To the OP,
YES, a tree branch can EASILY cause this to happen ...

It sure could Jimbo, but probably not both 99 and 103 at the same time, not with good numbers on 101.

 

[Jimbo]

It sure could Jimbo, but probably not both 99 and 103 at the same time, not with good numbers on 101.

I should have been more specific.
A tree branch CAN make your signals worse, however, it should make ALL numbers worse, not just a particular one worse.

In his case, I would dither, see how that goes and go from there.

 

[Mr Tony]

yeah from reading the numbers closer it has to be a misalignment....normally spotbeams would have at least 1 TP at 100 unless you're not in the US or in a real remote area

 

[raoul5788]

I was looking at the CONUS numbers where none of them is in the 80s. He would have to be looking between two trees or through one tree with a hole in order to get such good numbers on 101 and bad ones on 99 and 103.

 

[Jimbo]

I was looking at the CONUS numbers where none of them is in the 80s. He would have to be looking between two trees or through one tree with a hole in order to get such good numbers on 101 and bad ones on 99 and 103.

Actually, the Spotbeam ones are low as well.