If you want to use Rain-X to fight snow on your dish, act soon.

[FogNoggin]

This may be the most useless thread ever, but I post for a reason. After having a handful of problems with snow build-up on my dish last winter, I coated my dish with Rain-X today. According to directions, Rain-X should be applied in temps above 40 degrees fahrenheit. For me, today was possibly the last day warm enough to do this. You may want to do the same.

I gave the dish several heavy coats of the stuff. I'm anxious to see how it works. I found it at the grocery store for less than $3.

A curious note about the snow. One day I had 6" of very fluffy snow piled on the dish that barely degraded my signal at all. Another day I had just 1/2" of slushy snow that caused me to lose reception entirely.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It works in keeping some snow off the dish but not all, all depends on heavy the snow is and how fluffy it is.

Sent from my iPad using The SatelliteGuys app!

 

[dwarren2]

A curious note about the snow. One day I had 6" of very fluffy snow piled on the dish that barely degraded my signal at all. Another day I had just 1/2" of slushy snow that caused me to lose reception entirely.

Up here in the Rochester NY area, we had over 44 inches of snow the first 2 weeks in December last year. Never lost signal. It's only the heavy wet snow that causes problems.

 

[pabeader]

best thing to do is warm water in a supersoaker. or a garden hose if it isn't frozen stiff.

 

[FogNoggin]

best thing to do is warm water in a supersoaker.

Perhaps this is true, but I'd still have to trudge through the cold and the snow to blast it. :frown:

 

[pabeader]

i've had luck with a black plastic garbage bag tied over it. doesn't affect the signal and the snow just melts/falls off. I would have my current dish that way but it's on the roof, over 2 stories up.

 

[papalittle]

i've had luck with a black plastic garbage bag tied over it. doesn't affect the signal and the snow just melts/falls off. I would have my current dish that way but it's on the roof, over 2 stories up.

That will not work here the wind will have it tore apart in a week. I use rain-x too and I have not needed to clean the snow/ice off in 5 years.

 

[TG2]

Also depends on where your dish is ... we have a 3 part bay window .... left & right sides are normal and open .. the center section is straight glass. Open up the right side, and the dish is 2 foot out, and 3 foot down ... if you can't hit that with the soaker or a hose attached in the master bath .. you're lame..

 

[DishTechPA]

Before my locals were on EA, my .2 way a way up there. I combatted snow with a hockey stick hanging out the window. 2 min for high sticking was a risk worth taking. Tie a towel on the blade to avoid hammering the dish.

 

[papalittle]

Before my locals were on EA, my .2 way a way up there. I combatted snow with a hockey stick hanging out the window. 2 min for high sticking was a risk worth taking. Tie a towel on the blade to avoid hammering the dish.

another good trick is using one of those expanding paint roller poles with a tennis ball attached to the end of it. works good especially on ice.

 

[Stargazer]

If the temps in your area are already below 40 degrees and you want to apply rain-x to the dish then all you need to do is unbolt the reflector, take it inside to heat it up then apply it then bolt it back to the dish.

 

[old corps]

i've had luck with a black plastic garbage bag tied over it. doesn't affect the signal and the snow just melts/falls off. I would have my current dish that way but it's on the roof, over 2 stories up.

Strange. I tried that 2 winters ago and the first snow fall (it WAS very wet sticky stuff) had me taking my life in my hands (feet?) to get the d***ed bag off the dish. Unforunately, for LOS to EA my dish has to be on the roof. The snow stuck to the bag like glue and stayed there. NO signal at all.

I've since put 3 small Kats heaters on the dish. One in the center and one each to each side of the bottom edge where the snow really collects on the EA dish. I also heavily applied the Rain-X. The night before last we got VERY wet snow and my signal was gone almost immediately. I turned on the heaters and in about 15 minutes my signal was back to almost what I get on a clear day and stayed that way even though it continued to snow heavily all night. The heaters are made for engine blocks, etc. and stick to the back of the dish. I got the 50 watt ones from Amazon. I'd previously applied the Rain-X without the heaters and dunno how much it helped because I still lost signal with wet snow.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Ed

 

[Lord_Vader]

Mine is in the yard not far from the door so I just brush it off when I shovel the driveway.