Options for better 129 signal strength

[JEFFinINDY]

In the winter, my signal strength for 129 is pretty good. Right now, due to a lot of trees in the neighborhood that aren't mine, my 129 signal strengths are all between 38 and 44 which leads to a lot of frequent rain fade (and wind fade on windy days when the leaves are blowing on their branches).

My signal strengths for 110 and 119 are all really good, so I believe my dish is peaked correctly. It's just 129, which holds most of the HD channels, that gives me problems.

Would a larger dish gather more signal and boost my numbers by at least 10 points? Or are my choices limited to Eastern Arc (which currently seems to have signal strength issues as well) or another provider?

 

[busdriver72]

As an existing western arc customer you would not be able to switch to eastern arc. Do you use the 1000.2 dish with the triple LNB, or do you have a two dish system (one dish for 119 & 110, second dish for 129)?
If you have the two dish system, you perhaps could relocate the 129 dish.
Come to think of it, even if you have the 1000.2, that triple LNB has an input port to recieve input from a second (wing) dish. You could set up a seperate D500 dish with a DP dual or single LNB in a location where you had a clear line of sight to the 129 perhaps at another location on the home....or maybe a pole mount. The cable from this dish would connect to the input port on the 1000.2 triple LNB. A check switch would then be done so the receiver could identify the wing dish. The check switch result would show the 129 twice, but that would probably work.

 

[Jim5506]

The problem with considering eastern arc is that the 129 HD channels are split between 61.5 and 72.7, so you would need 2 dishes to replace 129.

Investigate if there is a better location for your 1000.2 if trees are blocking reception.

A 1000.4 dish is about $99 but installation is extra and you would probably lose your locals if they are on 129 and not replicated on EA.

 

[KAB]

As an existing western arc customer you would not be able to switch to eastern arc.

Wrong. But he would not get his locals.

 

[whatchel1]

U should know

Wrong. But he would not get his locals.

Since both of you are in Indy, U would know that for sure.

 

[JEFFinINDY]

I had a Dish tech come out today, and he found a place on the other side of the roof to put a dedicated dish in for 129 only that gets around an overgrown oak tree that I would love to get rid of. He put some foil over the 129 eye on the 1000.2 dish. Although I have two dishes now, it’s on the back of the house where nobody can see it, so that’s no big deal.

Now, my 129 signal strengths range from low to mid 50s for the Indy locals spotbeam (previously was 38-40 when there was no breeze, and constant breakups on windy days), and 59-64 on most of the rest of the CONUS transponders (previously 40-44).

This ought to be a good permanent fix... I'm looking forward to the next rainy or windy day.

 

[KAB]

I'm looking forward to the next rainy or windy day.

I'm not!!!

 

[whatchel1]

ahh why not

I'm not!!!

Now that's a different story entirely.

 

[KAB]

Now that's a different story entirely.

That was an inside joke between Jeff & I. Last week we had a bunch on flash flood storms. My yard is just now starting to become a solid.

 

[JEFFinINDY]

Yeah, it's been a bit, um, tropical lately...

 

[JEFFinINDY]

Very strange - some big storms are moving through (just to the southwest at the moment). My 129 signal strength right now is zero across the board, but 110 is still mid 60s. Never seen that happen before!