Switch from digital cable to dish network?

[Wishbone]

I moved to the Portland, OR area around three months ago and have had Dish the whole time.. I have only had a few rains so far (that I have been home to observe), some of them were heavy and haven't had a problem.. This is one of my bigger concerns as I hear that it rains here a lot. So whenever it rains, I flip through the channels to see how it is. My average signal strength is 85 on 110 and 119 checking TP 11 and 12 (those are the ones to check, right?) The funny thing is, is that during the last two rains, my sig strength went up to 91. Maybe that is a installer's trick in rainy areas.. Make the Dish be off a little so that the refraction of wet weather makes it hit dead on.. Might be a silly idea, but with my success so far, I'm afraid to adjust it..

 

[Crazy Eyes]

Your first question - does the signal go out --

YES!! Doesn't even have to be a very bad storm. Signal strength is 94+ during the day(drops to the 50's at night) and even very light rain makes the signal go out. If this signal drop isn't normal - please someone advise.

We had some showers during the Olympics and it did not make the wife very happy when the signal kept going out.

According to a local installer, the super dish is HIGHLY susceptible to signal loss during even light precipitation. He stated it was something DISH was possibly working on (trying to get a higher signal strength from the sat) but could offer no guarantees.

 

[Mr Tony]

Your first question - does the signal go out --

YES!! Doesn't even have to be a very bad storm. Signal strength is 94+ during the day(drops to the 50's at night) and even very light rain makes the signal go out. If this signal drop isn't normal - please someone advise.

We had some showers during the Olympics and it did not make the wife very happy when the signal kept going out.

According to a local installer, the super dish is HIGHLY susceptible to signal loss during even light precipitation. He stated it was something DISH was possibly working on (trying to get a higher signal strength from the sat) but could offer no guarantees.

Since he is in Houston, a Dish500 is all he needs. A Superdish is for area locals on 105 or 121. Since 105 & 121 are lowered power (105 more so than 121), rainfade is more likely. Dish is replacing the satellite at 105 soon, so it should help.

I have a Dish500 (Duluth, MN locals) and on Sunday it just poured here (2 1/2" of rain in 4 hours) and didnt lose signal (was watching the NASCAR race). Did lose some stuff on 110 (kept cutting in and out), but it held up

Does the siagnl go out when it rains? Not usually...really thick clouds it can...and only for a couple of minutes.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Your first question - does the signal go out --

YES!! Doesn't even have to be a very bad storm. Signal strength is 94+ during the day(drops to the 50's at night) and even very light rain makes the signal go out. If this signal drop isn't normal - please someone advise.

We had some showers during the Olympics and it did not make the wife very happy when the signal kept going out.

According to a local installer, the super dish is HIGHLY susceptible to signal loss during even light precipitation. He stated it was something DISH was possibly working on (trying to get a higher signal strength from the sat) but could offer no guarantees.

Regarding your signal drop - it depends on whether we're talking apples-to-apples. The Point Dish screen will generally pick up the last satellite and transponder you viewed - and viewing habits being what they are, maybe you're on a core bird (110/119) during the day, and on the FSS bird (105 or 121) at night. That could explain the difference. If you're on 105 for your locals, 50's is not unheard of, but not good - depends on where you are.

You should be seeing 100+ on 110 & 119 transponders 11 & 12, day or night.

 

[Crazy Eyes]

Thanks Simple Simon, I'll check it out.

I know my brother that lives in Texas says he has no such problems.

 

[clor0xbleech]

caller id?

So wait, if i've got it hooked to a phone line, and someone calls, i'll see their name and number like i do in my kitchen phone? Also, where does it show, middle of the screen?

 

[red hazard]

Caller ID & Rain Fade

So wait, if i've got it hooked to a phone line, and someone calls, i'll see their name and number like i do in my kitchen phone? Also, where does it show, middle of the screen?

Yes it will display if you set it up that way in the menu. My 811 and previous 5000 displayed across the bottom of the screen so most likely the 522 will too.

Whether or not rain fade will bother someone is very relative to how much TV watching one does and how strong the receive signal is. And it's not just rain but rain intensity also called rain rate as moderate rain generally will not disrupt well installed DBS system. The stronger your signal is (actually C/T) generally the more immunity one has to rain fade UP TO A POINT. Intense rain will attenuate a satellite signal to NOTHING. The best receiver/antenna set up would still be SOL in such situations.

We have a full period Ku-band communications link between Florida and the Middle East that any disruption over a minute is reported. There were numerous disruptions during Hurricane Charley and during most heavy thunderstorm activity between the earth terminal and the satellite. The disruptions that occur late at night or during the work day probably would not be observed by the typical DBS viewer.

 

[clor0xbleech]

Well, i have to get permission from my homeowners association, because they get angry, if i dont mow the lawn, pant etc.

 

[SimpleSimon]

If we're talking about you getting a DBS dish, you're only being polite to talk to the HOA - they have absolutely no authority in the matter.

 

[SteveGauss]

My satellite goes out every time we have a thunderstorm

Dallas has particularly vicious thunderstorms, sideways rain, heavy downpours etc. I have DirectTv. Should I switch to something else?
Monday, I was out for an hour. All I got was "Searching for signal and that was before the rain really hit."
Any suggestions

 

[dishpan22]

heavy snow on the dish is a problem

When we get a heavy snow in Colorado I have to go out and brush the dish off. But that may not be a big problem in Houston.