[Brian Shannon]

I have had Direct TV for 5 years now. Every spring for some reason I lose signal strength, so bad it causes some channels to be unwatchable. I check(ed) the cables and the dish and everything appears to be ok. Sounds like water in the cable somewhere?


I am getting frustrated and considering upgrading to HDTV equipment. Looks like the Sony product is gone.


Any thoughts on what I should do? Dish network does not appeal to me. Direct TV was not very helpful.


Thanks

 

[David McRoy]

You didn't mention your location...but maybe new growth and leaves on nearby trees sprout every Spring and obscure the signal? Seems to be a common complaint in locations with a lot of deciduous trees.

 

[Brian Shannon]

Quote:

Originally posted by David McRoy You didn't mention your location...but maybe new growth and leaves on nearby trees sprout every Spring and obscure the signal? Seems to be a common complaint in locations with a lot of deciduous trees.

Thanks! The view is clear and usually the signal strength returns which made me think it was water.


I called Direct TV for an upgrade to my dish but they were not interested in helping me.

 

[David McRoy]

Here in south Florida we get torrential rains in the Summer. A dark storm cloud...even a little one, if "strategically placed, " can cause a "rain fade" that temporarily disrupts the signal. It can last for a minute or two or for an hour or more, depending on weather condition. I gather that this is considered normal performance with a standard 18" or 18" X 24" oval dish and that you can eliminate rain fade with a 36" dish.


If the lack of a signal persists follwing a rainstorms and after the sky has cleared then rainwater collecting in a cable is the probable culprit.

 

[Mr.Poindexter]

Isn't there a certain time of the year when the angle of the sun is close to the same as the angle to the satellites? I recall there being a few days a year when certain hours of the day the signal was unavailable, but I don't recall when that was.


Mike

 

[Brian Shannon]

Quote:

If the lack of a signal persists follwing a rainstorms and after the sky has cleared then rainwater collecting in a cable is the probable culprit.

I checked the cables yesterday and they are dry and the copper is shiny. no corrosion is evident unless it is somewhere in the buried portion of my cable.

 

[dstarlin]

Have you tried replacing things, such as the LNB? When does this problem happen more, in the early morning, daytime, afternoontime, evening? Is it only after it rains, or during?


-----------Dave

 

[Brian Shannon]

Quote:

Originally posted by dstarlin Have you tried replacing things, such as the LNB? When does this problem happen more, in the early morning, daytime, afternoontime, evening? Is it only after it rains, or during? -----------Dave

I have not replaced anything yet. My thoughts were to try and get an upgraded dish from Direct TV but they were not interested in helping me. The time I notice the real signal problems is late in the afternoon which made me think it might be weather related.

 

[spwace]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Poindexter Isn't there a certain time of the year when the angle of the sun is close to the same as the angle to the satellites? I recall there being a few days a year when certain hours of the day the signal was unavailable, but I don't recall when that was. Mike

They are called sun outages, and they occur in the spring and again in the fall. These outages will occur once each day for several days and last for 10 or 15 minutes on each occurrence.