Snow Blob Fade

[Phil T]

We got about 4-6 inches of heavy wet snow here in Denver this morning. I looked out at my 3 phase DirecTV dish and it was totally covered. I fired up the DirecTivo totally expecting to get no signal, but I was getting 80's & 90' on all transponders. I sat back and enjoyed some TV, happy I did not have to go out and brush the snow off of the dish.

About 30 minutes later the snow had stopped and the sun came out for a few minutes. All of the sudden I had no signal on either tuner. I looked out and the snow that had covered the entire dish had melted into one big blob right above the LNB arm. So out in the snow I go.... :nono2:

I sure an glad my dish is not on the roof!!

[Crystal Pepsi Ball]

I have to assume that snow sometimes reflects the signal much like the disc does, this happened to me last winter and I was shocked that I had picture when I came home.

[RJS1111111]

1) A thoroughly-frozen powder snow/air mix can be reasonably transparent to the signal. A thick wad of mostly liquid water tends to refract, reflect, and absorb the signal more.

2) The coherency and focus of the signal beam (or lack thereof) are affected by (1). Incoherency can cause partial cancellation. Lack of focus doesn't get enough of the signal energy directed into the feedhorn.

[durl]

Nice avatar RJS. Good job.

[RJS1111111]

Nice avatar RJS. Good job.

I just basically lifted it off the Terri's Fight website, and cropped it to fit the avatar limits.