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Heavy Snow-dish

1K views 18 replies 14 participants last post by  satexplorer 
#1 ·
We are having heavy snow here in chicago, 8-10 inches so far and still snowing heavy. Dish is loaded and signal is still coming in on all channels. It is on post and I let snow build up on it just to see on long it will will receive. So far I'm very happy with results and will check when I get home from work later. :D :D :D
Hey Earl, how is your reception coming in?
 
#2 ·
A couple of weeks ago we had some wet sticky stuff too...Southeast CT

In my Slimline a little snow built up in the bottom protion of the dish and I lost everything.

I checked about 10-12 channels in the locals, the 200s, the 300s, and the 500s so I don't acutally know I lost everything. The ones I checked were searching...

Edit: A quick brush to remove the snow and all was back.

Mike
 
#3 ·
I live on the Northwest side of Chicago and we got nailed with snow. Things were fine with the dish until about 30 minutes ago. Now, I am getting no channels at all. The weird thing is that it has completely stopped snowing.

Any ideas how to make this issue go away? Do I have to take the snow out of the dish or is there another way to go about doing things?

Thanks in advance.
 
#4 ·
I'm up in Milwaukee, still "Lake Effecting" up here, up to about 10-11" so far, Signal levels are down but haven't lost a single channel yet.

I was up late last night watching the Pats spank the Eagles again during some of the heaviest snowfall and no problems.
 
#5 ·
ChicagoTom said:
I live on the Northwest side of Chicago and we got nailed with snow. Things were fine with the dish until about 30 minutes ago. Now, I am getting no channels at all. The weird thing is that it has completely stopped snowing.

Any ideas how to make this issue go away? Do I have to take the snow out of the dish or is there another way to go about doing things?

Thanks in advance.
With all the freezing rain, etc... we've had this year I ran into this a few times. Fill a bucket up with hot water and pour it on the dish. It's worked every time.
 
#7 ·
Seems to be related to moisture content. I have never had "Snow Fade" due to heavy snow. I've had freezing rain on the dish and never had a problem with that. I DO have a problem about once a year when we get a wet sticky snow (when the temp is right around freezing and the snow is almost water) that will build up on the dish as slush (even a half inch of this stuff will cause signal loss). Since the dish is on my roof, I just put up a ladder and brush it off with a broom. Like I said, I usually get this once a year but it's no biggie. The only other thing that seems to cause a problem is very heavy rain to the south and that usually doesn't last for more than a couple of minutes. I'd say the signal is down more for power losses than any rain or snow fade.

I'm extremely happy with the reliability of the service.
 
#8 ·
gslater said:
Seems to be related to moisture content. I have never had "Snow Fade" due to heavy snow. I've had freezing rain on the dish and never had a problem with that. I DO have a problem about once a year when we get a wet sticky snow (when the temp is right around freezing and the snow is almost water) that will build up on the dish as slush (even a half inch of this stuff will cause signal loss). Since the dish is on my roof, I just put up a ladder and brush it off with a broom. Like I said, I usually get this once a year but it's no biggie. The only other thing that seems to cause a problem is very heavy rain to the south and that usually doesn't last for more than a couple of minutes.
Yes - its definitely water content.

Once, when I had a dish on a deck at a condo, they came to seal the deck. I covered the dish with newspaper and duct-tape, to avoid having brown wood-stain partially sprayed/slapped over it. With the newspaper covering the dish, things continued to work fine (maybe signal strength was down slightly, but I didn't check - never lost picture) - until it rained and the paper got soaked. Then signal was all gone. I ripped the paper off and covered the dish with a plastic garbage bag, and everything worked fine again.

Here in Boston, we get lots of wet sticky snow - and it doesn't take much of that to kill the signal. But we had a few 8-10" snow falls in December, and had fine, light snow on the dish for over a week, and never lost signal.

I have my dishes high up on the back wall, but near a second floor window, so I can hang out and brush them off with a car snow brush/ice-scraper. Good to avoid ladders in the snow and ice!
 
#9 ·
gslater said:
Seems to be related to moisture content. I have never had "Snow Fade" due to heavy snow. I've had freezing rain on the dish and never had a problem with that. I DO have a problem about once a year when we get a wet sticky snow (when the temp is right around freezing and the snow is almost water) that will build up on the dish as slush (even a half inch of this stuff will cause signal loss). Since the dish is on my roof, I just put up a ladder and brush it off with a broom. Like I said, I usually get this once a year but it's no biggie. The only other thing that seems to cause a problem is very heavy rain to the south and that usually doesn't last for more than a couple of minutes. I'd say the signal is down more for power losses than any rain or snow fade.

I'm extremely happy with the reliability of the service.
rwmair said:
Yes - its definitely water content.

Once, when I had a dish on a deck at a condo, they came to seal the deck. I covered the dish with newspaper and duct-tape, to avoid having brown wood-stain partially sprayed/slapped over it. With the newspaper covering the dish, things continued to work fine (maybe signal strength was down slightly, but I didn't check - never lost picture) - until it rained and the paper got soaked. Then signal was all gone. I ripped the paper off and covered the dish with a plastic garbage bag, and everything worked fine again.

Here in Boston, we get lots of wet sticky snow - and it doesn't take much of that to kill the signal. But we had a few 8-10" snow falls in December, and had fine, light snow on the dish for over a week, and never lost signal.

I have my dishes high up on the back wall, but near a second floor window, so I can hang out and brush them off with a car snow brush/ice-scraper. Good to avoid ladders in the snow and ice!
I'm not sure I've ever had fade due to snow. I have had wet sticky snow in the dish cause signal loss.

It doesn't take much. I agree with both of you about the moisture. I occasionally have the light dusty stuff on the dish when it comes down at the right angle. It doesn't seem to have any effect.

A few weeks ago we just such a stick/wet snow storm. There was a coating on the lower couple of inches and it was enough to kill all the signal.

I do have to say that my Slimline(had it a year) has cut rain fade to nearly nothing. Two incidents in the last year.

Mike
 
#10 ·
My wife has been home all day... and she hasn't reported to me any issues.

When I checked the dish when leaving for work.... 12+ inches on the ground, just a little bit on the arm of the dish...
 
#11 ·
I once had a really long icicle blocking the signals (from the eaves all the way down between the LNB's and the dish). All I had to do was make a snowball and throw it on the icicles and crashing down did it go. The dish was on the brick wall on the second floor level and the icicle was coming from the third story (really, REALLY long icicle). Problem solved and no, the icicle didn't come crashing and damage the dish at all (whew... I knew I was taking this big risk). Somehow, it missed the dish.
 
#12 ·
Earl Bonovich said:
My wife has been home all day... and she hasn't reported to me any issues.

When I checked the dish when leaving for work.... 12+ inches on the ground, just a little bit on the arm of the dish...
12"...when you left for work...and it snowed all day...

Glad I live far from those lakes.

Mike
 
#14 ·
12" inches in my town in SE Kansas yesterday, heavy stuff. Snow was piled all the way from the dish to the horn and the signal was completely gone. Got on the ladder and brushed it off and it was good as new. First time in ~13 years of DirecTV service that I lost the signal because of snow.

Greg
 
#15 ·
Earl Bonovich said:
My wife has been home all day... and she hasn't reported to me any issues.

When I checked the dish when leaving for work.... 12+ inches on the ground, just a little bit on the arm of the dish...
My dish didn't lose a signal at all. I believe the snow wasn't as wet and heavy like it usually is. I guess we'll get another chance about monday as they are calling for rain mixed with freezing rain changing to snow.:(
 
#18 ·
Stevies3 said:
All that snow & he still went to work! :up:
Not a big deal for a lifetime Chicagoian...

If you can get to the car... and the roads have been at least partialy plowed..

Plus I have less then 10 miles to get to work now.. :)

The drifts are usually the worse... had a few drifts on the property that were easily 24"... but in generall the snow fall was a solid 10".... in the back by the dish, the drifts by the time I got home were easily more then 18" if not higher...

But just another day in paradise here in Chicago. :D
 
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