[VinDoGG]

I live in NJ and my dish goes out everytime it rains. Sometimes even when there's drizzle. I was wondering how effective a dish cover was. Or do I have any other options? Should I complain to dishnetwork?

 

[TNGTony]

You may have other problems causing the rain fade. The Dish covers do NOTHING for "real" rain fade. What causes rain fade is the moisture between your satellite dish and the satellite 22,300 miles over the equator. Covering your dish will not make the clouds part.

Check to make sure your connections aren't getting water in them. This could cause a problem. Also make sure you are getting a good strong signal when it's dry and clear out. Finally, make sure there isn't some vegitation that is sagging with the wight of rain water in the line of sight of your Dish. Remember that the signal comes from about 22 degreees ABOVE where the Dish appears to point.

You should not be getting rain fade events except in bit thunder storms or when the clouds are VERY black (thick).

Good luck!

See ya
Tony

 

[Mike123abc]

It could also mean that your dish is not aligned properly. Assuming you have dish 500, it may not be pointed correctly. Dish500 is very hard to point since it has to point at two satellites, and getting both correct at the same time takes a good installer.

I did not like rain fade even in thunderstorms, so I changed out my single dish500 to 2 24" dishes. It is much easier to get a strong signal just pointing at one sat with each dish. I put a 35" dish in to point at 61.5 since it is much lower on the horizon for me (hence more rain clouds to go through). I have not lost signal yet on 61.5.

Check your signal levels. On a clear day 119 should be over 110 on most transponders, and 110 should be over 95. I was able to get this with Dish500 before I swapped out the dish. Now I get over 120 on 119, over 105 on 110, and 125 on 61.5

 

[VinDoGG]

Thanks for the informative replies, I've had my dish for almost 4 months now and it has gone out on me atleast 4 times. I checked my signal and 119 is getting 70-90 signal 110 is getting 90-105. Should I call dish to check the installation? What should I tell them when I call them?

 

[Lightnin1]

It is very simple what you tell them.

Your signal strength sucks and you want them to come out and repoint your dish. Or just save time and repoint it yourself.

 

[Mike123abc]

With 90-105 on 110, your 110 is great. It looks like that they do not have the 119 pointed right though, 119 is E7 and much stronger strength, it should be over 110. This has to do more with a "tilt" than a rotation and elevation.

 

[VinDoGG]

I rechecked my sattelite strength a couple times and I was wrong on a clear day I get 85-90 on 110 and 80-85 on 119. It's raining right now, light rain so I also called dish. They pretty much refused to help me. They said that I was recieving excellent signal at those levels. I even spoke to a manager he pretty much said the same thing and that I need to call back on a good day. He also said to call the place where I bought the dish from and they are responsible for the 1st 6 months of service. Sounds like they passed the buck.

Right now I get 0-50 on 119 and I got 82-83 on 110.

 

[Mike123abc]

Well you can mail order a sat finder (analog one) for like $10-$15 and then point the dish personally. That is what I did. Since your dish is already receiving signal, just barely move it around to lock it in better.