Satellite TV + rain = no picture ...

[onomatopoeia]

at least on some channels. BBC survives better, as do some of the Sky sports channels, but a lot of the others (like motors) vanish into a haze of blockiness at the merest hint of drizzle.

The signal indicators in the box menu seem OK (both at about half normally), would a bigger dish help? Currently got the piddly little standard issue Sky thing.

[illmonkey]

I'd say your dish is not as aligned as it should be or its not tightly fitted (allowing movement in wind/rain).

I've put up a few dishes just by guess work. Walk down the road, see where everyone elses is facing and align it the same. Then just play with it.

If you're happy doing so, I'd hook the TV up so you can see the signal screen or get someone to shout to you and get your ladder out!

[cjs]

Your dish is out of alignment, or there is a bad connection, check all connections at the LNB/dish and at the receiver.

[Road2Ruin]

Also make sure there is nothing in the signal path that may be affected by bad weather, like a tree blowing around.

[Marvindodgers]

Dish alignment may well be a little out, but if it is torrential rain like it was last night, all the correct alignment in the world will not help the picture break up. So much raining falling at that rate is falling too quickly for it to run off the dish, the LMB can then not get a clear reflected signal through all of the refraction going on from the water sitting on the dish.

[h0b0]

Marvindodgers said:

Dish alignment may well be a little out, but if it is torrential rain like it was last night, all the correct alignment in the world will not help the picture break up. So much raining falling at that rate is falling too quickly for it to run off the dish, the LMB can then not get a clear reflected signal through all of the refraction going on from the water sitting on the dish.

would an umbrella help?

[Hugo a Gogo]

what about polishing up the dish with rain-x or something?

are those holey mesh dishes any better?

[The Excession]

This is not a water on the dish problem nor is it a refraction problem - it is an absobtion issue.

Unless you live near the equator and your dish is pointing straight up and is collecting water like a swimming pool then maybe it might be an issue with the dish.

It is water in the atmosphere that is the problem, the technical term being rain.

Water absorbs EM at the frequencies used for satellite comms. The only thing you can do to avert this issue is make sure your dish alignment is spot on and ensure that all your cabling and connections are top spec.

[Daniel1]

The Excession said:

This is not a water on the dish problem nor is it a refraction problem - it is an absobtion issue.

Unless you live near the equator and your dish is pointing straight up and is collecting water like a swimming pool then maybe it might be an issue with the dish.

It is water in the atmosphere that is the problem, the technical term being rain.

Water absorbs EM at the frequencies used for satellite comms. The only thing you can do to avert this issue is make sure your dish alignment is spot on and ensure that all your cabling and connections are top spec.

+1

[Marvindodgers]

Daniel1 said:

The Excession said:

This is not a water on the dish problem nor is it a refraction problem - it is an absobtion issue.

Unless you live near the equator and your dish is pointing straight up and is collecting water like a swimming pool then maybe it might be an issue with the dish.

It is water in the atmosphere that is the problem, the technical term being rain.

Water absorbs EM at the frequencies used for satellite comms. The only thing you can do to avert this issue is make sure your dish alignment is spot on and ensure that all your cabling and connections are top spec.

+1

It is a combination of the two. EM absorbtion and signal scattering, due to refraction and diffraction.