How To Keep Satellite Dish Clear Of Snow

Satellite Internet connections use microwave radio frequencies that travel in straight lines and cannot pass through solid objects. Weather affects the air between the dish and the satellite and moisture reduces the signal. The stronger the received signal, the more immune it is to rain or snow, so weather affects weaker systems more severely. Also, wind can cause physical damage.

Rain

Light rains should not affect satellite Internet service but if a dish is not aligned correctly to the satellite, the signal may be too weak to withstand the fade. Make sure the dish is aligned to a peak signal to make the system more reliable. Heavy rains and thunderstorms can block a satellite signal completely. If a signal passes through distant storm, service can be interrupted even if it isn't raining at the local area. For tropical areas that have seasonal heavy rains, some engineering firms do weather studies to predict annual outage times.

Snow and Ice

Snow may also attenuate satellite Internet services to such a degree that service gets disrupted. It can pile up on a dish and completely block the signal. Condensation can accumulate on a dish and form ice that blocks that signal even in clear weather. Some dish manufacturers offer heated dishes to melt snow and ice to prolong system service. They operate on a thermostat control to turn on electric heating elements when the temperature drops below a certain level.

Wind

A tornado can rip an Internet satellite dish from its mounts.

Because of the parabolic shape and solid form of the reflective portion of a satellite Internet dish, wind can bend or move a dish to the point of service disruption. A tower that supports a satellite Internet dish may also twist and sway causing temporary outages as the signal gets bent out of aim. Severe storms such as tornadoes and hurricanes can rip a dish completely off its mount and cause extended service outages. Some dish manufacturers add reinforced mounting hardware for high wind areas.

Obstructions

Because solid objects can block satellite Internet signals, systems in tropical areas need to be constantly checked for trees growing into the path. Some trees can grow 20 or 30 feet in just a few months, and what once seemed to be a clear path could become blocked. In seasonal areas, a dish installed with a signal passing through a bare tree in winter may get blocked in the spring and summer when leaves form. Some signals may get temporarily obstructed by wind blowing trees into the path for short periods of time causing intermittent service.

References

Writer Bio

Richard Asmus was a writer and producer of television commercials in Phoenix, Arizona, and now is retired in Peru. After founding a small telecommunications engineering corporation and visiting 37 countries, Asmus studied broadcasting at Arizona State University and earned his Master of Fine Arts at Brooklyn College in New York.