which service is better?

[Kapohocat]

quote:

---

What about clarit of picture? A friend says the DishNetwork gets fuzzy whenever it rains. Something to do with rain hitting the receiver antenna....

Seems like DishNetwork is cheaper than DirectTV.

Any opinions on this?

Stan

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That does happen occassionally but it also happens to RR - because.... they get their feed off the sat.

What we found is that after the oct 15th earthquake, and we DIDNT lose power, we could still watch the news even though all the local channels were out.

[Les C]

TWC gets their feed from satellite!? Good to know, rain interruption was one of the reasons I was considering cable.

Does any one know why the satellite reception in the Islands can be disrupted by rain? I know that we don't get the full programming offered by Dish because one or more of the satellites aren't accessible from our location. But how is it that we can seemingly get easy rain disruption compared to the Mainland?

[JerryCarr]

A really heavy rain creates such a density of water that the signal is blocked, just like putting a wall between the receiver and the satellite.

Cheers,
Jerry

[oink]

I'm in S. FL and have dish. I lose signal to rain here fairly often during the rainy season. I also had dish working after the hurricanes when power and phone was still out. That was after I went on the roof and reaimed the dish. Generator power of course.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[ericlp]

Well, the term in the industry is called... "RAIN FADE"... The only way around it is to get a bigger dish. You only need to go 1 Meter or 33" dish. This solves most people's problems unless you have lot's of trees around to degrade the signal even further.

The reason why we are worse off then mainland as far as rain fade goes is because the satellite is located in a gyroscoping orbit above Arizona ... Satellites have a foot print... Usually, the further out of the foot print you are the bigger the dish you need. But, Dish Network has high powered satellites and they are able to get away with using the small 18" dish anywhere in the 48 states. Furthermore Dishnetwork has the latest satellites and uses a newer technology called spotbeam, where they can direct more of the energy or signal in spots like North America.... Anyway, this is getting out of the scope of this discussion.

The thing you need for a crystal clear signal is a bigger dish. Ebay sells them all day long all you do is take your LNB and switch it from the small dish to the bigger dish...

Some people here will buy 2 30" dishes and two high quality LNB's. That way you can get both 119 and 110 birds. What does this mean? Oh about another 5-600 channels...

If anyone needs assistance or wants to get some dishes installed I could do the job.





Edited by - ericlp on 06/26/2007 21:30:45

[Les C]

I'm not sure how much Tim Sullivan really tried, but he told us that he wasn't able to get the dual dish setup to pull the second satellite (110). It would have meant more money for him, so he should have been motivated to do it. Tim's the Mini Dish installer on the East side.

ericlp, do you have a functioning dual dish system on the Island?

[ericlp]

I've yet to move into my house. Still working on it.

No, I haven't set mine up yet. but helped a few neighbors set up theirs. Dish 500 (dual lnb) will not work here. The dish is too small. Only 119 is dish's newest bird with spot beam. 110 doesn't have that ability and you will never get 110 with a small dish. You can get a better signal by upgrading the LNB's... But your best bang is getting a bigger dish. Tho, if your upgrading your dish you might as well get a dish and LNB package.

Some people don't like the look of hanging two huge dishes off of the side of their home... There are a few options buy a Toroidal type dish like a T90 or buy a motor to move the dish. The motor setup is nice tho, if you like channel surf ... Esp between different birds then it can take 3-5 seconds for the motor to move... where as fixed dish is rapid fire. I have not installed a Toroidal type dish, tho, I think it would work here.

Good Luck!

[Les C]

We have a single 27" (vert.) dish. Don't know if this is what is referred to as a 30" dish; it's certainly not an 18" dish. Tim tried to pull the second satellite (110?) with this size of dish and could not get a decent signal. So, I don't know if a larger dish will work.

Is a T90 one of those large frame (grid) structured receivers about 5-6' diameter? I've seen a few of those around, probably unused because of a non-compatible head (LNBF? transducer?).

I just googled "toroidal T90" and it's not what I thought. It's a dish with 3 focal points(?) and 3 LBNFs to receive signals from 3 satellites. Would these not work in the Islands because of our location? Aren't these dishes designed to read 3 relative angles that don't really work for us and Alaska? I recall from trips to Alaska where satellite dishes are pointed nearly horizontal because of their relative position to the stationary sats.

Edited by - Les C on 06/27/2007 08:59:03

[ericlp]

Your joking right?

The T90 is the cream of the crop. It's the daddy of all dishes coming in @ 39" with a 40 degrees in arc (60 degrees in azimuth)... Uh, don't know what angle or azimuth your dish's are pointed at but there shouldn't be much more the 6 degrees from 119 and 110 they are the same angle so this dish would be primo...

Also, about your set up, there are many things.. 1 27" vs 30 or 33" is HUGE difference could mean up to 10% more signal boost just by going up 3".

How long is your cable run? What type of LNB's are you using? LNB work for 119? Are you using a switch? Etc....etc... There are many factors for signal loss, size being the worst problem. Should be using RG6 digital grade cable with no more the 100 feet and switch should be no more then 10' from LNB, the closer the better.

#1 problem I run into are piss poor quality connections... They will degrade the signal by 5% and a low end switch can be 5% as well. All these factors add up to poor signal. Use quality crimper / connectors / cable... Make sure no water is getting into cable... Put some silicon on connections and make sure they are tight.

This is easy to get 110 in hawaii if you know what you are doing.

Good Luck.


Hilo, HI 96720
Latitude 19° 42.150'N Longitude 155° 5.634'W

Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m) El Skew
--------------------------------------------------------------
*** Of Particular Interest ***

EchoStar 3 61.5W 268.8 259.1 -11.9 -70.3
EchoStar 6 110.0W 108.6 98.9 34.5 -63.2
EchoStar 8 110.0W 108.6 98.9 34.5 -63.2
EchoStar 7 119.0W 114.8 105.1 43.2 -58.7
EchoStar 5 119.0W 114.8 105.1 43.2 -58.7
EchoStar 9/Telstar 13 121.0W 116.5 106.8 45.1 -57.4
EchoStar 1 148.0W 159.7 150.1 65.5 -19.0
EchoStar 2 148.0W 159.7 150.1 65.5 -19.0
EchoStar 4 157.0W 185.6 176.0 66.8 5.3

DirecTV 3 81.8W 95.8 86.1 7.1 -69.5
DirecTV 2 100.8W 103.6 93.9 25.5 -66.2
DirecTV 1R 100.8W 103.6 93.9 25.5 -66.2
DirecTV 1 101.0W 103.7 94.0 25.7 -66.1
DirecTV 4S 101.2W 103.8 94.1 25.9 -66.1
DirecTV 6 109.8W 108.5 98.8 34.3 -63.3
DirecTV 5 119.0W 114.8 105.1 43.2 -58.7

*** All Satellites 61W - 160W ***

EchoStar 3 61.5W 268.8 259.1 -11.9 -70.3
Rainbow 1 61.5W 268.8 259.1 -11.9 -70.3
Brasilsat A2 (incl. 5.8 deg) 63.0W 269.3 259.6 -10.5 -70.3
Brasilsat B2 65.0W 270.0 260.3 -8.7 -70.3
Brasilsat B1 70.0W 91.7 82.0 -4.1 -70.2
Nahuel 1 71.8W 92.3 82.6 -2.4 -70.2
AMC 6 72.0W 92.3 82.7 -2.2 -70.2
Galaxy 12 74.0W 93.0 83.3 -0.3 -70.1
SBS 6 74.0W 93.0 83.3 -0.3 -70.1
GOES 12 75.0W 93.4 83.7 0.6 -70.0
AMC 5 79.0W 94.8 85.1 4.4 -69.8
DirecTV 3 81.8W 95.8 86.1 7.1 -69.5
Nimiq 2 82.0W 95.9 86.2 7.3 -69.5
Brasilsat B3 84.0W 96.6 86.9 9.2 -69.3
XM Roll 85.0W 97.0 87.3 10.1 -69.2
AMC 9 85.0W 97.0 87.3 10.1 -69.2
AMC 3 87.0W 97.7 88.0 12.1 -68.9
Galaxy 9 91.0W 99.3 89.6 15.9 -68.3
Galaxy 11 91.0W 99.3 89.6 15.9 -68.3
Nimiq 1 91.0W 99.3 89.6 15.9 -68.3
Brasilsat B4 92.0W 99.7 90.0 16.9 -68.1
Telstar 6 93.0W 100.1 90.4 17.9 -67.9
Galaxy 8I (incl. 1.0 deg) 95.0W 101.0 91.3 19.8 -67.6
Galaxy 3C 95.0W 101.0 91.3 19.8 -67.6
Telstar 5 97.0W 101.9 92.2 21.8 -67.1
Inmarsat 2 f2 (incl. 1.7 deg) 98.0W 102.3 92.6 22.7 -66.9
Galaxy 4R 99.0W 102.8 93.1 23.7 -66.7
DirecTV 2 100.8W 103.6 93.9 25.5 -66.2
DirecTV 1R 100.8W 103.6 93.9 25.5 -66.2
AMC 4 101.0W 103.7 94.0 25.7 -66.1
DirecTV 1 101.0W 103.7 94.0 25.7 -66.1
AMSC 1 101.1W 103.8 94.1 25.8 -66.1
DirecTV 4S 101.2W 103.8 94.1 25.9 -66.1
AMC 1 103.0W 104.7 95.0 27.6 -65.6
Solidaridad 1 (incl. 2.8 deg) 103.5W 105.0 95.3 28.1 -65.4
AMC 2 105.0W 105.7 96.1 29.6 -65.0
G-Star 3 (incl. 11.5 deg) 105.0W 105.7 96.1 29.6 -65.0
G-Star 1 (incl. 6.0 deg) 105.0W 105.7 96.1 29.6 -65.0
MSAT 1 106.5W 106.6 96.9 31.1 -64.5
Anik F1 107.3W 107.0 97.3 31.9 -64.2
Anik E1 109.2W 108.1 98.4 33.7 -63.5
DirecTV 6 109.8W 108.5 98.8 34.3 -63.3
EchoStar 6 110.0W 108.6 98.9 34.5 -63.2
EchoStar 8 110.0W 108.6 98.9 34.5 -63.2
Anik E2R 111.1W 109.2 99.6 35.6 -62.7
Solidaridad 2 113.0W 110.5 100.8 37.4 -61.9
Morelos 2 (incl. 4.4 deg) 114.9W 111.8 102.1 39.3 -61.0
XM Rock 115.0W 111.8 102.1 39.4 -60.9
SatMex 5 116.8W 113.1 103.4 41.1 -60.0
Anik E2 118.7W 114.6 104.9 42.9 -58.9
DirecTV 5 119.0W 114.8 105.1 43.2 -58.7
EchoStar 7 119.0W 114.8 105.1 43.2 -58.7
EchoStar 5 119.0W 114.8 105.1 43.2 -58.7
EchoStar 9/Telstar 13 121.0W 116.5 106.8 45.1 -57.4
Galaxy 10R 123.0W 118.3 108.6 47.0 -56.0
Galaxy 5 125.0W 120.2 110.5 48.8 -54.5
Galaxy 12 125.0W 120.2 110.5 48.8 -54.5
Galaxy 13 127.0W 122.3 112.6 50.6 -52.7
Telstar 7 129.0W 124.5 114.9 52.4 -50.8
Satcom C3 131.0W 127.0 117.3 54.2 -48.7
Galaxy 1R 133.0W 129.7 120.0 55.9 -46.4
Satcom C4 135.0W 132.7 123.0 57.5 -43.8
GOES 10 135.5W 133.4 123.8 57.9 -43.1
AMC 7 137.0W 135.9 126.2 59.0 -40.9
AMC 8 139.0W 139.4 129.8 60.5 -37.7
Inmarsat 2 f3 (incl. 1.9 deg) 142.0W 145.4 135.7 62.5 -32.3
EchoStar 1 148.0W 159.7 150.1 65.5 -19.0
EchoStar 2 148.0W 159.7 150.1 65.5 -19.0
TDRS 9 (incl. 7.4 deg) 151.0W 168.0 158.3 66.4 -11.3
TDRS 10 (incl. 6.2 deg) 151.0W 168.0 158.3 66.4 -11.3
EchoStar 4 157.0W 185.6 176.0 66.8 5.3

[ef9]

Another method of waterproofing connectors is to use dielectric grease.

Stan