SKY Reception

muganj

Hi

My Sky reception freezes frequently. I suspect the SKY + box is old and am planning to replace it. However in the past the SKY Technicians have blamed tall trees at the rear of the property causing blocks to the signal. They claim the angle of the dish needs to be very low to the horizon and so trees and buildings are a problem.

I have since hear that this is nonsence

Can anyone advise before i get a SKY techy out

Thank you
John

Gerry Wicklow

I could well be true that trees are an issue. In my folks house they had to put the dish on the roof to clear trees at the rear of the house. You can download free apps, such as "sat finder",for smart phones that will show you where the satellite is in the sky and if the trees are an issue.
Alternately use this site to get a rough idea. http://www.dishpointer.com/
You can set a marker to see the height clearance needed

Peter Rhea

It isn't nonsense: if the trees are close enough and/or high enough, they will block the signal.

Take a look here: http://www.dishpointer.com/

Select 28.2E as satellite position, find the location of your dish on the map & tick the box marked 'show obstacle (line of site checker)'. You can then move the red marker along the green sightline to the satellite & if you place it at the distance the trees are from the dish, it will tell you the maximum height above the dish allowable for an obstacle at this location.

Edit: Beaten to it for dishpointer.

snaps

yep trees are a common obsticale. I had a problem that in the summer I lost some of my 19east signal, winter it was fine. I asked the neighbour if I could trim the tree and voila, no problem.