Managing Home Maintenance Costs

This is not really an indoor signal coverage issue. Instead we are writing about finding a clear path to the satellite for TV signals. We will discuss how trees are impeding satellite signal.  Most people will arrange for a professional to install their satellite dish. In most cases on the side of the house or on the roof. Some will even use a separate pole to mount the satellite dish in order to find a good strong satellite signal. Finding a clear path in the fall or winter may be much different from finding a path in the spring or summer due to leaves and growing trees.

For those of you who may not be aware the satellites that broadcast TV signals are placed in orbit around the earth. They occupy the same position all of the time. This is the reason that you can point a dish at the satellite and it will usually always receive good quality signals that are then broadcast on your TV set.

The problem comes in when these dishes have been installed for some time and something gets in the way to block the signal. Sometimes it is another building that blocks the signal from a straight line of sight. Most often though it is trees that are impeding satellite signals. Typically what happens is that when the dish was installed the trees are small or may not even be planted. Some years later and this can be only a couple of years, these trees grow and begin to block the signal. The solution is to either trim the tree or to move the satellite dish.

Trees are Impeding Satellite Signal – Installation

Another common problem involving trees impeding the satellite signal is a bad installation. The installer installs the satellite dish in the fall or over the winter when there are no leaves on the trees. The signal is strong and your TV works fine. Unfortunately as spring evolves and the trees fill out with leaves, they block the signal for the spring and summer. Again, you either have to move the dish or trim the tree’s. There is no other answer.

Rain and snow will also block the signals. Heavy rain has been known to block a signal from a satellite. It will momentarily  cause you to lose your TV signal on your TV, usually at the most inopportune times. Snow is another matter. Snow buildup on your dish can cause a significant degradation in the signal strength. If you already have a weak signal, you are going to lose reception as well. Fortunately both are temporary and can be cleared easily enough.

So if you have a satellite dish, remember to make sure you have a clear line of sight to the satellite. That is not blocked or will not be blocked by growing trees!

For more details about satellite dish installation, click here.

Save