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 Archive-name: Satellite-TV/TVRO/part6 
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 PART SIX - How does the environment affect my big dish system? 
  
 Environmental factors are certainly an issue concerning your big dish 
 satellite system. 
 Much of your system is, after all, located outdoors, allowing exposure to 
 the 
 elements. 
  
 Stormy weather can cause problems with your satellite dish. High winds 
 during 
 hurricanes, tornadoes, and other storms can cause your dish to be blown out 
 of 
 alignment. Worse, unusually high winds can, under the worst circumstances, 
 even 
 knock your dish over. If you live in areas subject to extreme wind 
 conditions, 
 consider the Paraclipse Classic Series satellite dishes mentioned earlier in 
 the FAQ. 
 Satellite dishes are also subject to periodic lightning strikes. Equipment 
 such as a 
 TVRO-specific surge protector (like the one made by Panamax) will help 
 protect 
 your 
 satellite system from unexpected power surges. As far as rain goes, TVRO 
 satellite 
 dishes are not subject to rain fade the way DBS dishes are. 
  
 Perhaps the worst environmental enemy of your satellite dish involves winter 
 weather. 
 Cold weather can damage or at least slow down the operation of the servo 
 motor. 
 Significant build-up of snow or ice can pull your satellite dish out of 
 alignment or even 
 warp the dish itself. The actuator arm can also freeze, which will prevent 
 you 
 from 
 being able to move the dish out of its current position. Although there 
 isn't 
 a lot you 
 can do about severe winter weather, keeping snow and ice from building up 
 inside 
 your dish will help insure quality signal reception and reduce the 
 likelihood 
 of your dish 
 become misaligned. Use a broom to *carefully* sweep out your dish. Do not 
 use 
 an 
 ice scraper on ice and DO NOT use hot water (or water of any temperature) to 
 melt 
 snow or ice, as this can warp your dish. 
  
 The sun can also cause problem with your satellite system. Twice yearly, 
 during the 
 beginnings of spring and fall, satellite systems are subject to solar 
 outages 
 caused 
 when the sun, the earth, and satellites over the equator are directly 
 aligned. 
 This can 
 outages between 5 and 10 minutes per day and can occur for up to two weeks. 
 Fortunately, solar outages are not a severe problem and only affect daytime 
 reception. 
  
 Wildlife can also cause problems. Nesting creatures such as birds, bees, and 
 other 
 insects can build nests in different areas of your satellite dish. This is 
 especially 
 problematic if the nest is located around the LNB and feedhorn, as this can 
 cause 
 reception problems. Carefully remove any nests located on your dish, taking 
 special 
 care in combating bee, wasp, and hornet nests. Underground animals such as 
 gophers 
 and moles can chew through unprotected satellite cables, causing outages. 
 It is 
 recommended that underground cables be protected with PVC pipe conduit. 
  
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