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Sat Antenna

Yahoo Message Number: 19612
I have the new K-5 flat In Motion. It was necessary to go to the flat one because I have a low garage door and couldn't get in with the larger domes.
The manufacturer recommends coating the surface with dishwashing soap to prevent loss of signal. They specifically said not to use Rainex or any chemicals on it.
I live in the West and travel in the Southwest primarily so loss of signal is minimal due to low humidity.
Indeed you do lose signals in rain storms and heavy dew in the mornings, but to me, the advantages of having it work nearly all the time, including traveling, is a big bonus.
When parked at the Coast in Mexico last winter, I made a Rube Goldberg type squeege on the end of a long mop handle. I could step outside in the mornings and wipe it off without climbing up the ladder. Every since that experience, my Wife has insisted that I not sleep in the nude anymore. (just kidding)

Larry
Intrigue
10762

Re: Sat Antenna

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19616
I agree with Larry here ... we also have the "flat" dish. Goes out pretty quickly if it rains, but the fact that we don't have that big "dome" sitting on our MH is pretty cool. You can't see the dish at any time, even when parked.

You can grab a book or a scrabble game when it rains, we deal with it.

I am not sure if this "phased array" system has the gain a regular dish has, but it works flawlessly so far (unless it is raining).

We had a Winegard regular dish (automatic) on our Dutch Star, and I always cringed a little when hitting the "stow" button. If it didn't stow, I would have to climb up and manually do it.
An in motion system also, although I am not sure of the value of that yet since we have not used this feature.

John and Terry
2005 Affinity

Quote from: LARRY A HANSON
>

I have the new K-5 flat In Motion. It was necessary to go to the
flat one because I have a low garage door and couldn't get in with the larger domes.

Quote
>

The manufacturer recommends coating the surface with dishwashing
soap to prevent loss of signal. They specifically said not to use Rainex or any chemicals on it.

Quote
>

I live in the West and travel in the Southwest primarily so loss of
signal is minimal due to low humidity.

Quote
>

Indeed you do lose signals in rain storms and heavy dew in the
mornings, but to me, the advantages of having it work nearly all the time, including traveling, is a big bonus.

Quote
>

When parked at the Coast in Mexico last winter, I made a Rube
Goldberg type squeege on the end of a long mop handle. I could step outside in the mornings and wipe it off without climbing up the ladder. Every since that experience, my Wife has insisted that I not sleep in the nude anymore. (just kidding)

Re: Sat Antenna

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19617
Quote
I agree with Larry here ... we also have the "flat" dish. Goes out > pretty quickly if it rains, but the fact that we don't have that > big "dome" sitting on our MH is pretty cool. You can't see the dish > at any time, even when parked.
> You can grab a book or a scrabble game when it rains, we deal with it.

I am not sure if this "phased array" system has the gain a regular > dish has, but it works flawlessly so far (unless it is raining).
From looking at the specs for these phased array systems, it appears that the minimum elevation is 15-20deg. If this is so, it might limit how far North they can operate. Does the manufacturer have anything to say regarding this possible limitation? Tom Fisher
Dallas, TX

Re: Sat Antenna

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19618
The fact that this dish is only 5" tall, it hardly 'peeks' over the side rails on the roof ... you might have a point there.
If we end up in Alaska or Mexico ... we'll just buy more books (I hate Srabble).

When we first turned it on, we wondered what the constant whining was.
Some knowledgable person here pointed out that this was the dish establishing its 'cone' of signal for the 'in motion' part of the plan.

It stops whirring after a while ... and the signal is very good (according to the signal strengh meter).
Bottom line ... I will take the rain limitations anytime for the sleek, high tech aspects of this dish.

John and Terry

Re: Sat Antenna

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19622
Quote
Bottom line ... I will take the rain limitations anytime for the sleek, > high tech aspects of this dish.
Agree that things keep getting better all the time....that's why I'm keeping my 'powder' dry regarding these gadgets. Take a look at what's coming:

http://www.raysat.com/news/NewsDetail.aspx?ContentID=28&TypeID=1 Tom Fisher
Dallas, TX
 

Re: Sat Antenna

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19627
Larry,

I agree with you that the low dome is the best way to go for the 05 and 06 Mags. We have had all the various types and we are not that desperate for TV that it has to work in all types of weather. The over the road sat came in very handy last year when we tried to get home before a hurricane. My wife was driving and listening to sat radio weather and I was in the bedroom tracking the hurricane on TV without the need to stop and put out a dish. Never made it home, got stopped outside New Orleans. That year we had 3 hurricane over our house at Lake Ashton.

Bill G. 2005 Magna #6425