Rain fade!!!

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Another attempt to fine tune the dish in pouring rain! All Spot Beam channels available at 11am CET. There seemed to be no match between the sheer weight of the rain falling on the car and signal drop-out. I had the doors tightly shut with both receivers taking it in turns on the passenger seat. The tiny CRT TV offers a picture too small (and fuzzy) to be certain of the S&Q readings. I brought out the car sunscreens to hide the reflected glare from the 2.2 metre dish behind me. Then I found something tall enough to prop the TV up where I could see it more easily without annoying reflections. You would not believe the hours I have wasted peering at this 4" TV over the years while dish aligning. When a small flat screen TV would have helped enormously.

Then it occurred to me that I could use the drop-out glitches to fine tune the disk pointing further. Except that it would not stop pouring down! Every time I determined to get out of the car to fiddle with the dish the rain would redouble its efforts! During one brief pause, in still steady rain, I looped a chord between the edge of the dish and the angle iron stand. Then I wound a stick through it to allow me fine aziumuth adjustment. (tourniquet style) This did not help. I could neither see nor hear the TV in the car through the pouring rain. Returning to the car to watch a channel or flick round the signal would soon go off again.

Relative dish size from 1.2m up to 3m.

It was all getting a bit silly and OCD by now. So I used an easing in the rain to escape indoors to gather my thoughts in more wasted blogging electrons. There is now a big puddle outside the car door where I have been getting in and out. I may have to move the car without damaging the cables snaking across the parking area.

I imagine the rain and rain-bearing clouds up in the sky have far more effect than what is falling locally. This would explain the mismatch between signal strength and falling rain. I had solid reception during the heaviest rain. Only for the signal to fade when the rain eased off again. The rain stopped briefly but I had no signal on several transponders which were fine only moments before. I obviously still have far too little overhead on the signal strength and quality to ensure a reliable reception lock on the receivers. The difference in signal level between all the different channels is quite ridiculous! Worst, by far, is ITV2+1.

As I sit here scribbling away the sun has come out and it has finally stopped raining. Is it just trying to tease me into trying again? Off we go again!

By now many channels had dropped out with only ITV3 & 4 still just watchable.  

13.15 and there were no Spot Beam channels left at all.  I don't think there is much of a margin left to tweak with. Millimetre movements of the edge of the dish do make a difference. Though only when there is a signal to play with.

Is it worth all the effort to dig a huge hole and cast a steel pole in solid concrete? I am really not sure at this moment.  Yes it will give me a stable base and allow much finer adjustment but for how many hours of TV per day? Most UK daytime programming is absolutely unforgivable dross! With very rare exceptions like cycle racing.

14.15 Switched on again to check the latest situation. Many of the UK SB channels were now watchable! It is windier than earlier but much brighter. With the heavy clouds clearing to blue sky in the south.

Will continue to monitor at intervals this afternoon.  BTW: No DiSEqC switch is being used now. Just 20 metres of coax with a straight coupler in the middle. Using the Fortec Star Passion HD receiver. I am now informed that the coupler causes a 2dB signal loss. Whoops! That is much the same as reducing dish size by a foot or more in terms of signal gain!

15.15 No check.

16.15 Still some channels watchable. Mostly ITV with only one BBC channel locking at intervals.

17.15 Not one UK SB channel receivable now.

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