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Old 02-01-2020, 10:45 PM   #14
TurnerFam
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: Georgia
Posts: 2,585
THOR #4735
some mention no 'signal' in Alaska, but that can be a confusing point to some who are new to satellite tv...

the satellites are in a fixed orbit, in a set place that never changes, as they orbit at exactly the same 'speed' that the earth is rotating - in essence, in the sky above most any of us, all the time.

Here's the rub: when you are in the southern U.S., or Mexico, you have little issues picking up the satellites in the sky, since they are sometimes almost directly overhead, or close to it.

BUT, the farther 'north' you go, ESPECIALLY into Canada, and certainly Alaska, you are in a different boat, as the satellites are now 'low' toward the horizon, and MUCH more subject to be easily blocked from view by trees, hills, mountains, building, homes, even the RV parked next to you.

ALASKA is by far the 'hardest' to receive Satellite TV signals since your Antenna is almost having to POINT almost directly at the horizon, ESPECIALLY the farther north in Alaska you are, Fairbanks for sure. In Alaska, you may see some very odd looking SATELLITE ANTENNAS on homes - they look like they are almost pointing DOWN, instead of up!
The reason is because the standard satellite antenna you see in yards and mounted on the sides or roofs of homes is an 'open faced' antenna - the 'dish' of the Antenna is what is 'capturing' the signal from the satellites, and REFLECTING that signal to the 'eye', or sometimes THREE eyes, or LNBs, that actually send the signal to your receiver, which processes the signal and sends it to your TV for viewing.
Since the 'eyes' of the Antenna are not what are pointed at the signal, but the 'dish' is what does that job, the 'eyes' can look as though they are pointing 'down' - though that really doesn't matter - the 'dish' is where the signal is captured.

Canadian satellite tv companies may use different satellites, maybe that are 'higher' in the sky, and more easily captured by satellite 'dishes' in the Canadian provinces, which is also probably why U.S> and Canadian satellite tv companies don't 'cross over' the border - it's not that the satellite suddenly can't be seen, but that your satellites for YOUR channels are getting harder and harder to acquire, closer and closer to the horizon.
If you have DISH or DIRECT and travel in Canada, likely you'll need to get your Antenna, no matter whether a portable or a fixed, as HIGH as you possible can.
If you travel in Alaska, you may not be able to get it HIGH ENOUGH to ever get a signal, or your portable antenna may not even be ABLE to look low enough, even if you do.
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the Turners...
two Campers, two Electric cars
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