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Signal Strength, Pointing of Dish, and Trees.

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GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Signal Strength, Pointing of Dish, and Trees.

To preface, this is more or less a continuation of a previous thread that I started regarding the titled topic...

https://community.myhughesnet.com/hughesnet/topics/question-regarding-pointing-of-dish-at-installati...

Up until a little over two weeks ago my signal was still great, averaging from 118 to 122.  I have been taking periodic snapshots of my signal strength and saving them to compare.  The trees have started to fill out, so I check the strength tonight, which is a clear night, and it's now at 106.  It's never been this low, not even during steady rain and heavy clouds (during storms I don't use it at all, for safety's sake).  I'll keep an eye on it, but right now it is a little worrying, as the trees still have a ways to go before filled out. 

I'll do a speed test later on, as right now the speed would be lower because of the time. 

One thing that could be good is that I think it's one specific tree that may be causing the problem out of all of them, and I may be able to simply cut it down.  I'll know for sure once the trees are full, which shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks from now. 

I'm hoping that taking the snapshots of the signal strength over time, while not only helpful to me, will be helpful to the Hughesnet folks in case a real problem with the trees presents itself.  Hopefully it won't. 

We shall see...    

37 REPLIES 37
Gokartergo
New Member

The NOC center could be having a storm.  That could make you signal level lower.
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Would that affect my signal strength to the satellite, though?  I don't see how it would. 
Gokartergo
New Member

Yes, It is measured from the noc center. If they are under severe weather it could effect your SQF.
Gokartergo
New Member

I'm not saying it is not your trees. I'm not there. But keep checking SQF for a few days. If it doesn't come back up. Then you need to check into it.
BirdDog
Assistant Professor

Only correction is Gateway not NOC.
BirdDog
Assistant Professor

My signal varies between winter and summer by about 10 points even though I'm looking above pine trees which don't shed leaves, always the same. There is the satellite orbit wobble factor.
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Okay.  I though the signal strength was just the strength of my dish to the satellite, not involving anything else.  We learn something new every day. 
Gokartergo
New Member

Sorry, Always have and always will call them all NOC centers.
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

I knew about the wobble thing from you guys talking about it on here.  I check it nearly every time I come online, but don't do a snapshot every time, lest I'd have hundreds of snapshots.  LOL. 
BirdDog
Assistant Professor

To me a NOC has people, a Gateway is pretty much unmanned and remotely controlled.
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

So the signal strength is the strength from my dish to the gateway (dish to satellite to gateway)? 

NOC on wood? 

BirdDog
Assistant Professor

Yes, a throughput strength to the Gateway. Why weather at either end can effect it.
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Ah.  I know there are some nasty storms in the Midwest and considerable cloud cover over a lot of those gateways.  Thanks for the info guys.  Again, we learn something new each day.
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Well, nothing seems to be affected at this point, no matter what is causing the lower signal strength, as I'm still getting speeds in the low 20s and no packet loss.  So that's good. 
Mordacious
New Member

My signal strength varies from 118-125. The tech that was out here was amazed when he saw the 125, said it was the best he had ever seen.

I stay connected with a signal as low as 39, then it starts to get iffy.
GetSatMan
New Member

FWIW when I saw this thread I looked at my SS for the first time in many months (it's 120 btw). Since getting Gen4 it just works all the time, except in (now) only rare instances of heavy thunderstorms.

Anyway with "low 20s and no packet loss" I'm not sure why you are obsessing over this. Leave the trees alone until you're certain they're causing you a problem. I'm sure you know too that the satellite is actually higher in the sky than where the dish appears to be pointing...
Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

Gabe,

It seems that the further north you go the lower the peak SQF.


I am in west Michigan about where the red dot is in center:

I have about 98-100 on a clear summer day, about 103 in winter.

I'll stay connected until hitting "cut-off" at about 31-32


The "look angle" is about 40' or so above the dish arm:


The amount of room you have between "peak" and "cut-off" is the headroom you have as a buffer for inclement weather. Obviously more is better but I wouldn't overly concern myself until I seen a CONSISTANT 15 point or so drop.

Remember too that weather at your gateway location will have an effect.


GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

GetSatMan, hence the comments "over time", "keep an eye on it".  Being cognizant of a possible future problem is hardly "obsessing over this."  

You can relax.  I'm not cutting any trees down at this point, nor did I think I indicated so.   

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

They have been having a lot of storms out in the Midwest and such, so that could have something to do with it.  Time will tell.  And, of course, if the signal strength does drop, but the service remains consistent, that's all that really matters.

The arm itself is most definitely pointed at the tree, and down a bit from the top.  How much the look angle is being affected, or will be affected, once it's filled out, I can only wait and see.  Hopefully everything will be fine.  One thing I do know for sure is that it most definitely will be affected in the future at some point, as the tree is still growing.  It will grow another ten to twenty feet, most likely, and it will surely be affecting it at this point, as it's only about 40 feet from the house.  When it does, it will be a simple fix.  My property is surrounded by trees, so it's not like one less will make an impactful difference.  All it will do is enable me to roast a lot of marshmallows on summer evenings.  I'll wait to stock up.  LOL.    

GetSatMan
New Member

You've made a new long thread that is an extension of another long thread. When the tree grows and your system stops working then cut the tree down.