Do clouds affect reception ?

**glesgaguysat** · 21-01-2007

Earlier today I experienced a slow loss of signal strength and quality until I lost all satellites except Astra 2 (Sky) this lasted for around 3 hours and I am glad to say that all is now back to normal.

There was no wind or heavy rain at the time although it was heavily ovecast.

So my question is... could heavy cloud cover affect my reception?

***2cvbloke*** · 21-01-2007

Originally Posted by glesgaguysat

Earlier today I experienced a slow loss of signal strength and quality until I lost all satellites except Astra 2 (Sky) this lasted for around 3 hours and I am glad to say that all is now back to normal.

There was no wind or heavy rain at the time although it was heavily ovecast.

So my question is... could heavy cloud cover affect my reception?

From my experience, yes, the water in the clouds attenuates the signal, in most cases it just means a drop in signal quality & strength, but in very heavy cloud, it can block the signal altogether (especially with a Minidish!!!)...

**glesgaguysat** · 21-01-2007

Thanks 2CVBLOKE, I thought that might be the problem, it's the first time I've expierienced this over the last few months of bad weather, I've seen the signal break up in heavy rain or winds (expect that) but this has been one of the few relatively good days here (the sun was shinning this morning!!) and thought that I should have no reception problems, we live and learn

***2cvbloke*** · 21-01-2007

Originally Posted by glesgaguysat

Thanks 2CVBLOKE, I thought that might be the problem, it's the first time I've expierienced this over the last few months of bad weather, I've seen the signal break up in heavy rain or winds (expect that) but this has been one of the few relatively good days here (the sun was shinning this morning!!) and thought that I should have no reception problems, we live and learn

I remember about 2 years ago on my first indoor dish, I just watched the signal creep down as a pretty hefty stormcloud rolled in infront of Astra2, even the outdoor minidish went about 5 minutes later, it didn't come back for about 1/2 an hour, to my nephew's dismay (he loves the Extreme Sports channel, I think it's FTA on Astra2)...

**izefisherman** · 21-01-2007

Originally Posted by glesgaguysat

Earlier today I experienced a slow loss of signal strength and quality until I lost all satellites except Astra 2 (Sky) this lasted for around 3 hours and I am glad to say that all is now back to normal.

There was no wind or heavy rain at the time although it was heavily ovecast.

So my question is... could heavy cloud cover affect my reception?

Normal light clouds seem to have little or no effect on the signal but very wet clouds, about to release rain or snow can attenutate even the best satellite signal completely. The water drop content in such clouds cause the signal to scatter heavily. That is bad for satellite signals but can enhance terrestrial microwave communiations considerably. Radio amateurs active on the microwave frequencies call this phenomenon "rain scatter", they use rain clouds to reflect their signals beyond the horizon.

**Llew** · 21-01-2007

Originally Posted by izefisherman

That is bad for satellite signals but can enhance terrestrial microwave communiations considerably.

Every cloud has a silver lining...

Llew

**johnwilliam1** · 21-01-2007

Originally Posted by glesgaguysat

Earlier today I experienced a slow loss of signal strength and quality until I lost all satellites except Astra 2 (Sky) this lasted for around 3 hours and I am glad to say that all is now back to normal.

There was no wind or heavy rain at the time although it was heavily ovecast.

So my question is... could heavy cloud cover affect my reception?

i would say yes,

a few years ago about midday on a sunday, the sky all of a sudden started to go dark and darker and darker until it was black and then the rain started, it was like what you would see in certain countries like where they would have monsoon weather it shot it down you would think it was midnight it was pitch black, those where the days when i had a motorised dish, anyhow after about 30 mins it all stopped including the swirling wind, i looked at my dish knowing it should be knackered and it was, our local tesco's roof came in, it was front page news in my town hartlepool, but the nearby areas billingham, middlesborough where not touched, it was unusual a small area got turned over, but as far as your signal is concerned, its happened to me loads of times, especially on the satellites with weak signals, its dead easy to lose a certain percentage

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