Specific weather conditions – such as rain, snow, high temperatures, and pressure – might be affecting the TV reception in your home. This interference caused by the elements is temporary and it should resolve by itself once the weather clears. Of course, if the winds were strong, it might have damaged or knocked down your satellite dish.
If you are wondering how the weather affects the television reception in your house, you might find the list below to be quite helpful. It will feature various weather elements and the ways it can hinder you from watching your favorite drama or movie for a shorter and sometimes, longer period. Let’s take a closer look:
1. Heavy Rain And Winds
Usual rainfall might not affect the signal as much, however, if it is heavy and combined with strong winds, you might be receiving a poorer signal. When there is liquid, it can absorb the signal, which means that it can cause it to scatter and dissipate, hence, causing issues.
Just think about it in this way – the signal hits the drop of water on one side and it comes out on the other. All of these instances are weak signals and some of them travel to a different location instead of your dish picking it up. Snow, for example, does not hinder the signal as much as rain, especially since the raindrops are denser.
2. Extremely High Temperatures
Extremely high temperatures will not really impact how your TV works, but, huge pressure that happens with high temperatures can generate an issue for you. For instance, high-altitude can cause high troposphere air to chill down faster. When this occurs, the warm air that is closer to the earth can get caught.
The reception can easily jump along with the colder ozone layer and it can travel further than it usually can. High temperatures can damage your satellite dish, which is why you can experience problems as well. If this happens, you might need to call a professional company and if you want to see what services you can opt for, check here.
3. Snow And Low Temperatures
Similarly to extremely high temperatures, cold will not hinder how your aerial works. But, specific pressure can. This can usually occur when there is a sudden drop in the temperature and instead of the air chilling down over time, it drops suddenly and gets caught in the atmosphere layer. It can basically be anywhere, at the surface, between the warm layer of the ground and the different hot one that is nearest to it.
4. Strong Breezes And Thunder Storms
If a bolt of lightning strikes nearby your house or if there are high static charges in the air, you might be experiencing temporary interference of signal. This usually occurs when there is a sudden burst of static – coming from the lightning bolt – and it basically disperses electricity everywhere.
Now, the biggest threat here is to the satellite dish you have. If it is not properly installed and grounded, the electricity might end up in your wires, hence, causing your signal to become weak or non-existent. Keep in mind that it does not have to be a strike that is near your home, it can happen even if it occurs miles from your home.
When it comes to strong winds, it might cause your dish to move and sway, meaning that its ability to catch the signal is lowered. Although strong winds won’t affect the reception directly, it might change the position of the aerial – which always needs to face the South and broadcasting tower.
So, What Can I Do?
As you already know, there is no way that you can control the elements that cause your signal to be weak. It can happen anytime, during each season, and it can last from a couple of hours to a couple of days! Additionally, if your signal does not return after a few days, you might want to call an expert to check whether or not everything is okay with your aerial.
If the reception does not return after a few hours, you might want to check whether or not your aerial is properly placed, as well as if there are any visible damages to it or the cables connecting the dish to your receiver and TV. Keep in mind that you might need to climb on your roof, hence, if this is something that you do not want to do, you can call a professional installation company to help you.
Other Things That Might Be Affecting Your TV Reception
It is also worth mentioning several other things that might be causing a reception loss, including:
1. Obstacles Between The Satellite Dish And Broadcasting Tower
If there are any buildings, trees, mountains, hills, or objects between your aerial and the broadcasting tower, it might be hindering the reception you get. This problem can be solved by moving your aerial higher up on your roof.
2. The Position And Direction of The Dish
Keep in mind that the dish needs to be placed in the South, and it also must face the location of the broadcasting tower. If it is not positioned like this, you might be experiencing major reception problems. Hence, if you do not have a problem getting up on your roof, you can also reposition it by yourself.
3. There Might Be a Problem With Your Set-Top Box
Besides the aforementioned problems, your set-top box might be experiencing some issues. You can try several things including re-scanning the programs, re-tuning it by choosing the option in the settings, and you can check whether or not all the cables are connected to it properly.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a wide range of weather conditions that can affect how your television signal works and travels from your satellite dish to your TV. So, now that you know what can impact the reception on your home, you won’t need to call the provider any more when there is interference. Instead, you should choose to wait out the elements and everything should return to normal soon after.
