DISH Reception in Alaska

[timandsusan]

Does anyone have experience of receiving DISH signals while in Alaska and Canada?? We are heading that way this year and I recently installed a DISH receiver system.

[jrgwdenner]

Our Direct TV satellite system didn't work at all in Alaska. We took a lot of DVDs so that we felt like we were watching TV.

[ols1932]

I doubt seriously if you can use your DISH network in Alaska. The curvature of the earth is such that your antenna will be looking at the horizon, thus no signal.

Orv

[adelmoll]

We were too busy to even want to watch TV or put up the dish. We did see some dishes facing downward on the houses though. We got reception in a lot of areas with our antenna up (Anchorage & Fairbanks come to mind) but most of the time we were just to tired by the time we finally got home and TV was the last thing we wanted to watch.

Helen

[exav8tr]

Timandsusan, Dish TV is available in the larger cities, Anc and FBs, but you have to be in ideal location. (no trees). I cannot receive Dish at my stick house due to trees. They do point lower on the horizon. I would plan on something else. Shopping is a good pasttime for most visitors. Come, enjoy, spend money (just kidding on this one). Remember, during summer it is light out until very late, or I should say early.

If I was to advise people on what to bring here, I would say fishing gear and DARK window shades.......

Enjoy your stay, we have......

[richfaa]

Well the elevation of the dish in Fairbanks would be about 8 degrees which is pretty much pointed at the ground. By Comparison it is about 38 degrees in Northern, Ohio...49 Degrees in Az and Dallas Tex would be about 52 Degrees. Most of our satellites are strung out over the equator so I guess if you were there you would be pointing stright up. Prudhue Bay,alaska is @ 5 degrees.

[Charlie]

Rich-
I'm glad you are not setting up my satellite dish. Menu on my receiver says Dallas is at 47 degrees elevation. I live 300+ miles south of Dallas and the elevation at my house is 49 degrees. However you are close on Fairbanks, it is at 10 degrees, very difficult to obtain a signal at that angle.

Trying to find a satellite signal in Canada with a multi-LNB dish would be very difficult. The menu uses US zip codes to locate the angle settings for the dish, therefore it would be guessing game in Canada without the zips. A single LNB dish and a satellite finder would make it much easier to lock onto.

[richfaa]

I was using the numbers for directtv..I figured they would be close.So now we know where the ditect tv sat is in relation to the dish sat.I found the numbers using zip codes. http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/customer/dishPointer.jsp

[timandsusan]

Thanks for the replies. This will be our third trip to Alaska but only our first driving. Last time I was there, we spent our days outside fishing, hiking and enjoying the views. I know we will do more of the same. I will save the satellite system for the fall when we are in the US and will watch college football.