Satellite and Bugs

[Larry Dedrick]

Hi all,
Does anyone know if having a buggy satellite dome will cause issues with the satellite?  We are locked on and everything is working fine but the satellite dish seems to be moving constantly.  We hadn't noticed this before.
Thanks,
Laura

[Gerald Farris]

Laura,
Your satellite dish (dome) can not affect the satellite because it is a receive only antenna and does not have the transmission capability that would be necessary to affect the satellite.

Gerald  

[Joel Weiss]

Gerald:

I think Laura' question was probably whether a dirty dome could interfere with reception, not whether it would actually interfere with the satellite.

The answer is that it could, although it would have to be pretty dirty IMO.  Just like condensation on the dome can reduce signal strength so could a layer of smashed bugs, although that would only be the case if the direction of the satellite was through the dirty part of the dome.

Joel

[Roy Warren Co-Admin]

Laura,
Yes, a dirty dome will affect the reception and can cause lost signals, just as rain does.  On our old dome, I had to constantly keep the bugs off when parked facing south to southwest.
Roy Warren

[Lee Welbanks]

With the Winegard SDi dome I had fog and rain would cause it to lose signal also could only receive one satellite at a time, hence replace with a Winegard traveler, doesn't have in motion but never watched traveling anyway.

[Joel Ashley]

I dunno.  Whenever I indulge a bit too much, go up and clean the bugs off the Kingdome (without falling off - so far so good), and then try to communicate with spacecraft of any sort, I usually have more success.  So I think for once Gerald's advice may be taken as questionable.  

On the other hand, some of those bugs look just like the beings I communicate with.  Hmmm....

Joel

[Larry Dedrick]

Thanks all.  I haven't really been able to tell but from our windshield as we have traveled west I must think it is pretty buggy.  If we hadn't cleaned it at each stop it would thick with bugs!  And they all say Florida is buggy!!  We have gone through parts of SD and MT where it sounded like rain but was bugs....yuck!We had the coach washed in West Yellowstone but they didn't touch the roof.  Just another Larry project to add to his list.  And Joel I'll make sure it's before beer thirty that he does it...lol!

[Richard And Babs Ames]

If you have used dryer sheets, they are good for cleaning off bugs without harming the finish. It mat take several wettings and rubbing to get drier bugs off.

[Stan Simpson]

Turtle Wax bug and tar cleaner does a good job on the glass and the front cap of the coach. Spray it on...wait 2 minutes and wash 90% off without touching anything. The rest, I use a micro fiber cloth and hot water. Good luck.

Safe travels all,

Stan