Satellite TV and stormy weather

[rosaroca]

I know the answer is probably "no," but is there anyway to keep from losing satellite signal when I need it most - when there are storms around? Before the switch to all-digital, I could turn on the local channels on the old analog TV's and find out if we're about to get hit by a tornado, but now all I get is "searching for satellite signal."

So frustrating. And potentially very dangerous! We still have the old TV, but can't get signal out here in the country. THey say if I get a really good (in other words, expensive) antennae, I'll be able to pick up local channels with the aid of the converter box I've already got, but which doesn't work on the rabbit ears.

Any suggestions?

 

[Marty]

No, not with the sattelite. The sattlelite needs clear skys to send the signal up and when there is a storm out there, it blocks that signal. There is no getting around that.

We have an antenna on the house too so we can switch to local and still pick up local channels that we don't get on sattelite at all.

 

[Sabrina]

sorry even we don't get it when bad weather hits and my husband installs and repairs sattelites,

fortunately he is also part of our volunteer fire department so he has a radio that i can turn to the weather channel and check weather conditions i also go to weather.com for my town and it has updates.

 

[gimp]

I've had both Satellite companies and found that with DirecTV I lost the signal every time we had a storm. With Dish Network I have only lost the signal when the snow built up on the dish. A quick sweep and all was well. I have no idea why that is (the signal loss with DirecTV, not the snow build up), but I think I will stick with Dish Network.

 

[NoddalottaFarm]

I hear and feel your pain!!! We live in the country, too far from St. Louis to get the new digital signal. We have satellite and when stormy weather comes and knocks out our signal, we turn on the NOAA weather radio. What we have is just a FRS Radio (the second one died) that gets the NOAA signal. When the satellite goes out, this is all we have and it sticks to me like glue! Cheap and easy!

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Those NOAA radios are a lifesaver. They are not very expensive, and the one I have my girls gave me. It is electric, and if the electricity goes out, then it has battery backups. It is never turned off. When the alarm goes off, I can either push a button to hear the announcement, or let it go. I generally listen. We are out in the boonies too, and currently have DirecTV, and a clouding over can knock it out. Contract is out, and will be switching to DISH soon. That is another subject that I will not go into right now!

 

[Pepipony]

That is the one really bad thing about satellite, no signal during rain. I think ours even goes out when a cow sneezes near it LOL And of course, they never tell you any of that pre-purchase.

 

[minie812]

Pat...John and I are forever losing our signal and we just switch over to our computer and go to the local stations and pick it up on their radar that way. BTW...Snotty Scotty is living the good life in Colorado and doing great on trail driving

 

[Sonya]

I have directv television and internet and I rarely have problems..yes, it will go out but usually only for a little while. It is our only option for internet and the internet goes out easier than the tv, but still wouldn't trade it for dial up in a million years.