Re: [amsat-bb] trees

["Edward R. Cole" <al7eb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Roy:
>
>I can guarantee he is not shooting directly though leaves and receiving a
signal
>at 12GHz. Keep in mind that the DSS dishes have offset feeds, so it may look
>like the dish is physically pointing through the trees, but they are actually
>looking higher. I've done quite a few DSS dish installations of my own as
well
>as for family members, and I've never been able to make them work without a
>completely clear path..
>
>73's
>
>Don Woodward
>KD4APP
>AMSAT 33535
>kd4app@amsat.org
>http://kd4app.webhop.org

I think Don has come up with the most plausible explanation.  I was a
satellite-TV dealer from 1985-1994 and must have set up over 100 dishes in
that period.  I can tell you that even the "big" C-band dishes would not
work thru trees.  You might get a very "snowy" picture (C-band was all
analog so snowy pictures were possible..not like the new digital,
small-dish systems that either have a picture or not) if it was one of the
stronger satellites, but quick use of a chainsaw demonstrated very
graphically how much effect a tree has.  Of course my experience was/is in
Alaska, so maybe stronger signals in the lower-48 results in a different
experience.  {minimum size for small TV dishes up here is 30-inches...it
takes a 4-foot dish to get all channels...my AO-40 dish was confiscated
from my TV-system when I upgraded to a 39-inch dish}

But as it applies to ham radio (and particularly AO-40 reception)...trees
are "bad"!  {spank them with a chainsaw!}

Ed, AL7EB

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