Demystifying DStv reception and rain.

Edwin Chabuka Avatar

Rainy season is upon us and if you have DSTV as your source of entertainment i’m sure you can sympathize with me how much of a train smash it is when it’s pouring outside and you can’t go out, then your only source of indoor entertainment tells you it has no signal.

So yes rain affects your reception, but not in the way you might suggest. Enough of the times I have seen plastic bottles and plastic bags used to shield the receiver (LNB) from the elements. That’s not really helping anything at all, might actually be worsening the situation. Here is how.

The receiver on your satellite dish gets its signal from a satellite transceiver orbiting in space. When it rains, the clouds obstruct the path of the signal between your receiver and  the source of the signal. However the receiver itself (LNB) was designed to work outdoors and therefore it can easily handle even the heaviest of downpours without the aid of protective shields placed on them.

In actual fact placing foreign objects on your LNB will obstruct the signal path affecting your signal reception even more by blocking out the little signal that had managed to penetrate the blanket of clouds. So if you lose picture because of some rain it’s best to wait it out. If you have a PVR or an Explora this gives you an opportunity to watch those saved recordings.

If you feel the decoder is acting up try a soft reset. Press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds and wait for it to boot up.

10 comments

  1. James Bond

    Makushaya nyaya

    1. Aware

      Really? coz I found ut pretty usefeul. Did not know about this

  2. Tawaz

    Even with a PVR or an Explorer, the pictures saved will still be scrambled because of poor reception

  3. Marc

    Awesome article. Write something on antenna sizes (dish) 30cm, 60cm, 90cm etal in relation to signal reception

    1. kilotango

      which part was awesome? the part about not putting stuff over your dish/lnb.. or about how to reset your decoder?

  4. Buthoe

    The reason why we put those containers and or plastic papers is that, LNB inenge yabooka. When it rains, water finds its way into the LNB thus short circuiting the system. Therefore instead of buying a new one you can simply cover it from the rains by using plastic paper or container.

  5. Macd Chip

    Really, l thought you were going to talk about what actually happens to the signal when its raining not just tell pple not to put plastic around their dishes.

    1. How does rain affects signal?

    2. How do clouds affects signal

    3. How does windy and lighting weather affect signal

    Otherwise people are just goin to continue using their naive methods because you did not provide enough technical clarrification to stop them from doing what they kno best

  6. BUTHO

    Poorly research article…next time find Electrical Engineer to ask about these things

  7. Hahs

    Poor article.

  8. Robert Mugabe

    iyi inyaya yemubhawa… but then again, internet ibhawa (Explora not Explorer, by the way)

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