Will overhead power wires disturb my reception?

[Vitruvius]

I am in the midst of installing a 180cm dish. It just so happens that the best location for this dish on my property is under the power line to my house which includes two 120volt lines and the cable line. I would suspect it shouldn't block too much of the signal but still curious if anyone has encountered any issues with this.

Thanks

[bobkat]

Originally Posted by Vitruvius

I am in the midst of installing a 180cm dish. It just so happens that the best location for this dish on my property is under the power line to my house which includes two 120volt lines and the cable line. I would suspect it shouldn't block too much of the signal but still curious if anyone has encountered any issues with this.

Thanks

Won't be a problem. I've done it many times.

kat

[wejones]

I agree that a power line won't "block" any signal, and a couple 120V lines won't be a problem, however if they are higher voltage, and/or if there is a transformer nearby, then they can present a problem, not by blocking the signal but via interference. My bud is right under a high voltage power line. {I often worry about what would happen if a tree pulled that line down onto my dish.} I think that line is at least 15,000V , maybe more. But right in line with one of the Canadian sats is the transformer, and I've always had problems with that slot, although it's been better since the newer more powerful sats took over. More recently, I put up my 90CM dish with the main intent of receiving AMC3 (for PBS) and G26 (for preseason NFL). Well, I made the mistake of putting the darn dish exactly where that darn transformer was right in line with G26. That's the one sat that I have problems with. I guess with the 90CM, it's possible that the transformer is actually blocking the signal, but I still think that it's mainly an interferrence problem coming from the high voltage transformer.

Usually though I agree. Power lines shouldn't be a problem.

[rainman]

Got 1 dish near power lines and another dish directly under the power lines and have no signal problems.

[1captain]

Not going to be a probem with power lines Vitruvius have put maney under or looking tru em, an no problems with signal. but Wejones had that happen here, a power line came down right acroos the feed legs that held c&ku, an it took everthing out, even a peice of the 1-run coax, an it was a 6000 volt line, what caused it was lighting, hit it an burn it in2, an the hot side is what hit the feed legs, an even started a grass fire.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by 1captain

Not going to be a probem with power lines Vitruvius have put maney under or looking tru em, an no problems with signal. but Wejones had that happen here, a power line came down right acroos the feed legs that held c&ku, an it took everthing out, even a peice of the 1-run coax, an it was a 6000 volt line, what caused it was lighting, hit it an burn it in2, an the hot side is what hit the feed legs, an even started a grass fire.

Yeah, the "fire" thing is what got me thinking about what would happen if that line came down on my dish. One time during a wind storm, a tree branch came down on that power line, and stretched between the hot line and the ground. I was thinking, 'how are we going to ever get that branch down?' , but it was no problem, because the branch caught fire and burned up wile I was watching. Unfortunately, underneath the power line is just about the only place where I have much view of the arc, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Before that fire, it never really sunk in to me that I had such high voltage lines on my property. Where I lived before, the transformers were out on the street, and it was just the 120V lines coming into the house, and I used to move tree limbs off them and wasn't that concerned about them. But these high voltage things are a real issue. And it isn't uncommon for them to irradiate lots of RF at all freqs, although generally at the poles and transformers.

[Vitruvius]

Thanks guys. That puts my mind at ease. The best place on my property for the 180cm dish with the most visible arc is next to the power lines to the house. I'm glad it won't be an issue since I already concreted the pole in place.. lol... There is a transformer, but that is about 250 feet away from the arc.

I have the dish up. Now it is time to try to get it tuned to the arc. This is the most tedious part of setting the dish.

I wonder if 120 volt and ground wires would set a branch on fire.. They are wrapped so I guess it wouldnt happen unless the sheilding were damaged.

Thanks for the responses.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by Vitruvius

..

I wonder if 120 volt and ground wires would set a branch on fire.. They are wrapped so I guess it wouldnt happen unless the sheilding were damaged.

Thanks for the responses.

No, if those things were that dangerous, I wouldn't be here. I've had tree limbs all over the 120V lines where I used to live. Like you say, the 120V lines are usually insulated, although it's best not to assume that (although as usual, I didn't listen to my own advise). But the wires on the high voltage side of the transformer usually are not insulated.