Friday FTA Fun Poll 11/21

[Mr Tony]

well better late than never

Another week another Friday FTA Fun Poll. And yes this one comes from personal experience. Went out to get the big dish ready for some C-Band fun and I realized damn its cold out. Balmy 12 above with windchill near zero. You work fast in the cold

So that brings us to this weeks question...

What is the coldest temp you did a project in? Now this wasnt a 2 minute job. I mean one that was a project

all temps in F so you Canadian folks got to do the conversion

-20 and below
-10 to -20
0 to -10
0 to +20
+20 to +32
+32 to +50
+50 and higher

now I know obviously the answers will be skewed as someone like myself who lives in Minnesota or brent in Michigan or our Canadian friends probably have worked in cold whereas the folks like qwert, anole, stogie and others who barely see +40 during the winter

 

[Mr Tony]

-10 to -20

I found proof from a post at the beginning of the year. Had C-Band issues

hee hee

I went and put the big dish out and my LNB seized up...after all it is -10 out with windchill of -29 or so

so lemme tell ya something....when its that damn cold out you can change LNB's and scaler rings in like 4 minutes

I know I've done projects with it near -20....you learn to do things quick. Also noted in that thread too

also cable does not flex when its that cold out. you unroll it in a warmer area then run cable outside

and my original theory of aiming the big dish in front of the garage

honestly it isnt that bad as long as your face isnt facing the wind. You bundle up and its not bad. I have a routine when its that cold out to aim dish

open garage door and wheel dish out on 2 wheeler
close garage by hand (pull the release)
get everything ready outside and cable hooked up
open garage and aim very quickly watching it on a little TV (that TV doesnt like it when its that cold out)
close garage door after getting signal
unroll good cable
open garage and hook that up
take down aiming system in 30 seconds and get your ass back in the house as you hit the garage door opener to close it

 

[voomvoom]

I voted 20-32, but I really have no idea? I know I've worked on alignment in under 32 degree temps, but I seriously doubt I've been out there in under 20 degree temps?
Truthfully, anyone (especially myself) is going to have a hard time getting me out in under 50 degree temps, I'd rather not go out in under 60 degree temps...... but I will.

 

[tvropro]

I don't know if this counts for todays FTA but when I installed my first 10 foot dish foot C band back in December of 1987 the daytime outside temperature hovered around 5 degree's or less. We pored the concrete a couple days before, it was about 25 to 30 for that, then the bottom fell out. First channel I ever saw with it was on the old 5 watt F3. :clap

 

[Inno]

I voted -20 or lower because........well I've done that ever since I can remember. Not on a regular basis but if something needs tweaking, replacing or if there's a satellite that I just have to have, I'll do it. Long Canadian winters make us do weird things like that!
Just this evening I went out to tweak a dish I have on AMC4 and the temp was around -13 C which is somewhere around 8.5 F. Brrrrr. Didn't stay out there too long. My LED flashlight kept shutting off because the batteries are marginal and the cold is just enough to make them die.

 

[Anole]

I'll go for +50° F
Because when it's colder than that, I have enough sense to come into the house!

Actually, shorts 'n a T-shirt are just not really suitable much below 70°

 

[Cadsulfide]

When the daytime high is -25, and you're 20' up on a ladder adjusting a dish on a 2 story roof, I swear if you listen carefully, you can hear sleigh bells in the distance.

 

[linuxman]

I setup my second motorized Primestar dish in the 20's in January of that year.

It wasn't too bad as long as the wind wasn't blowing. I do remember that when I finally came down, I could barely move and had to sit in a hot bath tub of water to finally get warmed back up. I think I was up on the roof about half an hour at a time and would come down to warm up. The whole job took 4 to 6 hours.

Can't do that anymore though. Just can't take the extremes anymore. Hope nothing breaks down this winter.

 

[stogie5150]

I'll go for +50° F
Because when it's colder than that, I have enough sense to come into the house!

Actually, shorts 'n a T-shirt are just not really suitable much below 70°

I'm with you Anole, below 50 degrees,I stay inside, unless absolutely necessary! :up

 

[Lak7]

Actuator Arm
-10 to -20, I don't remember exactly, but it was frickin cold, and dark.
I remember how my nose felt when breathing, the snot froze inside and would thaw when exhaling. Haven't felt that for a long time.
Then, I dropped a wrench, it hit the base, made the weirdest sound, like it was going to shatter.

 

[Inno]

You can almost tell where a person is from based on their answer to this question. I think what it boils down to is that most of us will go out in the coldest weather our area has to offer if our dish/dishes need some TLC.
I used to install Star Choice and ExpressVu for a retailer and I remember one cold day (not sure the temp., not the coldest day I've ever seen but too cold for what I was doing) my boss told me that this dish HAD to get done. So off I went to the customer's house which was high on a hill overlooking Rainy Lake. The wind chill was absolutely brutal! I had a complete snowmobile suit and snow boots on and still felt the biting cold. The worst parts were trying to get the cable to do what I wanted and trying to warm it up enough to get an end on it. I think I went back in the spring to tidy up the cable as there was no way to make it co-operate.
BTW, it got down to 2° F here last night.

 

[voomvoom]

I voted 20-32, but I really have no idea? I know I've worked on alignment in under 32 degree temps, but I seriously doubt I've been out there in under 20 degree temps?
Truthfully, anyone (especially myself) is going to have a hard time getting me out in under 50 degree temps, I'd rather not go out in under 60 degree temps...... but I will.

Besides, my original dish had hand cranks and I had to go out whenever I needed to change satellites. But, it doesn't get into the 20's often (here) and very very rarely has gone below 20 (but it has/can happen). So, it is possible that I have been out in under 20 conditions, but highly unlikely....?
I agree with Anole on 50+, and will add I don't care to get out in over 100 either (90 actually)....

 

[14karat]

20 to 32 because it was 25 this morning when I was outside doing more prep for BUD #2...

 

[14karat]

...I don't care to get out in over 100 either (90 actually)....

I had the posts in the ground, the conduit ran and the 10' assembled and mounted before July. Didn't touch it again until about a month ago when I started tuning.
Once it hits 90+, forget it.
I've been to Phoenix in the 105+ temps but their humidity is pretty much nil for the most part.
When it's 90+ with the humidity 90+ as well, I just live to keep the A/C running and the electric bill paid...

 

[Fizbi]

Too cold and the tools stick to your skin. I know!

 

[jayelem]

Just a few days ago after waiting for all the leaves to fall off the trees at my South eastern Horizon , hoping to get Telstar 12 and the temp was at 40.0 F. degrees , I stood up there on my porch roof feeling stupid when I couldn't get any quality , I pretty much gave up and now I feel bad because I wanted to swap out my Stab 100 H-H before it got any colder.

I'll take 90+ on any day.

I did tinker with a stationary dish in sub 22 degree with crazy windchill factor and I hated the fact that I couldn't feel my fingers or the wrench I was using , I was in and out with 5 minute intervals looking at a TV 20 feet away through steamy fogged up storm windows I had to keep cleaning.

 

[Tron]

Unfortunately, we have summertime conditions 9 months out of every year in New Orleans. There have been rare occasions, however, when I've been working out on the dish farm in near freezing weather. I prefer cooler conditions over warm (or hot) conditions, as you can always bundle up for the cold. The only relief you can have from heat is to throw water on yourself! And that roof can get quite hot during the summer, which is why I usually work at night during full moons...

 

[rv1pop]

I set up a system in 20 degree weather and that was on the road -- not even at home! And it really gets cold at home. What is the windchill temp. when the thermometer reads +5 and the wind speed is 62 MPH?

 

[Corrado]

I remember a few 0°F nights trying to resolve some issue. Dropping tools in the snow and not finding them until Spring.

Installs, I can plan for ahead of time. The emergencies as required.

 

[Larry1]

I don't really know how cold, just that it is almost impossible to work with gloves or mitts on, and without them when it is very cold you loose the dexterity in your fingers very fast. A little below freezing seems like a nice day to work outside during a cold winter spell. Just like ice fishing, a little below freezing keeps the ice frozen but easy to keep warm. Ten below (and a little wind) and you start to look like the Michelin man with all the clothes on.