Satellite signal loss from a newly leafed out tree branch?

Are you one of those people with a satellite dish who experience “partial signal loss” when the trees leaf out every spring?  Yep, you put up with it all summer until the fall when the trees go bare again.

Put that together with what a certified tree surgeon will charge you to come out and “try to get the branches that are blocking the signal” and you can understand frustration and the expense of “trying to cut the right tree branch.”

Here are two solutions for you, and I do not recommend either of them.  Well, unless you’re courageous and don’t mind taking a chance, and have good medical coverage.

One answer for you is downright risky and is  not for the faint of heart. 

The tools you will need are a ladder, some duct tape (well yeah, what else?) one good flashlight or strong laser pointer and a nice, long tree trimming pole.

Here’s what you do:  just bfore dark use the ladder to get on your roof and get over to your satellite dish.  Be sure to take your roll of duct tape and flashlight with you.

Once you get over to it, use the duct tape to tape the flashlight on the central probe of the dish so that it’s beam is aiming down the probe at the satellite. 

When it gets dark enough to see the flashlight’s beam, turn it on.

The flashlight beam will shine on the branch and leaves that need to be trimmed. 

Now, climb off of the roof, and use the tree trimming pole to cut the branch off.  Cut it far enough back to allow for regrowth because you don’t want to have to do this every year.

If you can’t reach the offending branch from the ground, put the ladder under the tree where you can use it to reach the branch with the pole cutter.

If you can’t reach it any of those two ways then you’re going to have to hire it done.  But take my advice, take the time to toss something over the branch so that you can positively identify the offending branch for someone with a bucket truck or set of tree spikes to know what to cut when they get there.  They will most likely not agree to show up after dark, so make sure you mark it for them in some way.

Now, if your flashlight beam happens to illuminate the topmost branches of your neighbor’s prized tree, then you have a real serious problem. 

More fights break out between neighbors over trees than you can imagine.  Besides, if the branch obstructing your dish signal is in the top of a tree, how could you trim it off anyway?

The answer to that question is the tree trimming option that is guaranteed to get you arrested and tossed into jail.

DO NOT use a 12 gauge shotgun with #1 shot to trim that topmost branch.  Those ball bearings have to come down somewhere, and when they do someone’s going to get hurt.  You WILL find yourself trying to explain why you did something that stupid to a judge.  I promise you.

Levity aside, use your head.  If the trees around your place aren’t very tall the flashlight and ladder method will most likely work.  If the trees are fairly tall then use it to mark the branch that needs to be cut, and that may take more than one trip with a saw.  After all, if the first branch you trim is only the tirst of two or three branches that are obstructing the signal, you’ll have to repeat the process to identify the others on the trees behind it.