prevention of rain fade on antennas

[johnlvs2run]

I always thought rain fade was caused by atmospheric conditions,
but saw a video of someone coating their FTA antenna and almost eliminating fade from the rain.

Apparently the fade is caused by water on the antenna that interferes with the signal.

I noticed that metal roofs retain less than 5 percent of the water, whereas composition roofs hold more than 15 percent. The principle must be similar.

Can a coating like this work with OTA antennas too?
If so, what coating could be used? It would need to be something that lasted a long time.
Can the elements be coated or just the reflectors?

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Good question.

I dont think coating elements on antennas is generally a good idea, because of signal transfer issues and the skin effect.

 

[n2rj]

If rain fade was caused by moisture antenna, why does it happen to indoor antennas?


Looks like someone coated their FTA dish with snake oil and made a YouTube video.

 

[johnlvs2run]

If rain fade was caused by moisture antenna, why does it happen to indoor antennas?

It seems to me that when there is moisture in the air then there is going to be moisture on the antenna as well.

Therefore reducing the moisture on the antenna can reduce or eliminate the rain fade.

 

[MrPogi]

When I had a dish, I had some success using silicone spray to coat the dish (not the LNB's!) so rain beads up and rolls off easier. But the real benefit was when we had a heavy, wet snow: the dish sheds snow a lot better.

 

[n2rj]

Snow fade I can understand. In that situation getting the snow off the dish would be beneficial.

However, rain fade is caused by the droplets in the atmosphere itself not any water falling on and coating the dish.

 

[johnlvs2run]

This is an interesting video showing detail of how a coating keeps rain off a dish.

I'm interested in how this pertains to OTA antennas.

Presumably only the reflectors would be coated, not the elements.

Perhaps the cost would not be worth the benefits though, except for dishes.

 

[Fringe Reception]

Good question.

I dont think coating elements on antennas is generally a good idea, because of signal transfer issues and the skin effect.

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend who is a Boeing Engineer and he backs your response above, EV.

He said he 'dresses' his parabolic dish and OTA TV antenna with an aerosol silicone spray, which is standard practice by the military. Snow and water (ice) doesn't like to 'stick' to it. He is one of my 'converts' to OTA reception and during this weeks snowfall and brutal weather his OTA never failed but he had to 'broom' his dish, twice.

Jim

 

[MrPogi]

If I still had a dish, I would have lost signal this week during the last snowstorm - not just from snow on the dish, but snow in the air.

My OTA rooftop antenna reception has been rock solid, from all stations, even when the storm was at its peak.