124 lines
4.8 KiB
Plaintext
124 lines
4.8 KiB
Plaintext
OBJECTIVE: The student will become aware of their rights and
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know what type of system components makes up their
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system.
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These are answers to some of the questions most often asked
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about satellite television. However, other problems might
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arise with equipment that requires a certain amount of
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technical knowledge. Your best source of information will
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always be your local satellite television dealer/installer.
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QUESTION: How large a dish will I need?
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ANSWER: That depends on where you live. If you live in
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California, for example, you may need a larger dish than if
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you live in the Midwest, where satellite signals are stronger.
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However, you can use a smaller dish if you compensate by using
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a more powerful LNA to boost the signal. Ask your dealer for
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more details about this.
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QUESTION: An article in my local newspaper referred to dish
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owners as "pirates." Are dishes legal?
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ANSWER: Yes. In October 1984, President Reagan signed a bill
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called S.66 containing a section that completely legalized
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satellite dishes for homeowners.
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QUESTION: I wear a pacemaker. Could the signal that comes to
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the satellite receiver be harmful to me?
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ANSWER: No. The frequency of a satellite signal is very weak,
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about the same as a CB radio, and has no effect on pacemakers.
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Besides, satellite signals are all around you anyway, whether
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or not you own a dish.
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QUESTION: Will rain or snow interfere with my satellite
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reception?
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ANSWER: Severe rainstorms can cause a slight amount of
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interference, about the same as regular television. Snow can
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cause interference if you allow it to build up on your dish.
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Sweeping it off with a broom will take care of the problem.
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QUESTION: How close to my house should my dish be?
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ANSWER: Ideally, it should be no more than 100 feet away from
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your home, but it can be farther away if your dealer installs
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special cable equipped with amplifiers to make sure you
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receive a strong signal.
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QUESTION: I have trees on my lot. Will this cause problems
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with reception?
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ANSWER: Your dealer will conduct what is called a "site
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survey" to determine the best position for your dish. A few
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trees usually won't matter, as long as they are not directly
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in front of the reception path for the dish.
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QUESTION: A member of my family is hard of hearing. Is there a
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special satellite network for the hearing impaired?
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ANSWER: Yes. The Silent Network features both open-captioned
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and signed programming for the hearing impaired.
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QUESTION: How many channels are there on satellite television,
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and how can I tell what's on?
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ANSWER: There are about 100 channels on satellite television and
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more are being added all the time. However, only about 70 to 80
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of these channels carry regularly scheduled broadcasts.
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Satellite ORBIT magazine carrier hour-by hour listings of
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regularly scheduled satellite broadcasts and also lists services
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that are planned for the future.
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QUESTION: I have a small yard. Can the dish be mounted on the
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roof of my house?
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ANSWER: Yes, but your dealer will need to determine whether
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your roof is sufficiently strong to support the weight caused
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by wind blowing against the dish. It's generally better to mount
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the dish on the ground.
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QUESTION: If I sell my home, can I take my dish with me?
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ANSWER: Yes. Most dishes can be disassembled in half a day or
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less.
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QUESTION: Should I guard against lightning striking my dish?
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ANSWER: The probability that lightning will strike your dish
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is about the same as it is for lightning striking a normal
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rooftop television antenna.
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QUESTION: Could I share a dish with my neighbor?
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ANSWER: Yes, however, if you and your neighbor also share only
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one satellite receiver, you both must watch the same program
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on the same channel. If you and your neighbor each buy a
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satellite receive, you both can watch different channels on
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a satellite at the same time.
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QUESTION: If I have more than one television in my home, can
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I watch the satellite on all of them?
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ANSWER: Yes. Your dealer can run cable to each TV set.
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QUESTION: Is it legal to tape satellite shows on my VCR?
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ANSWER: Not only is it legal, but with the right kind of
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equipment you may also tape shows on one channel while you
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are watching another.
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QUESTION: Can I paint my dish to blend in with the environment?
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ANSWER: Yes, as long as you use a paint that does not have a
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metallic base, as the metal in the paint would cause
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in the paint would cause interference. The proper paint to
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use is light-colored, latex -based paint, applied with a
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nippy roller.
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TLA COMPETENCIES: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the
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questions listed in this TLA.
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