HotShot Satellite Dish Heater - 24-30 in. Dishes

by HotShot

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 27 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B00461I2DG
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,834 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #9 in Electronics > Televisions & Video > Satellite Television > Satellite Dishes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 5, 2010

Product Description

This low voltage HotShot dish heater kit will keep your satellite dish clear of ice and snow. It has a built-in sensor that turns on Heater in freezing conditions by a self adhesive heating element and will help prevent service outages due to signal loss caused by the buildup of snow or ice on the dish. It can also reduce rain fade by up to 75 percent. By simply attaching the self-adhesive vinyl pad to the satellite antenna.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why didn't I do this years ago? !!, December 1, 2010

By 

Karl Huddleston "A/V Nut" (Provo, Utah) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: HotShot Satellite Dish Heater - 24-30 in. Dishes (Electronics)

Every winter for the past 7 years (as long as I've been a Directv customer) after the first snow fell I would say: "This year I'm putting up a dish heater". Well I finally did it and I can't believe a) how easy it was and b) how well it works!
You can check out the images I added to see the different stages of the install. But basically I was surprised how well and thorough the instructions were put together. Sometimes for niche items like this the manuals are lacking and even though the install directions were only 2 pages, they answered all your questions.
First, if you're installing this after winter has begun - be aware that you have to apply the adhesive-backed element onto the dish in at least a temperature environment of 50 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. So I realized that since I was going to install my heater on the back of the dish (instead of the front - the instructions say you can do either) and since it was 35 degrees out - it would be easiest to remove the dish and bring it in the house.
If you're installing on a slimline like mine - it's just 4 easy bolts to remove and the dish is off! And it absolutely does not mess with your alignment.
So I removed the 4 bolts, brought it in the house - cleaned it - and let it warm up.
Then I began the applying the element to the back of the dish per instructions - starting in the middle and then peeling the backing off each "wing" one at a time.
I put the dish back up and viola! Picture was still there perfectly.

I then ran the included wire to the power transformer inside my house. I didn't need even half of the 100 feet that they give you and shortening it was a cinch.

The power transformer is big and heavy. The manual says that the element has a thermostat and only turns on when the temperature falls to or below freezing. So technically you could leave it on all the time and it would only heat up when it's cold enough. However, I'm switching mine off at the transformer when it's not snowing because really that's the only time you need it. Rain or just cold doesn't seem to affect the signal (at least in Utah).
And I figure it saves power to not have the transformer on all the time.

Oddly enough it snowed 6 inches the same night of the day I installed it - so I got to see how well it worked quickly. It is awesome! Not a stitch of snow on my dish at all! When the snow was finished I just turned it off.

If your dish is on the roof or even if you're just tired of brushing it off. You owe it to yourself to do this!

Hands down - the best $130 bucks I ever spent!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it, December 15, 2011

By 

Oly - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: HotShot Satellite Dish Heater - 24-30 in. Dishes (Electronics)

I purchased the hot shot dish heater based on the other review and I couldn't agree more. Definitely worth the money. I have been risking life and limb for 2 years climbing on my roof during blizzards to get the dish cleaned off. Depending on the type of snow, the trip to the top of the roof was like an adventure sport. So when I read the other review, I definitely could relate to his scenario. The Hot shot was easy to put on, again I took his advice and removed the dish and brought it inside to attach the adhesive heater to the back of the dish. Very easy to take the dish down (4 bolts) and put back up. The directions were simple and the hardest part was making sure to get it on without bubbles. Once that was done, the connections were simple and I put the transformer under my eave next to a plug in. THe next day we had a hugh storm, 2 feet of snow and the dish heater worked like a champ. 2nd best money I ever spent behind my snow blower.