Method and apparatus for de-icing a satellite dish antenna

A method of controlling a heating device mounted on a satellite receiver antenna, said receiver antenna for receiving a signal from a satellite, said signal having a signal strength, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a signal strength threshold and a temperature threshold;
• sampling said signal strength of said signal and a temperature;
• comparing said signal strength with said signal strength threshold;
• comparing said temperature with said temperature threshold;
• and
• operating said heating device for at least a period of time, said operation based on both said signal strength threshold comparison and said temperature threshold comparison.

A system for controlling a heating device mounted on a satellite receiver antenna, the system comprising:

• a temperature sensor that samples the temperature of said receiver antenna;
• a device that measures at least one signal characteristic of a signal received by said receiver antenna;
• logic in communication with said temperature sensor and said device, said logic determining whether said signal characteristic is degrading and whether the sampled temperature is below a threshold temperature;
• and
• a switch linked to said logic for operating said heating device.

A method of controlling a heating device mounted on a satellite receiver antenna, said receiver antenna for receiving a signal from a satellite, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a first signal characteristic threshold and a second signal characteristic threshold;
• sampling said signal;
• deriving a value indicative of a signal characteristic;
• comparing said value with said first threshold and said second threshold;
• and
• operating said heating device based on said comparison.

An accessory device for use with a satellite receiver system including a satellite antenna and a satellite receiver, said device comprising:

• a measuring device that measures a characteristic of a signal received by said satellite antenna, said measuring device separate from said satellite receiver, and linked to said satellite antenna to receive a signal from the satellite antenna;
• logic in communication with said measuring device, said logic determining whether said signal characteristic is degrading;
• the satellite antenna also linked to said satellite receiver;
• a heating device mounted to said antenna;
• and
• a switch linked to said logic for operating said heating device upon a predetermined amount of degradation of said signal characteristic.

An accessory device for use with a satellite receiver system, said device comprising:

• a measuring device that measures a characteristic of a signal received by a satellite antenna and provided to said receiver, said characteristic being derived from a service frequency component and a noise component of a received signal;
• logic in communication with said measuring device, said logic determining whether said signal characteristic is degrading;
• the satellite antenna also linked to said receiver;
• a heating device mounted to said antenna;
• and
• a switch linked to said logic for operating said heating device upon a predetermined amount of degradation of said signal characteristic.

An accessory device for use with a satellite receiver system, said device comprising:

• measuring device that measures a characteristic of a signal received by a satellite antenna and linked to said receiver;
• a temperature sensor that samples the temperature of said antenna;
• logic in communication with both said measuring device and said temperature sensor, said logic determining whether said signal characteristic is degrading and whether the sample temperature is below a pre-determined threshold temperature;
• the satellite antenna also linked to said receiver;
• a heating device mounted to said antenna;
• and
• a switch linked to said logic for operating said heating device upon a predetermined amount of degradation of said signal characteristic.