What are Sun Outages?

Twice a year, you may experience some degree of television interference due to “sun outages.” Such outages are caused by a phenomenon called a “solar satellite interference.” These brief outages occur when the sun is in a direct line behind satellites transmitting cable signals. When the sun is aligned with a satellite, solar radiation, an energy the sun is emitting, interferes with the satellite’s signal and thus causes a brief signal outage.

When do sun outages happen and how long they last?

Sun outages occur every year, in fall and spring, and last approximately about a week each time. This fall, sun outages are expected between October 4 and October 13th 2021. The exact time and duration will vary from channel to channel. This is due to channels being received off different satellites in the arc. Each satellite is affected at a different time as the sun moves across the satellite arc. The approximate times for signal loss will be between 7:30am and 2:30pm and will last for approximately five to fifteen minutes depending on the size of the dish.

What kind of outage/interference can I expect?

During the sun outage, you may experience a pixelated picture, picture freezes, or audio distortions for a brief period of time.

How can I tell if it’s caused by a sun outage or something’s wrong with my cable?

The sun outage happens only during the day between 7:30am and 2:30pm (no sun, no interference) and is brief, lasting for approximately five to fifteen minutes depending on the size of the dish.

What should I do during a sun outage?

Wave apologizes for any inconvenience a sun outage may cause. However, solar satellite interference is out of our control. Please be patient and everything will get back to normal. If you have question about sun outages, please contact Wave.