Can I paint my satellite dish?

Yes you can paint it about any color or camouflage colors as you wish but keep the following in mind:

  • You can paint the entire dish
  • The LNB
  • Cable
  • Brackets and mount
  • Use the thinnest coat possible
  • Don’t paint the LNB cap which faces the dish. The paint will block the reflected signal

Although you can use any color stay away from white or bright colors.  Bright colors reflect sun light and heat better as well.  In countries with very strong, bright, hot and continuous sunshine, the LNB will suffer from sunburn and melts.

A painted satellite dish
A painted satellite dish

Clean the dish and remove all the rust.  Paint the dish with a very thin layer of undercoat.  Paint the dish with a very thin layer of “non gloss” paint. The non gloss (mat) paint will reflect less heat from the sun to the LNB.

What will happen when the sun moves behind the satellite?  That means that the sun, satellite and your dish are in a straight line.

  • The signal will disappear for a few minutes due to the noise from the sun that is reflected and focused on the LNB.
  • The LNB cap might melt due to the reflected heat.  Stay away from white high gloss paint!

Sunburn

During the months of March and October, the sun goes directly behind Astra 28.2’E

This can have two effects:

  • Your satellite picture and sound will disappear for a few minutes
  • If you live in a hot, sunny place, your LNB cap might melt!

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Ockert J van Nieuwenhuizen
Based in South Africa, Ockert J van Nieuwenhuizen is a satellite broadcast techie and has written a number of articles on tech.africa

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