What Are Sun Outages?

Twice a year—once in the spring and once in the fall—television providers across the nation experience brief signal disruptions known as sun outages (or solar satellite interference).

Because Haefele Connect relies on satellite feeds to deliver many of the live TV channels to your home, these temporary interruptions occur when the sun aligns directly behind the communications satellites orbiting Earth.

Why Do Sun Outages Happen?

The programming you watch is beamed down from satellites located roughly 22,300 miles above the equator. To deliver these channels, our receiving dishes must point directly at those satellites.

During early spring (late February to early March) and mid-fall (late September to early October), the path of the sun moves directly behind these satellites relative to our receiving dishes here in Upstate New York. The intense energy and solar radiation emitted by the sun temporarily overpower the incoming satellite signals, resulting in a short period of interference.

What to Expect & When They Occur

For subscribers in our service area near Ithaca and surrounding communities, sun outages follow a predictable pattern:

Good to Know: Sun outages affect different channels at different times of the day depending on which satellite broadcasts that specific network.

What You Need to Do

Nothing at all! Solar interference is a naturally occurring phenomenon affecting all cable and satellite providers across North America. You do not need to reboot your cable box or adjust your equipment. The signal will automatically restore itself once the sun moves out of direct line of sight.

Is It a Sun Outage or a System Issue?

Your service is likely experiencing a sun outage if:

• The disruption happens during daylight hours.

• Only a few channels are affected at a time, while others work normally.

• The interference clears up on its own within 15 minutes.

If all channels remain out for longer than 15–20 minutes, or if your service goes down after dark, please contact our local Haefele Connect customer support team for assistance.