[tilley]

I use several Silicon Dust HDHR3-US receivers in Anaheim. A few months ago this forum helped me discover that old firmware worked much better than current firmware, and since then I've been a happy camper. Using currently released firmware on my SD receivers causes choppy signals on several channels. So, I stick with the old (good) firmware.

I have a new problem, and it might be hard to diagnose. Since this afternoon I'm getting really bad reception, on pretty much every channel. It's a clear day, no clouds, no wind. The same thing happened about a month ago during a heavy storm -- I attributed that to the weather and the signals got better as the storm passed.

What can cause reception problems? Is it something crazy like sunspots? Can wind cause problems? Where can I look to see periodic atmospheric interference on a calm sunny days with no cloud in sight? As a cord cutter I can live with occasional problems, but I'd like to know the cause. I appreciate any input.