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Yes it is the sily season.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere it is "The Silly Season" as far as
television viewing is concerned. This is when programmers use up all those
trashy shows that they got for free with some meaningful package last
winter. In the satellite world they give you re-runs of colour bars and 1
Khz tone.
To give you an idea of the Asian region this week I used my semi automatic
news gathering programme and gleaned the following info from Satco DX.
Intelsat 702 at 177 E: http://satcodx.com/i702.shtml Space TV has left
12,612 V (MPEG-2).
Agila 2 at 146E: http://satcodx.com/agila2.shtml New package on 12,301
V,MPEG-2/clear, SR 2800, FEC 7/8: How far south can this be seen. It can be
seen in the Solomon Islands. Thanks to Tony Cooke for that info.
Gorizont 21 at 145E: http://satcodx.com/g21.shtml ORT and RTR have left
3675 R and 3725R (SECAM).
Gorizont 27 at 96.3E: http://satcodx.com/g27.shtml ORT and TV Azerbaijan
have left 3675 R and 3875 R (SECAM).
Apstar 2R at 76.5E: http://satcodx.com/Apstar2r.shtml Star TV on 12,538 V
and 12,660 V has ceased. C Sky Net has started on 12,278 V, MPEG-2/clear,
SR 22422, FEC 7/8. TVB8 has started on 3760 H PAL.
PAS 4 at 68.5E: http://satcodx.com/pas4.shtml CNBC Asia has left 3785 H PAL.
I think my highlight of the week will be if I find TVB 8 on Apstar 2R.
The pay tv has gone from Optus B3 and we can still observe the tests and
experiments that Optus are conducting. 12 TV and 8 radio channels at the
moment. The latest is a move of the Disney channel and the inclusion of
Sports Australia n its' place.
Even the Drive-in isn't much good. "The Big Hit" Hmmm! "The X Files" For X
files fans. "Mafia" A black comedy, sort of funny. and "Six Days and Seven
Nights" which lasts for 96 minutes.
Well I did not throw my hands up in despair, I sought the solace of a
magazine and curled up with my wife on the couch put some soft music on
from the Optus Test Pattern. Analogue PAL this one. I then read my wife
stories from TeleSatellite the magazine.
If you don't believe this I suggest you unsubscribe right now! No not
really!, finish reading this first.
Another product review now and it is a Ku dual oscillator LNB. I read that
TeleSatellite uses three tests for LNB durability. Immerse it in a fish
aquarium, looks freat with fish swimming around. The next one is easy give
it an Australian summer that is 60 deg C and that is not silly in
Australia. Now stick it in a coldroom at minus 25 deg C. If it operates in
all these environments it is probably quite robust. Gain should be fairly
even over the 26 mhz range of a transponder and this particular one
performed very well. The Cambridge Universal III Gold LNB AE 54. More info
at
www.TELE-satellite.com/TSI/9808/cambridge.shtml
There is an article by Christian Mass on FTA receivers. It outlines various
receiver capabilities and helps to untangle the question that is asked. How
free is FTA?
There are about 40 new satellite products in the Sat-City section and they
can be accessed by internet at http://www.sat-city.com
More now about the common interface for conditional access and how one
receiver can be used for different platforms. CA module developer Telenor
Conax has two concepts that can be based on different hardware platforms.
The PCMCIA and DVB systems. If you want to know more, buy the magazine or
further information can be obtained by email:
postmottak-satellite@oslo.satellite.telenor.no Norweigan is probably a good
language to communicate with here.
There is an article about wasserschnecken im all. I will give you a clue;
it is not the Muppetts "Pigs in Space".There are a couple of beaut shuttle
photos and there is a short article about German participation in the space
program.
Hughes Space and Communication has an article about their new vacuum
chamber. Put all your satellite in there; turn on the vacuum and suck their
brains out.A satellite is only as intelligent as you can make it anyway.
More info: www.hughespace.com
I turn the page and what do I find....
A subscription coupon. Do you have mice running around your house. The best
way to move them out of your home is to get them their own pad.
TeleSatellite is giving away a mouse pad with every subscription. If your
children keep white mice, they will certainly want their own unique little
home. Maybe I need one of those. Some good news here; there is a reduction
in price for 12 months subscription. That is 6 issues for A$139.00. 2 Years
subscription costs A$258.00 for 12 issues Airmailed from Germany.
Subscriptions can be sent to me at;
TSI Subscription Service,
PO Box 263
Parkholme,
South Australia 5043.
Cheques made payable to Bevin BODEN.
Alternatively you can order TELE-satellite online:
https://www.satcodx.com/secure/TSI/
Just follow the directions for entering your credit card information and
TeleSatellite will be forwarded to you by Airmail.
News Update... I found TVB8 on Apstar 2R at S5. They are still running
colour bars where CNN H used to be on Pas 2.
Remember a statement from one of my readers,"TVSN used to be more prolific
than Santa Claus at Christmas", well I think that should go to the
Herbalife programme that airs Mondays and Wednesdays and can be seen on Ku
band FTA PAL on Pas 2, Optus B1 and Optus B3. (I think they have more herbs
than Kentucky Fried Chicken.) It can be seen on C band on Asiasat 2, Palapa
C2 and Pas 2. It is easy to find it is analogue FTA and a quick scan at
20.00 Eastern Australian time will find it easily. I will look up all the
frequencies it is on later. Some are listed at; http://www.satcodx.com
Oh! A mouse pad has nothing do do with being a humble abode for little
furry friends, it is a flat yellow thing that sits next to your computer,
and you sit your computer mouse on it. It is antistatic and helps keep your
mouse ball clean.
I am optimistic about the Russian satellite scene shining again soon; what
with the changing politics, Gorizont and Raduga satellites coming to the
end of their useful life it is good to see another system coming on line.
It is Yamal being developed by the Gazkom company and it is expected that
it will push the Russian satellite fleet out of the doldrums and several
steps forward.
The usual things are on offer of course such as analogue and digital
television, radio and data communications. There are three types Yamal 100,
200 and 300. I think the numbers relate to the weight of each type.
1300kilos, 2500kilos and 2800kilos.
The Yamal 300 has a payload power of 8 kilowatts, 28 C band transponders
and 20 Ku band transponders. An estimated lifetime of 15 years ic claimed
for this satellite type.
Proposed footprint maps show that the Yamal 100 has a footprint that covers
most of the unpopulated area of Australia on C band. The 0 deg look angle
runs from Cairns through to just east of Melbourne. Of course the six most
important population centres of Australia are covered. Perth, Alice
Springs, Coober Pedy, Adelaide and Ballarat. If you live in Hobart, Darwin,
Canberra, Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane. Don't trade in your Foxtel just
yet. Ku band on the Yamal 300 satellite does have a spot that covers all of
Australia.
Other articles are The monthly Satco Dx Global Satellite Charts. These are
meticulously maintained by Christian Lyngemark who has just announced he is
going on holidays for FIVE days. As a satellite viewer this means that you
have to be more vigilant and watch for new activity. In your report supply
the following information. Satellite and position.
Frequency and polarity of transponder.
If an analogue signal; standard,(PAL, NTSC, SECAM.) sound offset frequency:
Sometimes there are multiple sound channels. If it is a digital signal.
Type of signal. MPEG/2 Power-Vu ect.
Is it conditional access or free to air? Symbol Rate. eg,23544
Fec:forward error correction. 2/3 1/2 3/4 ect. Pids Program idents vpid
3220 apid 3221 (if these are available to you.) Name of Channel: NBC,
Eygptian TV, Chinese TV ect. Type of program seen. It may only be colour
bars or feeds. This is all useful information.
Christian will thank you for it and you will be helping to keep the charts
accurate and up to date.
In Satellite News there are articles about the recycling of a Hughes
satellite that was used bu the US navy and is now going to be used by the
Australian Defence Forces and I assume the rxercise here is to practice a
bit of satellite technology and develop their own satellite communications
system.
Kistler plan to use the Woomera Rocket range for satellite launches. Both
polar and equatorial launches are expected to be made.
Finally there is an article on the recovery of Asiasat 3 and its' lunar
flyby. This satellite is now called HGS-1; more at www.hughesglobal.com
One of the most popular segments is at the end. Dr. Dish and Friends.
This month it is about the d-box and motorised dishes. You can visit Dr.
Dish at The Knowledge Zone. http://www.drdish.com
Email your questions to; question@drdish.com
For those already subscribing to TeleSatellite the next edition is at the
printers and should reach you shortly. I will tell you when my copy comes
and I would be pleased if you could tell me when yours arrives. I have had
feedback that the odd magazine has been slow in arriving and it would be
nice to pinpoint the problem.
Meanwhile as I said to someone.
"You should subscribe to excellent German satellite magazine TeleSatellite,
OR ELSE!"
READ this READ this READ this READ this READ this READ this READ this
That is if it interests YOU.
The next edition of Sat-Australia will have some important information for
those that subscribe to this newsletter. It actually means that it will be
the last newsletter from this site; and I await any comments on this
problem accordingly. Maybe you will be pleased that I may not continue to
waste your time.
**********************************************************************
Catch ya later, thanks for reading this and your contributions.
Bevin.
ADELAIDE
South AUSTRALIA.
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