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SAT Observations 97.06.27
WELCOME TO SAT-MIDEAST !
A news release from Cairo, Egypt, located at 30.3 North - 31.15 East,
sponsored by TELE-SATELLIT INTERNATIONAL, SATCO-DX and TBS Internet.
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WHAT YOU'LL FIND HERE:
- Satellite and Transponder Observations in C- and Ku-Band,
- Commented from the Middle Eastern perspective.
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Send relevant infos, interesting news, and creative comments to :
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THE HEADLINES IN THIS 97.06.27 REPORT:
(and then time-out...)
- Launch News
- DStv from PAS4
- Hot Bird's
- Bits & Pieces
LAUNCH INFO, http://www.satcodx.com/launches.shtml
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An anonymous, but very reliable source, puts the Atlas IIA launch of the
first satellite of the 3rd Eutelsat series: "Eutelsat W1" onto 24
November 1997, almost two monthes earlier than the previous publicised
launchdate.
(via SATCO-DX)
Intelsat 802 was successfully launched with flight V96 of an Ariane 44P,
by-the-way the fastest Ariane version, from Kourou, French Guiana, at
02:44 CAT, on 26 June.
Intelsat 802 will replace Intelsat 701, currently located at 174 East,
which will then move to 180 East, while Intelsat 511 will replace
Intelsat 503 at 157 East. The full Arianespace press release is at:
http://www.arianespace.com/ariane/communiques/anglais/9721def.html
Another launch bulletin can be found at the go_Ariane site:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/2058/vol_096.html
The next Ariane flight V98, with the delayed launch of Panamsat 6 will
take place in the night from 7 to 8 August.
SCREEN-SHOTS
------------
Different screenshots of interesting unscrambled digital and analogue
satellite-tv-stations can be seen at a new URL:
http://home.t-online.de/home/CvanderVen/homepage.htm
PANAMSAT 4, 68.5 East, http://www.satcodx.com/pas4.html
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Twenty-one TV channels in the ISkyB package are now being broadcasted!
The complete line-up of channels is available at:
http://www.satcodx.com/dig/iskyb.html
The Disney Channel on 3.980 GHz, H, is now encrypted.
(Info kindly submitted by A.Nasheed via SATCO-DX)
SHOWTIME<->1stNet
-----------------
Rumours are still around about the separation of the Showtime and 1stNet
DStv channels on the July 1st. Print media in the KSA have been
publishing an announcement, but a confirmation from neither side could
be retrieved.
The 1stNet data streams coming from Arabsat 2A and Panamsat 4 have
indeed succesfully been separated, resulting in the simplified loading
of the identical packages from the two orbital positions, using still
the same MPEG-2 compression parameters: SR 19638, FEC 7/8.
It has to be seen if the transmission of the 1stNet package from
Panamsat 4 will continue after July 1st; Showtime will for sure be
longer there. The allocation of transponder space on the Arabsat 2A for
Showtime seems unlikely. It has to be assumed that they will use their
options on the future Egyptian Nilesat 1, in the first quarter of 1998.
Present subcribers to the combined package, in case of a division, could
be forced to obtain a second smartcard from either of the service
provider.
There is a third party surely quite happy with these uncertainties:
the ORBIT Network, regardless of the sluggishness of their own
transformation to the, DVB compatible, MPEG-2 compression standard.
HONG KONG HANDOVER
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Panamsat says it expects to transmit nearly 2.000 hours of full and
part-time television coverage of Hong Kong's reunification with China.
More than a dozen broadcasters, including CCTV, CNN, NBC and NHK are
using Panamsat and its fleet of satellites for worldwide distribution of
live and taped news footage of the historical event.
As part of its service for the July 1 turnover, Panamsat's PAS-2 and
PAS-4 satellites will transmit both C-band and Ku-band signals received
from fixed and transportable earth stations in Hong Kong to sites around
the world. Customers, including Fuji TV, Hong Kong Telecom, Australia's
Seven Network, Tokyo Broadcast System and TVBI will utilize Panamsat
capacity for full-time coverage of the event. In addition, Beijing
Wireless Communications, British Telecommunications, Cosatech, TVBS,
Wold International and Worldwide Television News will use Panamsat
satellites for part-time transmissions from both Hong Kong and related
events in Beijing.
© TELE-Satellit 1997. All rights reserved.
INTELSAT 704, 66 East, http://www.satcodx.com/i704.html
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ETV - Eanadhu TV is apparently NOT on the NE zone beam, but on the spot
B beam! ETV in MPEG-2 is also Left hand circular, so both of the ETV
channels share one transponder.
(Corrected info kindly submitted by A.Nasheed and Steven P via SATCO-DX)
A strong feed can now regularely be observed on 4.060 GHz, Rc, with an
NTSC testcard with a yellow line, named: BYE E/S Cambodia.
TURKSAT 1B, 31 East, http://www.satcodx.com/t1b.html
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On 20 June, BTV started on 10.980 GHz, H, in MPEG-2, SR 4700, FEC 3/4,
VPID 0021, APID 0022, Free-To-Air, on the Turkish beam
(Info kindly submitted by B.Kahraman & Ghassan Tabet via SATCO-DX)
Kanal E has moved its transmission frequencies from 11.519 GHz, H to
11.459 GHz, H.
(Info kindly submitted by B.Kahraman via SATCO-DX)
ARABSAT 2A, 26 East, http://www.satcodx.com/a2a.html
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London based Arabic broadcaster MBC has moved up 7 MHz on both C and Ku
band, the new base frequencies are: Ku-band transponder 12: 12.742 GHz,
V, and hi-power C-band transponder 18: 4.102 GHz, Lc.
From June 29th the second Saudi Arabian channel on transponder 13, 3.992
GHz, Rc, will start broadcasting earlier. The new start time will be
01:00 CAT or 12:00 CET, as an on-screen message displays at times, in
English and Arabic.
On June 24th both Lebanese channels LBC and Future International had
difficulties to broadcast their normal news bulletins. Future
International dissappeared even from the air for a short while. No
public explanation for the interuptions have been given.
(Info kindly submitted by Mohamed El Nadi)
EUTELSAT II-F3, 16 East, http://www.satcodx.com/e2f3.html
--------------
Iranian TV is said to be currently testing sporadically on 11.678 GHz,
H, which is a superbeam transponder.
According to Eutelsat, a regular service of this station is planned to
start here in clear PAL.
(Info kindly submitted by Richard Eckendorff via SATCO-DX)
SME Comment: Above may well be true, however I do not expect to see IRIB
or another Iranian TV station broadcast at present time. They will be
doing these tests in order to start broadcasting after the launch of
Eutelsat W2 satellite, intended on this position, and capable of
reaching Western and Eastern Europe and the whole of the Middle East
with its single powerful, Pan-European beam.
HOT BIRD 2, 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/hb2.html
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CCTV-4 which started already in the previous week, as part of the
Multichoice Hellas package at 11.823 GHz, H, in MPEG-2, has confirmed
its intentions to stay permanently in the clear, in this package.
It has to be seen come true...
RDV - Rendez-Vous TV has announced to be be back on July 1st, but not on
the Eutelsat II-F3. They intend to re-start on Hot Bird 2 transponder
53, 11.785 GHz, H, on the wide beam, using a time slot from 01:00 to
06:00 CAT.
(Info kindly submitted by Ruedi via SATCO-DX)
SME Comment: Transponder 53 is presently carrying MPEG-2 test
transmissions of an undisclosed nature. It is not yet clear if French
erotic channel RDV will be part of this package, or an "SCPC" channel,
or even an encrypted analogue transmission.
Arabic news channel ANN has beside the main audio subcarrier on 6.60
MHz, stereo audio on the subcarriers 7.02 and 7.20 MHz.
(Info kindly submitted by J.Puig via SATCO-DX)
Fashion TV from France could be seen broadcasting on late Monday evening
analogue on Hot Bird 2 transponder 52, 11.766 GHz, V.
HOT BIRD 1, 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/hb1.html
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Telepiu DStv returned on Tuesday, after being absent for several days on
transponder 4, 11.283 GHz, V, with channels called X01-X02-X03-X04-X05
and X06.
The 13 East MPEG-2 data (almost standard) SR 27500, FEC 3/4 is used. The
odd channels X01-X03-X05 show the Telepiu promotional video.
The data stream must have been changed slightly, it is now possible for
my PANASAT 520-D to load and recognize the signal. Video and audio are
clear, despite showing the error message "E35 Service is currently
scrambled" on-screen.
EUTELSAT's 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/hotbird.html
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Here an actual listing of the reception possiblities of widebeam
transponder from the Eutelsat Hot Bird position using the PANASAT 520-D:
Tp Pol Freqen FEC Channel . Result
------------------------------------------------------------
02 V 11.242 3/4 Viacom . Error No TS
04 V 11.283 3/4 Telepiu . FTA w/E35 Error
05 H 11.304 3/4 CFI/MCM . Parental Lock
53 H 11.785 3/4 Test . No Access
54 V 11.804 2/3 RAI/Ita . Parental Lock
55 H 11.823 3/4 Multich . Ch-7 FTA CCTV-4
60 V 11.919 2/3 Mediaset. Parental Lock
65 H 12.015 3/4 Arabesq . Error NO TS
EUTELSAT II-F1, 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/e2f1.html
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Discovery Channel Germany will launch soon on superbeam transponder 21A,
11.055 GHz, H. The targetted start date is in July 1997, the channel
will be in Free-to-Air PAL and move to a transponder on Hot Bird 3 later
this year, where it will become visible in the eastern mediterranean
states.
(Info kindly submitted by Roland Muecke, source: EUTELSAT, via SATCO-DX)
EUTELSAT II-F4-M, 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/e2f4.html
----------------
Formula 1 racefeeds can be seen this weekend on transponder 25A, 10.987
GHz, V, with a German commentary on the audio subcarrier at 6.60 MHz,
and the natural race sounds on 7.20 MHz. The video signal is not using
SiS.
THOR 2, 1 West, http://www.satcodx.com/thor2.html
------
A dream come true ? Not really, but it has to be said that this lately
launched Nordic satellite is a real powerhouse. Today, while atmospheric
circumstances are really good, I could receive a visible signal from
transponder 12, 11.389 GHz, H, in an equal quality as the reception of
the IRIB 1 channel from the Intelsat 801, at 62 East.
I'm aware that circumstances are exeptional due to observed improvements
on allmost all positions and frequencies; the reception of the Army
Channel 5 on the Thaicom 3 at 78.5 East is at times sparkle free !
AMOS 1, 4 West, http://www.satcodx.com/amos1.html
------
OFEK on 11.094 GHz, V, SR 4728, FEC 3/4, Middle East beam, provides two
channels for interactive distance learning programs from the Israeli
Open University.
Studio 1 VPID: 0014 APID: 0030
Studio 2 VPID: 001E APID: 0031
(Info kindly submitted by A.Shaviv via SATC0-DX)
Keshet TV, one of Israeli Channel 2's commercial broadcaster, has a home
page at:
http://www.keshet-tv.com/
with some programm listings for Israeli Television.
(Info kindly submitted by Gregor Bregar)
SAT-MidEast Intern, http://www.sat-net.com/sat-mideast/
------------------
Anybody in Cairo interested to own a Nokia Mediamaster 9500-S can still
send me an e-mail with his request. I will forward his address to an
intermediate, who will then contact you. There is a chance that a
certain number of machines will be available soon.
BTW.: I will be unable to answer details, as I'm only submitting the
offer...
The ones who did already should have been contacted by now...
This is the last message before my vacation. Do not forget to look out
for Dr. Dish TV on Friday, July 11th; if you are not able to receive the
Kopernikus satellite, do send a contribution to Dr.Dish's address, in
order to make a future C-Band downlink possible... Info's are available
from his web site:
http://www.sat-net.com/drdish/
where the upcoming programm schedules also are projected.
Between the messages of Friday, 27 June and Friday, 18 July, no
SAT-MidEast Observations will be submitted, due to a deserved summer
break.
Best regards,
Henk C. Room / Sat-MidEast / Cairo - Egypt
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