129 Coming soon to a dish near you!

[rocatman]

No, the requirement is a single dish. If not, then Denver (both 110 and 119) violates it.
And upgrading customers to a Dish 1000 is no more expensive than a second dish for 61.5 which they currently have to do.

Currently Dish only has to provide the second dish for 61.5 or 148 if the customer requests it. I believe the new SHVERA legislation requires that if a customer receives their locals, they must have the dish installed to receive all their locals. If Dish were to put the split locals on 129 W, the cost for the changeout of dishes would be enormous. Realize that almost all of the largest markets have split locals. There would also be more than a few customers who would be upset with having to have their equipment changed and the hassle of setting up an installation date/time which could mean a loss of customers. Dish will wait to solve the single dish for all locals problem when the E-10 satellite is launched. There has not been very much information provided on E-10 except for a statement from Lockheed Martin, the satellite builder that it will have a minimum of 45 spotbeams. It wasn't clear whether this was "spots" or transponders (TPs) for spotbeams. The latter interpretation is more conservative in terms of capability but even if E-10 just replaces the E-8 spotbeams, E-8 has only 26 spotbeam TPs so this would be an increase of 19 TPs for spotbeams or a capability of 228 additional SD channels using MPEG-2/QPSK at 12 channels/TP. This is more than twice the number of split wing locals.

My feeling is that E-10 will have at least 45 "spots" supported by around 75 TPs which would give it the capability of around 900 SD channels. This feeling is based on the capabilities of the R-1 satellite and some of the DirecTV spotbeam satellites. With this range of capability, E-10 will replace the spotbeam capability of both E-8 and E-7 and may also include some of the larger markets at 105 and 121. Currently Dish utilizes 13 TP frequencies at 110 and 119 for non-distant network SD locals. Both E-7 and E-8 use 5 TP frequencies each for their spotbeams and there are 3 CONUS TPs at 110 used as well. E-10 will allow Dish to free up 5 or 6 of these TP frequencies which is where additional national HD programming will go. At 6 HD channels/TP using MPEG-4, this translates to 30 - 36 HD channels. If Dish converts the 3 HD TPs at 110 to MPEG-4, this will give Dish capacity for 48 - 54 national HD channels on 110/119. HD locals for the larger markets will go on 129 W. 118.7, 121 and 105 could also be used for HD locals.

 

[goaliebob99]

I'm just check with spectrum analyzer the 129 slot - I saw a coulpe low power picks at IF 860 MHZ and 920 MHz; they are looks different then regular mux, could be telemeric data.
BTW, latest DP301 software P2.43 doesn't have the 129 or 118K satellites.

let me know when it goes hot!!!!... im going to play with an lnbf and my sat meter tom.. just to see if i get anything off the super dish yet.. just waiting.. still got to take pictures but i havent had the time yet..

 

[Stargazer]

I think Dish Network will use the new 110 satellite to do the must carry all locals on same dish requirement to prevent from having to do upgrades for those customers. This will just prevent as many additional markets from getting added. By the time they get all the local markets added they would probably end up going MPEG-4 in the major markets already if not all of the local markets.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Okay, if Dish decides to move the hd programming at 61.5 for Voom to say 110 sat, then what will they use the Rainbow 1 satellite for? Some have speculated that the spotbeams on Rainbow 1 can not be recalibrated if the satellite itself is moved to another location. Do they even have a new Echostar 10 satellite being built yet for the 110 slot? And if so when is it going to be launched?

 

[rocatman]

Okay, if Dish decides to move the hd programming at 61.5 for Voom to say 110 sat, then what will they use the Rainbow 1 satellite for? Some have speculated that the spotbeams on Rainbow 1 can not be recalibrated if the satellite itself is moved to another location. Do they even have a new Echostar 10 satellite being built yet for the 110 slot? And if so when is it going to be launched?

Dish's plan for the Rainbow-1 (R-1) satellite is all speculation since the acquisition still has not been approved by the FCC. The FCC has a 180 day template for acquisition decisions like this and the 180 day period will end in late August. The R-1 satellite has 22 spots supported by a whopping 130 spotbeam TPs. At 6 HD locals/TP, R-1 could provide 780 HD local channels. It is highly questionable whether the R-1 satellite could be moved and still effectively use its spotbeams but if this were possible, the attitude of the satellite i.e., the direction it faces the earth's surface would have to be canted.

E-10 is definitely being built by Lockheed Martin and at a recent Charlie Chat, late summer has been mentioned for a launch date. A recent Echostar financial report has it being launched in the 4th quarter of 2005. No launch vehicle has been announced but I would expect it will go on a Lockheed Martin/ILS vehicle probably an Atlas V or a sea-launched Zenit.

 

[goaliebob99]

I figured you all would enjoy these as i have started the MAD SCientest.. Nothing up there as of Noon CST.

 

[wied]

Just a question how do you know if the tie wraped LNB is pointing at 129? Did you do some calculation?

 

[James Long]

I don't expect anything to move to 129 until after E10 launches and is in service. We may see some new locals on 129. I'm counting on E10 to be as good as Rainbow1 and the D* birds. I'm suprised at how wimpy E7 and E8 are compared to what a spotbeam bird can really do.

JL

 

[goaliebob99]

I measured with tape measure from the 110 Focus point to the 119 focus point.. then i used that measurment and ligned up 129 from 110... In therory should work.. it actually turned out to be perfect.. (sence the shroud took up alot of the room.. so what your seeing is 110,119-121,129) what im waiting for is 129 to go hot so i can adjust...

 

[rocatman]

I don't expect anything to move to 129 until after E10 launches and is in service. We may see some new locals on 129. I'm counting on E10 to be as good as Rainbow1 and the D* birds. I'm suprised at how wimpy E7 and E8 are compared to what a spotbeam bird can really do.

JL

I agree that nothing will be "moved" to 129 W but new HD LILs may come from there. In regards to how wimpy E-7 and E-8 are, realize that they were launched in February and August of 2002 respectively so their designs were probably finalized in late 2000 or early 2001. There have been advances in communication satellite capabilities since then as well as marketing changes whereby locals are extremely important which makes spotbeams increasingly valuable. In regards to E-10, it would be interested to know what design decisions were made including whether various factors were considered like future HD LIL needs, the capabilities/plans for R-1 assuming the acquisition is approved and obtaining access to the 129 W slot.

 

[Derwin0]

I'll climb up onto my roof this week and hook up an lnb to 129 to the supler dupler dish I mounted last week, and check for anything to show.
It I remember to take my digital camera with me, I'll take pics.

 

[mleland]

dish1000 kits arrive!

I was also told that we could exect to see the Dish 100 available in just a few weeks if everything goes good.

I work for a RSP and we have just received our first Dish1000 kit. Didn't come with any info or manual. I am not sure I like the way the new 3-Y(or W) adapter attaches to the arm. There are plastic tabs that fit into holes on the arm. You have to seperate the 2 halves of the adapter to install it. Then there are 2 screws and nuts on each side of the arm. Those squeeze the W adapter to the arm. So if those plastic tabs break off the W-adapter will move around alot. At least they added a 3rd pop-rivet where the arm attaches to the polar plate.

 

[Smith P.]

mleleand, will be nice to see a few pictures of the puppy.

 

[dlsnyder]

So if I have a Dish500 with two legacy LNBs and an SW64 any chance that I could add a W adapter and third LNB cascading into an SW22 to get 129? I already have 61.5, 110, and 119 going into the SW64.

 

[Smith P.]

Nevermind - Scott did it !

 

[Smith P.]

So if I have a Dish500 with two legacy LNBs and an SW64 any chance that I could add a W adapter and third LNB cascading into an SW22 to get 129? I already have 61.5, 110, and 119 going into the SW64.

If you have very strong signal now;
read Scott's report - a size of Dish1000 is bigger because of 3 LNBFs,
I would suggest the dish have special shape for allow make 3 focal points from 3 directions.

 

[lilexecutioner]

That LNBF in the middle looks like a bad science project. Does it get 110 and 119 well?

 

[goaliebob99]

yea im in the hundreds on the 119 and 119 with 80's on 121... The 129 lnbf i had pointing to 61.5 a while ago.. I took that LNb when i moved from accross town. it still works.. just chiped the shroud from when i droped it. thus the extra lnb.. just thought it might come in handy one day.. and looks like that day has arrived.. almost.. anyone heard anything on when 129 will go hot so i can peak this guy..