3ABN now available to both Dish Network subs and Sky Angel subs

[Mr Tony]

no

There is no channel there right now on 9710. Just the guide.

When or if it becomes available, it will show up

 

[MellowYBird]

Yeah, that's what I mean. It does not show up in my guide. Mine goes from 9707, 9708, 9709 then skips to 9711, 9712, 9714, etc... Should it be showing up in my guide, even though there's no channel right now?

~MYB~

 

[Mr Tony]

no.
When a channel is uplinked, Dish usually "hides" it to receivers until they are ready to launch it to people. Until they "flip the switch" regular boxes will not see the channel.

As examples...if you do not subscribe to Sky Angel, you wont see those channels in the guide. Also, alot of International channels do that too. But in this case, since the channel technically isnt uplinked yet there is no need to have it in the guide

FTA boxes will log the channel but since its scrambled, there is no picture

 

[MellowYBird]

Oh, I understand. That makes sense now.

Thanks, once again! (Sorry, I'm so "clueless".)

~MYB~

 

[Mr Tony]

no problem (oh, and you're not clueless)

It does seem weird that the channel is still there at 9710 and there is a EPG but that's the same spot where the transponder had issues.

 

[SatelliteAV]

A virtual channel number can be mapped to any transponder or PID. 9710 was not associated with any one particular transponder.

 

[Mr Tony]

A virtual channel number can be mapped to any transponder or PID

I think you mean SID, not PID
The channel number (SID) can be different but the transponder has to be the same. That is why on Dish 119 there are like 25 National PBS channels. Its one channel (TP8) but remapped to various channels for each market that doesn't have a local PBS station. If it changes TP's, then it has to be reuplinked to that transponder.

9710 was not associated with any one particular transponder.

yes it is. I scanned 61.5 to see if the system would log 9710 and it logged it under TP32 (12676 H 20000) which is a SKy ANgel TP. It logged as TV9710 which the Coolsat logs the channels as TV and then the Dish legit channel. There is a EPG because it showed up. Obviously I cannot verify if it has a picture because I do not sub to Sky Angel and the channel is scrambled

There were PIDS there but they were the same ones that when the TP failed, those were the specific PIDS for said channel.

 

[laseradam]

Was there ever any statement that it was a transponder that failed that was the reason that 3ABN was taken off Sky Angel?

I remember reading that the technical problems were resolved and that problem then evolved into a contract dispute. Looking back I found this quote.


"Sky Angel was successful in working with EchoStar to get most of the channels back on the air quickly, Christopher said. However, three channels were not reinstated, "and this technical failure evolved into contractual issues with EchoStar that we were not able to work out," the spokesperson said.

The impacted channels are 3ABN, Spirit and Golden Eagle Broadcasting."

"EchoStar has acknowledged problems with the satellite. In April, an anomaly aboard EchoStar III limited the satellite to 20 usable transponders out of a maximum of 32, the company said in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Due to what the company called redundancy switching limitations and channel authorizations, the satellite can only operate 16 of the 19 authorized frequencies utilized at the 61.5 degree-orbital location.

 

[laseradam]

I found this further info. What do you think they are talking about when they say "specific channel authorisations"?

Echostar III transmits all transponders used by Dish and Sky Angel.
Transponders 2, 4, 5 - 8, 10, 12 - 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 are being used by Dish.
Transponders 26 - 31 are being leased by Dish from Sky Angel
Transponders 25 and 32 are being used by Sky Angel.
Failures. It can now operate 20 transponders but due to design and licensing limitations is using only 16 of 19 FCC authorized frequencies.



Transponders: During January 2004, a TWTA pair on EchoStar III failed, resulting in a loss of service on one of EchoStar's licensed transponders. Including the seven TWTA pairs that malfunctioned in prior years, these anomalies have resulted in the failure of a total of 16 TWTAs on the satellite to date. While originally designed to operate a maximum of 32 transponders at any given time, the satellite was equipped with a total of 44 TWTAs to provide redundancy. EchoStar III can now operate a maximum of 28 transponders. Because of redundancy switching limitations and the specific channel authorisations, currently it can only operate on 17 of the 19 frequencies at 61.5 degrees West authorised by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

 

[catkoko]

3 abn NOT back .....

it certainly isn't on sky angel IF I have to pay DISH for it and buy a 2nd receiver? hey you can buy a 3abn box and view all their channels for free1 Or buy glorystar, same deal

 

[TNGTony]

catkoko,

If you have Sky Angel, you already have a Dish box. No need for another one when/if this thing goes through. Dish Network has a package called the Public Interest Package that is free of charge to any Dish Network or Sky Angel subscriber. All subscribers have to do is call up and ask for it. If you are a Sky Angel subscriber and only have a dish pointed at 61.5°, you would get the following additional channels right now:

652 KBS World (Korean Broadcasting System)
9402 US Dept of Health & Human Services TV
9405 The Pentagon Channel
9406 Classic Arts Showcase
9408 StarFish TV
9413 Almavision (Coming Soon slate)
9417 Educator TV (Coming Soon?)
9416 Good Samaritan Network
9418 Panhandle Area Educational Consortium

My guess is if the 3ABN deal happens, Almavision, which has been showing a "coming soon" slate for 3 months, will be removed.

See ya
Tony

 

[greggor48]

Well I Guess It's Official

Last nignt on 3ABN Live, 3ABN President announce that he signed a contract with Dish Network on Wednesday to have 3ABN on Echostar at 61.5 (as a public interest channel I guess) and the channel number will be the same 9710. So I guess it's official.

I do not know which transponder it will be on I guess we will just have to wait and see.

 

[Mr Tony]

I do not know which transponder it will be on I guess we will just have to wait and see.

I'll hazard a guess and say it WONT be 25 & 32...sky angel (duh!)

 

[TNGTony]

Well... Educador TV is still silent so maybe it will replace that one? Or it could already be uplinked there with a different name. They've done that before.

Glad to see 3ABN back!

See ya
Tony

 

[WayneG]

Today's uplink report (week ending 5/12/07) shows the following:

9710 - 3ABN [MPEG2 SD] added to EchoStar3 61.5W TP 10 ConUS beam (Not Available)

Maybe it will be available soon!

 

[Mr Tony]

also on 129...same channel and different TP on 61.5 (no its not available yet)

9710 - 3ABN moved from EchoStar3 61.5W TP 32 ConUS beam to EchoStar5 129W TP 17 ConUS beam (NA)
9710 - 3ABN [MPEG2 SD] added to EchoStar3 61.5W TP 10 ConUS beam (Not Available)

 

[laseradam]

Iceman, what does this mean?

9710 - 3ABN moved from EchoStar3 61.5W TP 32 ConUS beam to EchoStar5 129W TP 17 ConUS beam (NA

Does this mean 3ABN will also be on Echostar 5?

 

[Kountzer]

It's been 3 weeks. 3ABN should be on dish network somewhere by now.

 

[Mr Tony]

Iceman, what does thin mean?

9710 - 3ABN moved from EchoStar3 61.5W TP 32 ConUS beam to EchoStar5 129W TP 17 ConUS beam (NA

Does this mean 3ABN will also be on Echostar 5?

in lehmans terms, 3ABN has moved on 61.5 to a Dish transponder and also mirroed at 129 (Echo 5) if you have that setup

The channel is NOT available yet (Dish hasnt turned it over to customers). Its there but not visible yet

 

[Mr Tony]

It's been 3 weeks. 3ABN should be on dish network somewhere by now.

not to be mean, but big whoop that its been 3 weeks. Channels get uplinked for MONTHS before being turned over to subs

If you read above, it was uplinked to Dish yesterday. Its not available yet but once dish gets the bigs out (make sure the picture looks clean) then they'll release it to subs