AMC-6 (AKA Rainbow-2) Stats

[bryan27]

KU-Band is much different than C-Band. All KU-FSS sats have the same bandwidth, but the configuration of the bandwidth varies with some using 24TPs, 32TPs, 16TPs, and different combinations of bandwiths for TPs.

With so much misinformation floating around, here are the stats of AMC-6 at 72w.

Location: 72 degrees west
Launched: Oct.22, 2000
Design Life: 15 years
Upload Bandwidth: 14000MHz-14500MHz (500MHz)
Download Bandwidth: 11700MHz-12200MHz (500MHz)
Available Bandwidth: 864MHz (432-Vertical/432-Horizontal)
Beacon Frequencies: 11702(V)MHz 12198(H)MHz
Transponder Output: 110watts
Transponder Configuration:
(1) 24 TPs at 36MHz (864MHz)
(2) 16 TPs at 36MHz (576MHz) and 4 TPs at 72MHz (288MHz) (864MHz total)

(864MHz is nearly 3 times and 576MHz is nearly double the bandwith available on Rainbow 1's 13 TPs)

Coverage Area:

CONUS; Mexico; Caribbean; Canada (southern); Central America; Bermuda; Alaska (panhandle, south of Juneau 10 ele)

ERIP & Typical Dishsize Needed (US):

Typical ERIP 48dB, 75cm/30in

Alaska (panhandle, south of Juneau 10 ele): 52dB, 50cm/20in
Oregon: 52dB, 50cm/20in
Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania (western): 51dB, 55cm/22in
Texas (northeast): 51dB, 55cm/22in
Texas (remaining areas), New Mexico: 50dB, 60cm/25in
MI, IN, VA, MD, NC, PA(east), NY(west): 50dB, 60cm/25in
Great Plains: 48dB, 75cm/30in
All other areas: 49dB, 60cm/25in

 

[rocatman]

Here's some links to the SES Americom website, the owner of AMC-6 (Rainbow-2). The second one has a ERIP map. The second configuration for transponders (TPs) provides for some interesting possibilities especially if the satellite is used for both SD and HD channels. It should be noted that the bandwidth comparison between AMC-6 and Rainbow-1 is only valid when all the Rainbow-1 TPs are used CONUS mode. If Rainbow-1 were to be used in its maximum spotbeam mode, its total bandwidth would be over ten times greater than Rainbow-1 in its full CONUS mode.

http://www.ses-americom.com/satellites/amc-6.html

http://www.ses-americom.com/satellites/amc-6_kuband_eirp_and_frequency.html

 

[lilyarbie]

Good Information

The information is good and all, but it doesn't show which out of the totality of transponders that Voom purchased. Sure the entire satellite's capacity on all of its transponders is more than Voom's but this is a satellite not dedicated to DBS like Voom and is therefore available to those who want to lease a transponder to put any kind of programming on. Do you know which transponders Voom has a lease on, and how much the bandwidth of those that were leased have in comparison to the total transponders on Rainbow-1?

 

[Sean Mota]

I know 16 TPs has been leased according to various Press Releases.

 

[Bruce]

I know 16 TPs has been leased according to various Press Releases.

I got snapped at for posting this link before, but if you look at lyngsat you will see that TP's 5, 9, 11, 15, and 18 are already in use ( shared ) by other 'folks'.


http://www.lyngsat.com/amc6.html

 

[rocatman]

I got snapped at for posting this link before, but if you look at lyngsat you will see that TP's 5, 9, 11, 15, and 18 are already in use ( shared ) by other 'folks'.


http://www.lyngsat.com/amc6.html

AMC-6 has both Ku band and C band and I think you are looking at the C band transponders on LyngSat. Voom has a lease with the Ku band. In addition, one needs to look at the date over in the far right column of the table on the LyngSat site. Many of these have not been updated in over a year so unless someone with the right equipment checks for Ku band transponder activity, you really don't know how much of the Ku band is being used.

 

[James Long]

The C-Band feeds are the low numbers (currently 3800 NASA TV through 4160 'feeds'). The Ku usage shows feeds on TPs 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 (including multiple MUXs on the same transponder).

RainbowDBS has leased 16 TPs with the option of having all 24 transponders. If they want them all the 'feed' use can move to another bird.

JL

 

[Bruce]

The C-Band feeds are the low numbers (currently 3800 NASA TV through 4160 'feeds'). The Ku usage shows feeds on TPs 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 (including multiple MUXs on the same transponder).

RainbowDBS has leased 16 TPs with the option of having all 24 transponders. If they want them all the 'feed' use can move to another bird.

JL

So that means some transponders have C-Band feeds and Ku-Band feeds?
For example:
3934 V tp 11 - 11920 V tp 11
3993 V tp 15 - 11995 V tp 15

 

[bryan27]

Do you know which transponders Voom has a lease on, and how much the bandwidth of those that were leased have in comparison to the total transponders on Rainbow-1?

There is a lease on 16 TPs and the whole satellite can be leased, as was said by others.

It was basically answered in my first post "864MHz is nearly 3 times and 576MHz is nearly double the bandwith available on Rainbow 1's 13 TPs." 864MHz is the entire satellite and 576MHz is the 16 TPs. Unless 4, 3, 2, or 1 of the 16 TPs are one of the 72MHz TPs.

Rainbow 1 currently uses about 351MHz of bandwidth.