Couldn't receive locals traveling

[9thunderdog]

Just got back from a hunting trip to Canada, took the dish and the old 2800 receiver, pointed the dish for the 119 and 110 satellites,
all channels came except the locals, got a message 'these channels are only available in your designated area' it does receive them
when I am in Minnesota, so how did it know I wasn't in Minnesota?

 

[skierrob]

Someone correct my description if it isn't technically correct.... but to answer the OP...

Locals are broadcast on a "spotbeam", which only have enough signal strength to cover a small portion of the United States. So, if you live in Las Vegas, for example, the spotbeam that those locals broadcast on only cover Southern Nevada.

So, I can't take my receiver to another state and watch my locals there. There just isn't enough signal.

But the national channels (CNN, USA, TBS, etc.) are broadcast using the "full power" of the satellite and can be viewed nationwide.

 

[Mr Tony]

yup pretty much skierrob. Most locals are on spotbeams which covers a couple hundred miles from the main city

Here is the approximate spotbeam for the Minneapolis locals (on 110)
http://www.satelliteguys.us/thelist...MN&sub=true&sort=&order=&beamMap=E10_SB28.jpg

 

[jerryez]

Looks like they do cover a small portion of Canada. You must have been out of that circle.

 

[hudgreen]

looks like Minneapolis locals are also broadcast off the 61.5 sat , tp 31 conus (nationally ,not spot-beam),but its MP4 which you would need a HD receiver to pick it up and looking at the map http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/maps/echo3_conus.html doesn't reach very far into the great white north anyway

 

[9thunderdog]

Well that explains why they didn't come in, I was thinking the did some kind of beam for the local area rather then covering the entire footprint of the satellite, and yes i was farther north and west ~50 miles above Swift current SK.