HI all,
Here's some info for the techies.
First, keep in mind that the FCC licenses use of the DBS frequency band based on 32 frequency slivers of the band. Each of these slivers is broadcast by an individual transponder on a satellite. Of all the 32 slivers available at the 61.5 orbital location, DISH Network holds a license for 15 transponders, Voom has 13, and Sky Angel (a religious-oriented DBS broadcaster) has 2. (2 are unused currently according to Lyngsat.) DISH Network and Sky Angel signals are both broadcast from the EchoStar III satellite -- Sky Angel pays EchoStar to uplink and distribute the signals on the same bird used for DISH Network. And Voom's 13 slivers are broadcast from Rainbow 1.
You can see all of this consolidated here:
Everything at 61.5 degrees: http://www.lyngsat.com/61west.html
Or, view it by satellite:
EchoStar III: http://www.lyngsat.com/echo3.html
Rainbow 1: http://www.lyngsat.com/rain1.html
Some have said that Echostar III is not receivable on the west coast. Many details suggest that that is true -- but not because their satellite is parked at 61.5, but because their satellite is:
-Old and Less Powerful: launched in 1997 versus Rainbow 1's launch in 2003
-Dying Slowly: SEC documents show that EchoStar III has suffered numerous technical failures
Documentation:
EchoStar says their satellite only has coverage for the "Central/Mountain Region to Eastern United States"
Source
(Whereas Voom's newer, more powerful satellite has coast-to-coast coverage, assuming you can see the 61.5 position from your property, which is definately harder out west.)
Finally, the numerous failures of EchoStar III are documented in SEC filings from November 2004:
Source (PDF)
Hope this helps fill in the details for why reception could be different for these two satellites, and for why this really helps EchoStar big time.
Sad to see Voom go...I've enjoyed my 6 weeks of being a subscriber.
-Dan
Here's some info for the techies.
First, keep in mind that the FCC licenses use of the DBS frequency band based on 32 frequency slivers of the band. Each of these slivers is broadcast by an individual transponder on a satellite. Of all the 32 slivers available at the 61.5 orbital location, DISH Network holds a license for 15 transponders, Voom has 13, and Sky Angel (a religious-oriented DBS broadcaster) has 2. (2 are unused currently according to Lyngsat.) DISH Network and Sky Angel signals are both broadcast from the EchoStar III satellite -- Sky Angel pays EchoStar to uplink and distribute the signals on the same bird used for DISH Network. And Voom's 13 slivers are broadcast from Rainbow 1.
You can see all of this consolidated here:
Everything at 61.5 degrees: http://www.lyngsat.com/61west.html
Or, view it by satellite:
EchoStar III: http://www.lyngsat.com/echo3.html
Rainbow 1: http://www.lyngsat.com/rain1.html
Some have said that Echostar III is not receivable on the west coast. Many details suggest that that is true -- but not because their satellite is parked at 61.5, but because their satellite is:
-Old and Less Powerful: launched in 1997 versus Rainbow 1's launch in 2003
-Dying Slowly: SEC documents show that EchoStar III has suffered numerous technical failures
Documentation:
EchoStar says their satellite only has coverage for the "Central/Mountain Region to Eastern United States"
Source
(Whereas Voom's newer, more powerful satellite has coast-to-coast coverage, assuming you can see the 61.5 position from your property, which is definately harder out west.)
Finally, the numerous failures of EchoStar III are documented in SEC filings from November 2004:
During January 2004, a Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier (“TWTA”) pair on our EchoStar III satellite failed, resulting in a loss of service on one of our licensed transponders. An additional TWTA pair failed in March 2004. Including the seven TWTA pairs that malfunctioned in prior years, these anomalies have resulted in the failure of a total of 18 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 26 transponders but due to redundancy switching limitations and specific channel authorizations, currently it can only operate on 18 of the 19 FCC authorized frequencies we own or lease at the 61.5 degree west orbital location. While we don’t expect a large number of TWTAs to fail in any year, it is likely that additional TWTA failures will occur from time to time in the future, and that those failures will further impact commercial operation of the satellite. We will continue to evaluate the performance of EchoStar III as new events or changes in circumstances become known.
Source (PDF)
Hope this helps fill in the details for why reception could be different for these two satellites, and for why this really helps EchoStar big time.
Sad to see Voom go...I've enjoyed my 6 weeks of being a subscriber.
-Dan