Eutelsat 115 W B is Operational at 115º West

[lost_mesa]

Eutelsat 115 W B is now operational, taking over from the inclined orbiting Eutelsat 115 W A (Satmex 5).

I haven't seen any video there in the 5 days that I have been looking. There are some DVB data signals, plus a number of non-DVB signals on both C and Ku Band.

Eutelsat 115 W B has an unusual C Band footprint. It is strongest in Alaska, extends down the western U.S. into Mexico and the Caribbean and on into parts of South America. A good part of the central and eastern U.S. and Canada aren't covered.

There are 3 Ku beams. One is strongest in Canada, but also covers the U.S. Another covers Mexico and also the southern most parts of the U.S. The third one covers most of South America, except misses most of Brazil.

Details are here:
http://www.eutelsat.com/files/contributed/news/media_library/brochures/EUTELSAT_SATELLITE_E115WB.pdf

Here is a diagram of the transponder frequencies:

http://frequencyplansatellites.altervista.org/Eutelsat/Eutelsat_115_West_B.pdf

I'm seeing some discrepancy between the listed Ku Band transponder center frequencies and the center frequencies of broadband signals on the spectrum analyzer, so I don't think the above list is completely accurate.

It looks like this company has rights to all of the Canadian Ku Beam transponders:

http://www.huntercomm.net/hunter-communications-canada.html

 

[jorgek]

Thanks for the heads up!

KU blind scan turned up nothing.

 

[. Raine]

Wow, that is an odd footprint. I'm way out of it up here in New England.

 

[lost_mesa]

On the Ku side, I scan in 8 signals with EBS Pro and a PROF 7500. They are an assortment of 32 APSK, 16APSK, and 8PSK signals. Some are ACM. I think they are all on the Mexican beam.

My Micro HD scans in:

11,740 V 30,000
11,780 V 30,000
11,860 V 33,000

The Q on these three signals bounces between 0% and 74%. ESB Pro says these are 16APSK ACM signals. These frequencies don't line up with the transponders in the list I posted a link to, that is why I questioned its accuracy.

BTW, these three signals have been around for a few years. Before, I only saw them when Satmex 5 was crossing the equator. Now they are there 24 hours a day.

Most of what I've read about the customers using Eutelsat 115 W B don't give me a lot of hope there will be much video here. But who knows, maybe something interesting will turn up.

 

[KJ6EO]

C blind scan tonight from the West Coast ... Nothin'