How far East can we reach from the US?

[Mr Tony]

K'Bick
The reason most sat lists dont go past 58W is because that is really the satellite the whole US can see...even though on West Coast its probably a 11 elevation

I can see to 30W here in Minneapolis which is a 9 elevation. I had to do some fabrication and just trial and error. If the mast is set properly at 90 degrees the dish hits it. So I had to spin the mast around and put it at an oddball angle to make it work.

IN the one pic its the dish on the right....the left one was aimed at 148W (when 148 was still alive)

 

[pedrogarcia]

K'Bick
I can see to 30W here in Minneapolis which is a 9 elevation. I had to do some fabrication and just trial and error. If the mast is set properly at 90 degrees the dish hits it. So I had to spin the mast around and put it at an oddball angle to make it work.

Sounds like a good time to invert the dish

 

[K'bick]

K'Bick
The reason most sat lists dont go past 58W is because that is really the satellite the whole US can see...even though on West Coast its probably a 11 elevation

I can see to 30W here in Minneapolis which is a 9 elevation. I had to do some fabrication and just trial and error. If the mast is set properly at 90 degrees the dish hits it. So I had to spin the mast around and put it at an oddball angle to make it work.

IN the one pic its the dish on the right....the left one was aimed at 148W (when 148 was still alive)

That makes sense about the list ending at 58w... sounds like I might be able to mess around and get a little further East then (assuming how good my LOS is and what kinds of crazy contortions I can put my dish through ).

By the way, what kind of dish is that with the support ribs in the back? It kind of looks like a channel master but then the mount is lower than center.

 

[K'bick]

Hey why not go for it. I find DXing satellites with small dishes intriguing. Atlantic Bird 2 at 8 W is on the equator off of the coast of West Africa so pulling in two TV stations on the American transponders with a 18x20" dish is quite an accomplishment

I also listen to short-wave in the winter time and I have a scanner that I take in the car to listen to Public Safety broadcast.


So many signals so little time.
Mike Lib

DXing is a very cool angle (pardon the pun) to the FTA hobby.. I'm finding out just how additctive it is.

 

[K'bick]

Here are pics from my receiver of Telstar 12, at the time I scanned in the channels TV Pampa was on two transponders.

See now you're just making me jealous .... I see from your pics there is one extra TV Pampa channel (not Santa Maria) in the list as well.. I've got to try to get this sat!

What kind of receiver is that by the way?

 

[guapoharry]

This app is sort of basic, but I think it's useful. It's called Satfinder

satfinder

Enter your location and it will display a table with satellites listed by Name, Longitude, Azimuth (True), Azimuth (Magnetic), Elevation, and Skew.

If you wonder what satellites are theoretically possible to see from your location, you can find out. This is where I found out Hispasat is below the horizon for my location.....

 

[mikelib]

See now you're just making me jealous .... I see from your pics there is one extra TV Pampa channel (not Santa Maria) in the list as well.. I've got to try to get this sat!

What kind of receiver is that by the way?

The receiver is a Fortec Star Dynamic, one of the better SD receivers. I don't think that there is any TV Pampa channel now, what there now is what is listed in Lyngsat. I got the impression that you might understand Portuguese?

 

[Mr Tony]

By the way, what kind of dish is that with the support ribs in the back? It kind of looks like a channel master but then the mount is lower than center.

Its a Channelmaster 75e dish used for Shaw Direct (formerly Starchoice)...a Canadian DTH provider.

I use a 1.2m now because the LNB on that went out and it costs too much to get a replacement. Shaw Direct replaces the equipment for free if it dies but I have to be in Canada (which I'm not)

 

[K'bick]

GOT IT!!

Telstar 12 (15W) is locked in at a whopping 48%Q.. but its stable. I am completely shocked!!! Thought my neighbor's roof would block me before I would get it.. The dish is practically looking down at the roof.

I'm going to see if I can squeeze another 2.5 degrees out of the motor and try for Atlantic Bird 1.

 

[K'bick]

Its a Channelmaster 75e dish used for Shaw Direct (formerly Starchoice)...a Canadian DTH provider.

I use a 1.2m now because the LNB on that went out and it costs too much to get a replacement. Shaw Direct replaces the equipment for free if it dies but I have to be in Canada (which I'm not)

Its a really nice looking dish.. Does it have the same LNB/feedhorn setup as P* or does it have a DBS style LNBF?

Reason I'm asking is because the next project will probably be fixed DBS pay system to replace our basic cable. Still have to look around and see what company has the best deals.

 

[Mr Tony]

actually neither

It uses a special "quad LNB" with 3.8 degree spacing (for 107.3 & 111.1 which are the 2 Starchoice sats). Its linear (like what FTA uses) Has a built in 22k switch. The 3.8 degree spacing can be hard to peak both as most sats are 4 degrees apart but I use to have it for 97/101 and later just fixed on 30W. Thread on the 97/101 setup
http://www.satelliteguys.us/545931-post8.html

The threaded elevation bolt is just like a Primestar dish which makes it real nice. Dish measures 37x27"

 

[K'bick]

The receiver is a Fortec Star Dynamic, one of the better SD receivers. I don't think that there is any TV Pampa channel now, what there now is what is listed in Lyngsat. I got the impression that you might understand Portuguese?

Lyngsat has TV Pampa at 12173H but who knows when those lists were last updated. I have not done a channel scan yet but I will as soon as I finish goofing with trying to get the next Eastern sat.

Yes I speak Portuguese. My wife is from Brazil and so we travel back and forth a lot.

 

[SpiffWilkie]

Lyngsat has TV Pampa at 12173H but who knows when those lists were last updated. I have not done a channel scan yet but I will as soon as I finish goofing with trying to get the next Eastern sat.

Yes I speak Portuguese. My wife is from Brazil and so we travel back and forth a lot.

I think that BYU International on SatMex 5 has Portuguese on one of its audio PIDs. They have some programming on there that might be of interest even for those that aren't LDS.

 

[mikelib]

Lyngsat has TV Pampa at 12173H but who knows when those lists were last updated. I have not done a channel scan yet but I will as soon as I finish goofing with trying to get the next Eastern sat.

Yes I speak Portuguese. My wife is from Brazil and so we travel back and forth a lot.

I use to live in a small town in North Jersey, and I had a lot of Portuguese neighbors. It was very interesting to see people who spoke the same language but come from such diverse cultures (European vs. South American).

My town was close to a large Portuguese section in Newark, NJ. If you are in a lay over at Newark Airport you can grab a taxi to Ferry Street, in Newark and you will feel like you are in Lisbon. Portuguese is the main language of all the merchants and is widely spoken on the streets; there are open-air vegetables stalls, fish markets, bakeries and restaurants galore, both Brazilian and European. A lot of the churches have mass in Portuguese. The neighborhood supports two major Portuguese language newspapers. Many of the Portuguese men are skilled craftsman that worked in the masonry and construction trades.

I wish you good luck on your hunt to get Portuguese language TV stations.
Mike Lb

 

[melbfla]

K'bick
I am sure you know about this one is not from Brazil but Portugal at least the language is the same.
12034 H 3003 Channel Name Video Pid Audio Pids PCR Provider Encryption Last Updated

1 RTP International 33 34
35 8190 RRSat Global N
9/02/2009That was from the List
The colors are messy so I get it on
AMC4 101W 12.033 H 3.003 Rtpi .
Again maybe you have no interest in this one.

 

[sorchard]

I always wondered what far eastern satellites someone from Nova Scotia or Newfoundland would be able to pick up . I would imagine that someone from Iceland would be able to get satellites from Europe. And would Europe be possible from Bermuda?

I realise that I am not at all in North America, but in an extremely western part of the UK (it is one of two major landing points for transatlantic cables) I can get up to about 45W easy (88cm dish if it helps), with things becoming more and more erratic after that. I think there's some trees in the way preventing me from going any further (if I could - I think I hit the motor limits at about 58W).

In the eastern direction I think I can go as far as 45E, not sure if there is anything after that where I am in the footprint for.

 

[Bill_KY]

I realise that I am not at all in North America, but in an extremely western part of the UK (it is one of two major landing points for transatlantic cables) I can get up to about 45W easy (88cm dish if it helps), with things becoming more and more erratic after that. I think there's some trees in the way preventing me from going any further (if I could - I think I hit the motor limits at about 58W).

In the eastern direction I think I can go as far as 45E, not sure if there is anything after that where I am in the footprint for.

I was reading on the satellites co uk site in the fringe reception general section, someone mentioned that his friend in Greenland is able to get both Europe and North America with a 5 meter dish.

 

[nycrich]

Sorry for bombing the thread with so many replies

BTW, I am trying to get Brazilian channels in Portuguese... A great lot of them are C band, many are only beamed to South America, and other Ku channels are 'crypted so that leaves a few left on Lyngsat that look like they are in the clear if I can only get to the sats:

.

There are a lot of them on NSS806 at 40.5 in Portuguese that is not scrambled. I currently have a 6 ft Fortec with a DMX741U w/insert for circular sigs. I can get almost 98% of the channels listed that is not scrambled on that sat.
Most of them are mainly religious, but there is others like TV Brazil, , Mi-GENTE (3689v), Canal Executivo (3671H), LBV (3690H), BOAS NOVAS (3972H), TV Brazil Integracion, and several radio stations.
Here in Ft lauderdale, Florida, I can easily get down to 12.5W Atlantic Bird 1 ( Record International Europa 11622H). However I can get that on NSS806 with more channels.

 

[mikelib]

There are a lot of them on NSS806 at 40.5 in Portuguese that is not scrambled. I currently have a 6 ft Fortec with a DMX741U w/insert for circular sigs. I can get almost 98% of the channels listed that is not scrambled on that sat.
Most of them are mainly religious, but there is others like TV Brazil, , Mi-GENTE (3689v), Canal Executivo (3671H), LBV (3690H), BOAS NOVAS (3972H), TV Brazil Integracion, and several radio stations.
Here in Ft lauderdale, Florida, I can easily get down to 12.5W Atlantic Bird 1 ( Record International Europa 11622H). However I can get that on NSS806 with more channels.

NYC-Rich, Can you actually view the TV Station Record Int. Europa on Atlantic Bird 1 with a good SQ? I went seaching for that station with a small dish and did not get the station I did get a strong transponder (Skylogic) on that sat.
Mike Lib

 

[nycrich]

NYC-Rich, Can you actually view the TV Station Record Int. Europa on Atlantic Bird 1 with a good SQ? Mike Lib

MikeLib..I was able to get Atlantic Bird1 using a 39in dish w/0.2 lnb linear. The sig on 11622H was S84 Q66 using a Coolsat 4000 with a short cable. My angle here in Ft Lauderdale is 13 degress just above some trees facing east of me. I was checking my satellite arc when I bought this house two months ago. I can get roughly reception from 12.5W to 135W.
Attached is a pic of my sat arc for lowest angles facing east. There is a neat application for Iphones that allow you to choose sats in a list, then hold it up to your location and it can show you your sat arc/obstructions, etc. I used my wife's phone to take a pic of my Iphone showing my arc. 12.5W just above some palm trees.