Nimiq 4 strength

[angiodan]

The fat lady has definitely sung, and the song is Oh Canada!

Only TP2 here in Florida as well. This footprint is tighter than the old Starchoice Anik 2 bird (if I recall correctly) that covered at least half of the US.

Too bad, there will be a number of cancellations I'm sure, me being one of them.

 

[mika911]

Plus, even Canadians who simply take BEV to the south part of the year, will probably want to change to starchoice or something, or put their account on hold, when not home.

I agree, BEV will be losing money.

 

[2k1Toaster]

Well I started checking the web today because all our HD channels are gone... We are in Colorado Springs, CO and all the 800-ish channels are gone gone gone.

What a royal pissoff. Spent over $1200 last december.

Anyone have a real image of the new footprint? Anyone in the middle-US able to receive 82 with a large dish? I will install a monster of a dish if I can get my tv back!

EDIT: I figured out how to get the signal strength...

Sat.Transponder = %

91.01 = 68%
91.02 = 60%
91.03 = 81%
91.04 = 95%
91.05 = 64%
91.06 = 50%
91.07 = 81%
91.08 = 89%
91.09 = 77%
91.10 = 90%
91.11 = 80%
91.12 = 95%
91.13 = 66%
91.14 = 57%
91.15 = 70%
91.16 = 62%
91.17 = 78%
91.18 = 93%
91.19 = 68%
91.20 = 63%
91.21 = 78%
91.22 = 88%
91.23 = 81%
91.24 = 91%
91.25 = 77%
91.26 = 89%
91.27 = 70%
91.28 = 64%
91.29 = 68%
91.30 = 60%
91.31 = 67%
91.32 = 66%

82.01 = 0%
82.02 = 64%
82.03 = 85%
82.04 through 82.32 = 0%

 

[2k1Toaster]

That kind of matches what I've been getting. I just checked again and it is still the same transponders here in the Denver area that have taken a drop that appear to be coming from Nimiq 4.

1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, 29, 32

No changes that I can see over the last couple of days.

The signals on those transponders listed above get even lower at night as it looks like the sat is wobbling a bit. The other transponders (2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18, 19, 22, 23, 26, 27, 30, 31) are staying at a consistant good level like they always have been. In fact, transponder 3 stays pegged at 100%.

So in Denver with a 30" dish, you are getting this?

So it should be safe to assume that with a 36" or more dish in Colorado Springs, I should get similar watchable results... I guess it is time to fork over more money...

 

[bluereef]

82

I would not waste any more money on equipment than you all ready have, 82 for the most part is gone to the US, or at least wait another month to see if it really stays the same. They are using spot beams and no matter the size of the dish you won't get the signal. It may be there today and gone tomorrow, to risky of any more investment. It sad but as with other Bell customers, I now have to look at Star Choice.

 

[OnlineLC]

I will wait a week or two to see what happens but I am not expecting too much from 82W here in the SE US. To be brutally honest, I was disappointed in the Bell HD and found that for 95% of the time, I was watching HD via my local Comcast provider. I will probably just roll back my service to Digital Essentials since most of the Channels I watch from BEV are not HD anyway.

On a more technical note, as a High School Physics teacher, I am somewhat intrigued on how spot beams work if they overlap certain areas. If you are in an overlap zone, you are getting the signal from two sources on the satellite. Granted the sources may only be a meter or so apart on the satellite but with the high frequencies and wavelengths, this would give rise to constructive or destructive interference depending whether they hit in phase or out of phase. Before I moved down to the US, I used to work with Bell on their Technology Development of Digital Microwave Radio. Each link was finely engineered to reduce multipath interference, I have no idea how it could be done if you have two spot beams overlapping in an area.

Bottom line, I know Nimiq 4 has the capability to provide Spot Beams, I am not convinced the current 82W footprint is a result of that. I think they have simply aimed the antennas to provide an improved footprint for the Canadian Market.

 

[julesism]

agreed, i do not think we are seeing active spotbeams on 82... the footprint has simply been shifted north.

 

[peano]

I need a receiver if anyone is cancelling. HD preferably.

 

[bigrich]

All transponders on 82 are good in Indianapolis, IN and I have lost no programing.

 

[bwaldron]

It will be interesting to see how many US customers Bell actually had when people start to cancel there account.

They lost me (in Florida) back in August of 2004, when they moved a bunch of transponders to Nimiq3. And Star Choice gained me.

 

[alebowgm]

Saw a report from a user on a different site. Said he tried a 6 foot solid satellite with the proper LNB (Said he used it in the past for Nimiq 1 to get 90-100 signal) and said he saw nothing.

 

[DJ Rob]

So in Denver with a 30" dish, you are getting this?

So it should be safe to assume that with a 36" or more dish in Colorado Springs, I should get similar watchable results... I guess it is time to fork over more money...

Maybe...BUT, maybe not.

I'm using a 30" Winegard dish with a Dish Pro single LNB.
The lowest signal on 82 I get is transponders 25 and 29 which barely locks (a little above 45) during the day on my Expressvu 9200. At night because of the satellite "wobble" where the beam seems to be moving just a hair more north, I lose at least transponders 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, 29, 32. Sometimes more of them...

Since you are even more south than me it may be a lot worse for you depending on how much on the edge of the beam from Nimiq4 we are.

 

[DJ Rob]

Saw a report from a user on a different site. Said he tried a 6 foot solid satellite with the proper LNB (Said he used it in the past for Nimiq 1 to get 90-100 signal) and said he saw nothing.

Where was he located?

 

[SpeedTrap47]

I will wait a week or two to see what happens but I am not expecting too much from 82W here in the SE US. To be brutally honest, I was disappointed in the Bell HD and found that for 95% of the time, I was watching HD via my local Comcast provider. I will probably just roll back my service to Digital Essentials since most of the Channels I watch from BEV are not HD anyway.

On a more technical note, as a High School Physics teacher, I am somewhat intrigued on how spot beams work if they overlap certain areas. If you are in an overlap zone, you are getting the signal from two sources on the satellite. Granted the sources may only be a meter or so apart on the satellite but with the high frequencies and wavelengths, this would give rise to constructive or destructive interference depending whether they hit in phase or out of phase. Before I moved down to the US, I used to work with Bell on their Technology Development of Digital Microwave Radio. Each link was finely engineered to reduce multipath interference, I have no idea how it could be done if you have two spot beams overlapping in an area.

Bottom line, I know Nimiq 4 has the capability to provide Spot Beams, I am not convinced the current 82W footprint is a result of that. I think they have simply aimed the antennas to provide an improved footprint for the Canadian Market.

Yes simply the same as with ECHO 11 the footprint has been narrowed to CANADA with some overlap. With NIMIQ 4 I have not seen any discussion about Ku Spots anly Ka Spots

 

[bluereef]

So please tell us about your Star Choice experience and signal strength, pictures quality, CSR response, ect as a lot of existing Bell customers might be going to Star Choice.

 

[OnlineLC]

So please tell us about your Star Choice experience and signal strength, pictures quality, CSR response, ect as a lot of existing Bell customers might be going to Star Choice.

Remember, only those who really want Canadian HD will shift. I for one am staying put, just downgrading the service to the 91W channels I want. When they launch Nimiq 5 everything may change again and I may be forced to move providers.

I have no experience with Starchoice at all, but there do seem to be some issues people have with the HD PVR. Before you jump, see what they have to say and decide if it is a showstopper or not.

 

[mika911]

Remember, only those who really want Canadian HD will shift. I for one am staying put, just downgrading the service to the 91W channels I want. When they launch Nimiq 5 everything may change again and I may be forced to move providers.

I have no experience with Starchoice at all, but there do seem to be some issues people have with the HD PVR. Before you jump, see what they have to say and decide if it is a showstopper or not.

One thing to note is that for many of us (depending on location) there isn't much left at 91 degrees either. That has been messed up a long time too.

 

[alebowgm]

Where was he located?

Oops, forgot to include that. Lol. He said SW Flordia.

Also saw a report of a 36inch in Arizona not getting anything either outside of TP2 and TP3.

 

[SatPhreak]

Ice, you might be on the edge of the beam. In Thunder Bay they are all up in the 80's now where they used to be in the 60's. Similar to the echo spot beam from 110 trans 4 spot 28 is about 30% lower for me than the conus transponders are.

 

[carl066]

Star Choice

I've been one of their subscribers for over two years. Their HD package is a bit thin but adequate for my needs. I had a minor problem with my DVR, but it was taken care of in rapid fashon. I highly recommend Star Choice, no matter which side of the border you live on.
Next year, Nimiq 5 is due to launch. I'm sure its pattern will be as tight as Nimiq 4's, so Bell reception in most of the US will be no more.