Went to the Uplink Center Today.

[Scott Greczkowski]

Today I was lucky to go to my holy satellite mecca the DISH Network Uplink Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming!

This is my third visit to the uplink and I am amazed everytime I go how much its has grown since last time I was here, and this time was no exception!

Echostar is also building a new state of the art Data Center in front of the uplink center. The new data center will be a 77,000 square foor facility and is expected to be completed in November. The uplink guys were hush hush about what this new data center will be used for, but they are saying it will be big.

The Cheyenne uplink center employs around 370 people.

On this tour of the uplink center we spent a lot of time outside admiring the 7 Meter Torus DISH which is an 82 x 23 foot antenna which can receive C and KU Band signals 35 different satellites at the same time! I want one of these DISH's at my house... but I don't think my wife will let me have one. (Oh well.)

Got to spend awhile watching the folks work in the Technical Operations Center. This is where they watch all the channels all the time on a big wall which can be reconfigured on the fly to display up to 1000 channels. After watching the wall for a few minutes I then realized that every possible TV channel was on in front of me, and still there was nothing to watch on TV.

I thank the folks at DISH for having me and to Sam for the great tour!

Here is a brief video I shot outside the uplink... (sorry so short, didn't really have much time outside to shoot)

 

[CK SatGuy]

That is incredible.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It was amazing to be able to stand in the middle of that Big Torus dish and take pics. All of the programming DISH gets via satellite is received via that dish.

If I was a little taller (instead of wider) I could have stood these and knocked out HBO, Comedy Central and ESPN.

 

[RandallA]

So if somebody lost signal today watching TV, you know who to blame. Scott jumping in front of the dishes.

Very nice pictures!

 

[gpollock87]

So if somebody lost signal today watching TV, you know who to blame. Scott jumping in front of the dishes.

Very nice pictures!

hahahaha, it is very cool

 

['97DISH*user]

Hey Scott you should have accidently nudged the button that swiches the Chicago locals back to Conus........just a though......maybe trip over a shoelace......

 

[rogerpl]

Amazing

 

[TG2]

Just to screetch that bird in with no landing gear to a nose on the ground finish ...

and for all that technology, they still have 922's losing all the recordings for "some 105% full glitch"
and for all that technology, and they still can't sort "My DVR" properly in Dish Remote Access...

add your own "and for all that technology" as you wish... there's lots of it.. maybe the guys that rigged that dish should be tasked to fix the rest of the company's stuff.. oh wait.. those same three or four guys *are* the only ones tasked to fix all of dish's stuff...

remember.. I poke fun at dish ... because I care and want them to be *THE* best... its just a shame I'll probably never see it in my life time. lol..

 

[Teehar]

Fascinating stuff! So what are all the other dishes for?I notice a few of the fta looking dishes are pointing towards the ground. There sure are a lotta dishes on that farm.

 

[Cosmokramer11]

those dishes are huge man!. I would love to see that

 

[Sasquatch04]

Pretty incredible and beautiful !!! Tks for the pics Scott !!!

Would love to see that live !!

Cheers,,

 

[cowpres]

I too am curious as to why they would have SOOOOOooooo many dishes if they get all the programming on the one. Might be backups? Always good to have a backup right? I would LOVE to see that wall of TV's showing ALL their programming at once! Must have been quite a site. Too bad you didn't get a shot of THAT!
-cowpres-

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Fascinating stuff! So what are all the other dishes for?I notice a few of the fta looking dishes are pointing towards the ground. There sure are a lotta dishes on that farm.

Internationals. They can see all the way over to 30 degrees there. Those are the dishes that look like they are looking at the ground.

 

[Teehar]

Internationals. They can see all the way over to 30 degrees there. Those are the dishes that look like they are looking at the ground.

Nice Thanks for the explanation Scott!

 

[Ghpr13]

Excellent pictures Scott. Like others have said, I would have love to be there and see them close up like you did.
Enjoy your time out there!
Ghpr13

 

[renegade734]

Awesome pics, Scott. I have driven past the Cheyenne Uplink Center in the past.

Sierra Trading Post is right across the street.

You used to be able to see the dishes from I-80 before the store went in.

 

[charlesrshell]

Awesome pics. Thanks Scott.

 

[cowpres]

I printed out the picture of that Torus dish and showed it to my neighbor and told them that I was thinking about getting one installed on our roof! HA! I think they actually believed me for awhile! Hey Scott, did you get a shot of that wall of TV's showing all the channels at once. It must be interesting to be sitting in front of that wall when some big news event happens. That would be my dream to see how different channels cover a big event. Kinda like watching the news mix channel I have on my DTV service.
-cowpres-

 

[cowpres]

Sat view of sats at dish network

Here is a shot from Google Maps of that area. Neat huh?
-cowpres-

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

That's an old picture on google maps. They have a lot more dishes now. It is an amazing place.

Due to security and competitive reasons they won't let anyone take pictures inside the uplink center so no I could not take a pic of the amazing wall of nothing to watch.