Directv 16 Launch Schedule

Should start to see some orbital adjustments -

"DIRECTV requests that this special temporary authority commence upon arrival of T16 at 134.75° W.L., which is currently anticipated to be on or about June 29, 2019—nine days after the satellite’s scheduled launch on June 20, 2019"
 
I picture ships at sea with gimbal mounted auto tracking antennas using such a world wide service. Might even get down below the “yacht” level.

Certainly of value to cargo and especially cruise ships.

Oh yes definitely of value to watercraft. I did say it couldn't compete with "ground" based solutions and boats don't ply their trade on the ground, as I'm guessing a guy with a handle "navychop" knows far better than most :)
 
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AT&T T16 at Geostationary Orbit at 139 degrees W :

TLE_17 Orbit 11:
AT&T T-16
Lon 139.0230° W
Lat 0.0118° S
Alt (km) 35 766.750
Azm 246.8°
Elv 22.7°
RA 08h 17m 06s
Decl -5° 06' 16"
Range (km) 39 268.149
RRt (km/s) 0.005
Vel (km/s) 3.079
Direction Descending
Eclipse No
MA (phase) 41.0° (29)
TA 41.2°
Orbit # 11

Name AT&T T-16
NORAD # 44333
COSPAR designator 2019-034-A
Epoch (UTC) 2019-06-26 20:58:57
Orbit # at Epoch 11
Inclination 0.069
RA of A. Node 286.374
Eccentricity 0.0027732
Argument of Perigee 162.804
Revs per day 1.00025229
Period 23h 59m 38s (1439.63 min)
Semi-major axis 42 234 km
Perigee x Apogee 35 739 x 35 973 km
BStar (drag term) 0.000000000 1/ER
Mean anomaly 1.125
Propagation model SDP4
Element number / age 999 / 0 day(s)

Doctor j
 
AT&T T16 at Geostationary Orbit at 139 degrees W :

TLE_17 Orbit 11:
AT&T T-16
Lon 139.0230° W
Lat 0.0118° S
Alt (km) 35 766.750
Azm 246.8°
Elv 22.7°
RA 08h 17m 06s
Decl -5° 06' 16"
Range (km) 39 268.149
RRt (km/s) 0.005
Vel (km/s) 3.079
Direction Descending
Eclipse No
MA (phase) 41.0° (29)
TA 41.2°
Orbit # 11

Name AT&T T-16
NORAD # 44333
COSPAR designator 2019-034-A
Epoch (UTC) 2019-06-26 20:58:57
Orbit # at Epoch 11
Inclination 0.069
RA of A. Node 286.374
Eccentricity 0.0027732
Argument of Perigee 162.804
Revs per day 1.00025229
Period 23h 59m 38s (1439.63 min)
Semi-major axis 42 234 km
Perigee x Apogee 35 739 x 35 973 km
BStar (drag term) 0.000000000 1/ER
Mean anomaly 1.125
Propagation model SDP4
Element number / age 999 / 0 day(s)

Doctor j
It will be drifting east to -134.75 where it is licensed for testing.

Notify going to License



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Offset using tle data

Satellite-calculations.com
Screenshot_20190626-200353_Chrome.jpeg


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T16 is right on schedule.
Arrived at 134.75 on or about June 30.

Now it will test 3 weeks. ~ July 21

Then a 7 week drift to permanent location.
So something like Sept 8-10.



Screenshot_20190703-201333_Chrome.jpeg


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T- 16 passed by Directv 5 at 110W in the night.

It will be "home" in the first week of September.
Then our Directv techies should start to see activity as the transmission distribution between their satellites is reconfigured to incorporate T-16 into the system.
 
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I have never scene a turn over of a satellite. What happens during this time? Do any ch become fta for part of the time? Thank you
 
I have never scene a turn over of a satellite. What happens during this time? Do any ch become fta for part of the time? Thank you
You should not notice anything. Program channels are routinely moved between satillites or transponders but, it is seamless from the customer side.

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We won't have any way of knowing when channels are swapped from T15 to T16 if they keep the same transponder mapping (i.e. move everything on tpn 2 as a group from T15 to tpn 2 on T16, everything on tpn 4 as a group etc.) We'll know from the spreadsheet if they don't do it in such an orderly fashion, but I expect we'll see nothing from our end and suddenly there will be a filing to move T15 back to 103.

Once T15 is back at 103 they'll light up 103ca tpns 1-8, and I expect to see them move the mirrors from 95/119 currently on reverse band into that space. That will mean that only SD receivers are looking at the 95/119 satellites, and once WD SD only subscribers are all upgraded they will be able to discontinue use of that satellite (then Intelsat will file for inclined operation as they have already indicated they plan to do) Upgrading WD subscribers should not be too hard because for years Directv has been providing them a Slimline + WD + SWM8 as the standard install, so they only need to ship to them replacement receivers rather than have an installer visit. For all we know that process might already be complete and Directv will discontinue use of 95 very soon.

It will take a bit longer for 119, they'll have to retire all the DMAs getting MPEG2 SD locals from 119, and upgrade SD subscribers/equipment getting the Spanish channels. They just put up notices for three more, that will go away in October (there are already several going away later this month) So that won't happen until sometime next year I'd guess.
 
We won't have any way of knowing when channels are swapped from T15 to T16 if they keep the same transponder mapping (i.e. move everything on tpn 2 as a group from T15 to tpn 2 on T16, everything on tpn 4 as a group etc.) We'll know from the spreadsheet if they don't do it in such an orderly fashion, but I expect we'll see nothing from our end and suddenly there will be a filing to move T15 back to 103.

Once T15 is back at 103 they'll light up 103ca tpns 1-8, and I expect to see them move the mirrors from 95/119 currently on reverse band into that space. That will mean that only SD receivers are looking at the 95/119 satellites, and once WD SD only subscribers are all upgraded they will be able to discontinue use of that satellite (then Intelsat will file for inclined operation as they have already indicated they plan to do) Upgrading WD subscribers should not be too hard because for years Directv has been providing them a Slimline + WD + SWM8 as the standard install, so they only need to ship to them replacement receivers rather than have an installer visit. For all we know that process might already be complete and Directv will discontinue use of 95 very soon.

It will take a bit longer for 119, they'll have to retire all the DMAs getting MPEG2 SD locals from 119, and upgrade SD subscribers/equipment getting the Spanish channels. They just put up notices for three more, that will go away in October (there are already several going away later this month) So that won't happen until sometime next year I'd guess.
D15 is already licensed for 103w and is expected to move there as soon as Sept 16.

So, just watch the tracking sites for it to start to move.

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i have noticed in the am when i first turn on dtv that a placard of no signal or pay per view comes up then if goes to program after a second. This happened the last few mornings.
 
D15 is already licensed for 103w and is expected to move there as soon as Sept 16.

Do they not need to file for a satellite "move back home"? I didn't see anywhere suggesting a specific date when it would be moved back, but I suppose there's no reason to dawdle since they fully tested T16 during IOT and it shouldn't take long to cut the transponders over from T15.
 
We won't have any way of knowing when channels are swapped from T15 to T16 if they keep the same transponder mapping (i.e. move everything on tpn 2 as a group from T15 to tpn 2 on T16, everything on tpn 4 as a group etc.) We'll know from the spreadsheet if they don't do it in such an orderly fashion, but I expect we'll see nothing from our end and suddenly there will be a filing to move T15 back to 103.

Once T15 is back at 103 they'll light up 103ca tpns 1-8, and I expect to see them move the mirrors from 95/119 currently on reverse band into that space. That will mean that only SD receivers are looking at the 95/119 satellites, and once WD SD only subscribers are all upgraded they will be able to discontinue use of that satellite (then Intelsat will file for inclined operation as they have already indicated they plan to do) Upgrading WD subscribers should not be too hard because for years Directv has been providing them a Slimline + WD + SWM8 as the standard install, so they only need to ship to them replacement receivers rather than have an installer visit. For all we know that process might already be complete and Directv will discontinue use of 95 very soon.

It will take a bit longer for 119, they'll have to retire all the DMAs getting MPEG2 SD locals from 119, and upgrade SD subscribers/equipment getting the Spanish channels. They just put up notices for three more, that will go away in October (there are already several going away later this month) So that won't happen until sometime next year I'd guess.

It will still require a service visit.

There are no records of what dish configuration is used for each sub. Even then, you don’t know if they have legacy or SWM equipment.

Every upgrade I have ever done, has always included a Dish or money to cover the cost of the Dish.

50/50 we actually use the Dish.
 
Do they not need to file for a satellite "move back home"? I didn't see anywhere suggesting a specific date when it would be moved back, but I suppose there's no reason to dawdle since they fully tested T16 during IOT and it shouldn't take long to cut the transponders over from T15.

Excerpted from the last FCC license issued for T-15

" Upon receipt of Commission approval, DIRECTV expects to begin drifting T15 to 102.85 W.L. as early as September 16, 2019. The drift is expected to take approximately eight days. During the drift period, DIRECTV will utilize only the satellite’s telemetry, tracking, and command (“TT&C”) frequencies and will follow industry practices for coordinating TT&C transmission during the relocation process. "

Since the move is just a couple degrees, they will be using the preexisting earth station licensed for T-15 to control the movement so there should be no special temporary earth station licenses for movement.
 
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I have a feeling satellite TV will be around in one form or another for well past 2030 — that’s only 11 years from now.

I take my parents place as an example — I have followed their ability to get broadband since 1997 when I was 13 years old...

They live about 8 miles outside of a small town in western Washington, but inside the Seattle market— they live in a valley behind some hills which blocks ALL cellular reception. The WISP in town in on a smaller hill on the backside of the large hills that line the valley. Until one of the companies build a tower on their ridge or up the creek on the other ridge, 5G is out for them. They can get one station OTA, which is Fox. I grew up binging on Fox... it shaped my humor into the sarcastic prick I am today lol

Their landline option is provided by CenturyLink ex Qwest, ex USWest. The closest DSL is 5 miles away, and 512k at that. Qwest/CenturyLink has shown ZERO interest in adding broadband capacity in all but the most urban areas for at least 10 years... from what I can tell they are second to maybe Verizon in the northeast for how much they could care less now. For a while they were great and I had some hope... back around 2000ish when they were pioneering VDSL and the like — but I haven’t seen movement outside of big cities in years.

The ONLY non-satellite broadband option at my parents place is a 1.5 meg T1 line... for $489 per month. I priced this even recently to see if it went down... nope! As a kid and burgeoning computer geek I did everything I could to try and get broadband... tried getting the neighbors to inundate Qwest at the time, wrote letters to my representatives... nothing. I ended up getting one-way DirecPC before I moved out of the house.

The parents are stuck with DirecTV and Exede for Internet. I still lose cell phone coverage when I go out to visit. I’ve found I can use WiFI calling on Exede out there — about a 5 second delay but it’s doable.

To make this short... I just don’t see how this will get solved in the next 11 years. My parents place is not unique — there are much larger “broadband holes” around cities. The ONLY promising thing I’ve read about is LEO satellite service like OneWeb and what Amazon is getting into — but I can’t imagine that this won’t come with restrictions that would limit the ability of a “true” HD or 4K streaming service.

So when I hear stories of linear services being shut off at any point before 2050, I have to laugh... they may become more niche... I could see it dropping to a 20-40 channel service using 2-4 leased transponders similar to what Orby is trying... but I don’t see it going away completely.

N
 

What do I need?

DISH and DIRECTV? Good luck with that.

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