Echostar Satellites

ON

Home

Echostar Satellites and Orbital Slots

61.5°

Carries international channels, HDTV, minor locals for eastern markets, Sky Angel. Requires separate dish, reception difficult or impossible in a few west coast spots.
What programming is at 61.5W & 148?

• Echostar 3 transmits all transponders used by Dish and Sky Angel.
  • Transponders 2, 4, 5 - 8, 10, 12 - 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23 are being used by Dish.
  • Transponders 26 - 31 are being leased by Dish from Sky Angel
  • Transponders 25 and 32 are being used by Sky Angel.
  • Failures

105°

Expected to carry HDTV and locals when it goes into service.

• AMC-2 KU FSS satellite from SES AMERICOM on long-term lease, to be in place by early Aug 2003.
• Will be replaced by AMC-15 scheduled to launch 3Q04.
• Reception will require the new 66cm 105 SuperDish (prototype photo) that will see 105°/110°/119°.

110°

Carries the video channels of AT150, extra premium channels, locals. Viewable with Dish500. Echostar 6 and Echostar 8 share the work load.

• Echostar 8
  • CONUS transponders 1, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14 - 21.
  • Spot beam transponders 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 (coverage map)
• Echostar 6
  • CONUS transponders 3, 7, 13, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29.
  • Failures

There are conflicting reports about the source of transponders 25 and 31.

Transponders 28, 30 and 32 belong to DirecTV and come from their satellite.
 

119°

Carries AT50, most of AT100, audio channels (mono and CD), locals, distant nets. Viewable with Dish500.

• Echostar 7 is taking care of it all
  • CONUS transponders 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11 - 21
  • Spot beam transponders 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 (coverage map)
• Echostar V parked in orbit for back-up duty
  • Failures

Transponders 22 - 32 belong to DirecTV and their satellites are taking care of those.
 

121°

• Echostar IX has not been launched yet.
• Reception will require the new 66cm 121 SuperDish (prototype photo) that will see 110°/119°/121°.

129°

Echostar leases transponder 17 on Telstar 7 for the "minor" Philadelphia locals.

148°

Carries international channels, HDTV, minor locals for western markets. Almost a mirror of 61.5°. Requires separate dish.

• Echostar 1 has the odd numbered transponders 1 - 31
• Echostar 2 has the even numbered transponders 2 - 32

Each of these birds can only transmit odd and even transponders respectively.
 

157°

Echostar IV has moved from 119° to the 157° position to provide service from transponders 1, 3, 5. (Details at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publ...A-03-1510A1.pdf.) This satellite suffered a failure after launch - its solar panels did not fully deploy. Dish is pursuing an insurance claim for the loss.
 

Corrections, additions and ideas welcome. Page edited by BobaBird with thanks to TNGTony for compiling much of the information.