Is 79w (AMC5) Still up?

Status
Please reply by conversation.

Pixl

Senior Member
Original poster
Pub Member / Supporter
Feb 27, 2010
1,902
67
Traverse City, Michigan
I was looking for 79 (AMC5)-11903 H 2170 this morning, don't see anything from this bird any more. Anyone else getting it?
 
I noticed KTEL disappeared off of 79 on October 1st. IIRC I haven't seen any transponder activity on the satellite in October.

Since the satellite itself is moving to greener ($$$) pastures, as is Horizons 2 (74) at the end of the year, does anyone know whether either location, 74 and 79, is just going to be dead air, or is some older satellite going to move in to replace them? Makes a difference to me with my fixed dishes and multiple LNBs . I already have a move planned out if it is dead air, and it involves changes to three dishes, so I wouldn't mind knowing whether to wait or move (before winter sets in!).
 
does anyone know whether either location, 74 and 79, is just going to be dead air, or is some older satellite going to move in to replace them? Makes a difference to me with my fixed dishes and multiple LNBs . I already have a move planned out if it is dead air, and it involves changes to three dishes, so I wouldn't mind knowing whether to wait or move (before winter sets in!).

Yes, this is why I'm asking about it as I re organize my fixed dishes now that the Manhattan can operate the switches.
 
I havent seen anything as to what might (or if anything) replaces it

79 I havent seen anything on it all month and I have scanned it almost daily
 
I was looking for 79 (AMC5)-11903 H 2170 this morning, don't see anything from this bird any more. Anyone else getting it?

AMC 5 is currently inclined 1.2 degrees, which means that it moves 1.2 degrees north and south in it's orbit from a normal stationary satellite. Right now it is in north half of the inclination and is moving south toward 0 degrees. It should be there about 4 pm CDT. It then continues south 1.2 degrees and then heads north again reaching 0 degrees at 4 am CDT.
If there is anything on it, your best bet to get anything would be around those times when it is near 0 degrees for a normal fixed (moveable in AZ) arc antenna most of us use. If you had a two axis tracking antenna, you might be able to find it. Not sure if there is anything on it or not or what the plans are for AMC 5.
 
I understand AMC5 is inclined orbit but AMC2 is still there. I think the whole conversation revolves around the satellite at 79W (whatever name you want to use) and the lack of signals on there this past week
 
SES indicated some time ago that they planned to reduce their North American fleet so they could move existing birds to more fertile pastures. They did not explicitly identify which orbital positions would be affected at that time. Since then they filed with the FCC to move AMC-2 to service Europe and said they were moving 79W customers to other satellites. SES wanted to move AMC-2 about this time, so it's not surprising there isn't any activity. That leaves AMC-5 at 79W in an inclined orbit, which I believe is nearly out of gas. It's always possible SES is keeping AMC-5 there as long as they can as a placeholder. They could decide to move one of the birds supplanted by SES-2 or SES-3 (AMC-3@87W and AMC-1@103W), but there are no filings to indicate such plans. I've seen nothing regarding a Horizons 2 (74W) replacement.
 
SES indicated some time ago that they planned to reduce their North American fleet so they could move existing birds to more fertile pastures. They did not explicitly identify which orbital positions would be affected at that time. Since then they filed with the FCC to move AMC-2 to service Europe and said they were moving 79W customers to other satellites. SES wanted to move AMC-2 about this time, so it's not surprising there isn't any activity. That leaves AMC-5 at 79W in an inclined orbit, which I believe is nearly out of gas. It's always possible SES is keeping AMC-5 there as long as they can as a placeholder. They could decide to move one of the birds supplanted by SES-2 or SES-3 (AMC-3@87W and AMC-1@103W), but there are no filings to indicate such plans. I've seen nothing regarding a Horizons 2 (74W) replacement.

I just read that SES has filed to move AMC 5 to 80.9 West from 79.1 West
 
I understand AMC5 is inclined orbit but AMC2 is still there. I think the whole conversation revolves around the satellite at 79W (whatever name you want to use) and the lack of signals on there this past week

The whole conversation was about AMC 5. I simply gave instructions on how to get AMC 5 in the inclined orbit if anyone wants to try it and see if anything is on it (I doubt it). Obviously, if everyone scanned 79 W and found nothing then there is nothing on AMC 2 in it's stationary orbit either.
 
no the conversation is about 79W which the current satellite there that folks can see is AMC2. That is what happens when satellite do the shuffle and move around. You have folks who use the old names, some who use the new names, some who dont know what sat is there and some use the orbital slot....satellite names get written wrong

Heck I still call 123W G10 on occasion ;)
and even after it was G17 & H2 I still called them G11 & SBS6 :)
 
I just read that SES has filed to move AMC 5 to 80.9 West from 79.1 West

Interesting - maybe my information on AMC-5 being low on fuel was wrong. So AMC-2 is about to depart any day for service to Sweden, and AMC-5 is going to move to 81W, possibly to service Argentina, or at least fall under their authority. That will leave a hole at 79W unless SES plans to move something else there in the short term. According to the latest AMC-5 filing, they plan to return AMC-2 back to 79W following a successful launch of SES-5.
 
Interesting - maybe my information on AMC-5 being low on fuel was wrong. So AMC-2 is about to depart any day for service to Sweden, and AMC-5 is going to move to 81W, possibly to service Argentina, or at least fall under their authority. That will leave a hole at 79W unless SES plans to move something else there in the short term. According to the latest AMC-5 filing, they plan to return AMC-2 back to 79W following a successful launch of SES-5.

Here is what I found directly from the monthly regulatory report, dated Oct 6th:
80.9 WL
AMC-5
SES filed this request to modify its license to relocate AMC-5 from 79.1 WL to 80.9 WL.

87 WL
SES-2
The FCC granted SES' request to launch and operate a replacement satellite for AMC-3 at 87 WL, which was named SES-2. SES-2 was launched in September 21, 2011.

275.15 WL
Horizons 2
Intelsat requested to relocate and operate Horizons 2 from 74.05 WL to 275.15 WL (84.85 EL).
 
satman51 and pendragon, thanks for the information. I think I am going to leave my dishes/LNBs as they are for now and wait and see if anything moves into either 74 or 79 (for example, where is AMC-3 going when it is replaced by SES-2?).

A quick question to both of you, where is the best place (and easiest way) to get the above information that you gave (I have looked at the FCC website, but it certainly isn't too user friendly trying to find the information)?
 
The 79slot was blank for me also, most of last week, and all this weekend. I always scan it Friday nights for the h.s football game out of NY state, there's usually one on there.
 
satman51 and pendragon, thanks for the information. I think I am going to leave my dishes/LNBs as they are for now and wait and see if anything moves into either 74 or 79 (for example, where is AMC-3 going when it is replaced by SES-2?).

A quick question to both of you, where is the best place (and easiest way) to get the above information that you gave (I have looked at the FCC website, but it certainly isn't too user friendly trying to find the information)?

I think you might best like the current orbital details of all the geostationary satellites. This site updates it every 5 minutes in a nice tabular format. Jens takes a few days to get the most recently launched satellites in the table but once they are in the table, any movement or relocation is updated automatically from the Space Command database.

Click on the first item (GEO Satellite Position List) to get the current ( 5 minute update) orbital details for all the GEO satellites.
Online Satellite Calculations - 20©11 Jens T. Satre
 
This pretty much solidifies that 79W isnt being used right now

The NY Opera feeds that have been on 79W for a long time (at least a year) are now on 83W
 
Status
Please reply by conversation.