Echostar 18 Launch Approx 4:15 EDT June 18 2016

[nelson61]

EchoStar 18 has been in storage for about a year, waiting for space on a launch vehicle.

It is now scheduled for launch June 8, 2016 from the Ariane Space Center at 20:30 (4:30 PM EDT)

It will then be stationed at ~67.1W for In Orbit Testing for an approximate 60 day test period.

Then it will move to the 61W orbital slot where it will provide backup or replacement spot beam service.

http://licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/download.do?attachment_key=1124801
: Sa
edit: went back and looked at the kmz files. There are 109 spot beams with between 1 and as many as 6 transponders on a beam (most have 1)


1: Updated Launch time.

2; Updated test longitude and permanent location 5/5/2016
http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/ib/forms/reports/swr031b.hts?q_set=V_SITE_ANTENNA_FREQ.file_numberC/File+Number/=/SATSTA2016050400044&prepare=&column=V_SITE_ANTENNA_FREQ.file_numberC/File+Number

3:Updated test schedule. 6/28/2016
http://licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/download.do?attachment_key=1140937

4: Sat Mod for spare status at 61.5W. See Narrative for details. Referenced Schedule S has not yet been posted.
http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/ib/forms/reports/swr031b.hts?q_set=V_SITE_ANTENNA_FREQ.file_numberC/File+Number/=/SATMOD2016072200067&prepare=&column=V_SITE_ANTENNA_FREQ.file_numberC/File+Number

5: Additional 30 days of testing to finish Sept 6.
http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...=V_SITE_ANTENNA_FREQ.file_numberC/File+Number

 

[Scherrman]

This must be the new 4K satellite. Wink, Wink. Jab, Jab.

 

[nelson61]

launch is now expected in early June

 

[rocatman]

This must be the new 4K satellite. Wink, Wink. Jab, Jab.

I hope folks realize you are joking because I'm sure there are many who think Dish needs a new, specially built satellite for providing 4k service. Based on the schedule provided, this would have the Echostar 18 satellite in service around the first of September.

 

[gadgtfreek]

At this point they should convert it to 8K, 4K is so 2015.

 

[Scherrman]

I hope folks realize you are joking because I'm sure there are many who think Dish needs a new, specially built satellite for providing 4k service. Based on the schedule provided, this would have the Echostar 18 satellite in service around the first of September.

If people don't realize I'm joking by seeing the winking smiley and me typing out "wink, wink. Jab, jab" then they may have other issues.

 

[ralfyguy]

If people don't realize I'm joking by seeing the winking smiley and me typing out "wink, wink. Jab, jab" then they may have other issues.

Oh and I thought it was similar to my HDTV 1080p OTA Roof Antenna. LOL

 

[Scherrman]

Oh and I thought it was similar to my HDTV 1080p OTA Roof Antenna. LOL

Oh how the general public can be gullible.

 

[bobvick]

I have a friend at work that just bought a new TV which happens to be 4K/UltraHD. Anyway, to make a long story short, he thinks that ANYTHING that he watches on it is "super HD" as he says. Simply because the set is capable of displaying a 4K resolution, and it was marketed as "Ultra HD."

 

[Troch77]

This must be the new 4K satellite. Wink, Wink. Jab, Jab.

A lot of good this will do for Eastern arc.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[ChadT41]

Wow.

 

[Jhon69]

I have a friend at work that just bought a new TV which happens to be 4K/UltraHD. Anyway, to make a long story short, he thinks that ANYTHING that he watches on it is "super HD" as he says. Simply because the set is capable of displaying a 4K resolution, and it was marketed as "Ultra HD."

Your friend is right as all the 4K UHDTVs upconvert the signal they receive.

 

[bobvick]

Your friend is right as all the 4K UHDTVs upconvert the signal they receive.

Just because it is unconverted doesn't mean it is 4K. If your watching TV Land in SD it can up convert it but it is still not 4K and will not look like a native 4K signal.

 

[Bobby]

They call that near 4K resolution....

 

[Jhon69]

They call that near 4K resolution....

And near is close enough for me,my Vizio 4K UHDTV looks very good no matter if I am watching a SD channel some of my SD channels look like HD,my HD channels look a little better.

But for verification I have a 4K upconverting Blu ray player that turns my 1080p Blu rays into a 3840x2160p picture.

If Dish would make the Hopper3 automatically upconvert the signal it receives then Dish customers would be more satisfied because when they bring up their picture display it would say 3840x2160p.

 

[DishSubLA]

Maybe this is why that even after the full 8PSK conversion on the WA, the HD PQ still looks INFERIOR to before. Meaning Dish is encoding in a manner that is somewhat consistent with how they will implement Echo 18 as in preparation for it being in service, and seeing how far they can "crush" the encoding and provide for at least a PQ as good as before the 8PSK change over. I sure hope to see an improvement when Echo 18 is lit at 110

 

[zippyfrog]

Then it will move to the 110W orbital slot where it will provide backup or replacement spot beam service.

Looking at this part, it appears that this new satellite won't be giving us more bandwidth - this is only a backup or a replacement if something goes wrong? Or will having two satellites at 110 give twice as much bandwidth as before? I would assume that it is only a backup and we will have the same amount of bandwidth as before?

 

[bobvick]

Looking at this part, it appears that this new satellite won't be giving us more bandwidth - this is only a backup or a replacement if something goes wrong? Or will having two satellites at 110 give twice as much bandwidth as before? I would assume that it is only a backup and we will have the same amount of bandwidth as before?

Echostar only has a license for 29 transponders (I think it is) at 110W in the BSS band, so they can only use 29 transponders there, they are not licensed any additional bandwidth in the 11.7-12.2 Ghz band at the 110 orbital slot.
A newer generation spotbeam satellite might allow them to be able to use the transponders that they choose to use for spotbeams in a more efficient manner though.

 

[rad]

Maybe this is why that even after the full 8PSK conversion on the WA, the HD PQ still looks INFERIOR to before. Meaning Dish is encoding in a manner that is somewhat consistent with how they will implement Echo 18 as in preparation for it being in service, and seeing how far they can "crush" the encoding and provide for at least a PQ as good as before the 8PSK change over. I sure hope to see an improvement when Echo 18 is lit at 110

OK, I'm a bit confused. I see post from folks that say Dish PQ is just a tad worst then DIRECTV and then here's a post saying that now WA HQ is even worst. So I know before EA SD PQ was better then WA so is it now that the HD is also worst then EA?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

WA HD should look the same as EA HD as I believe the both use the same MPEG 4 encoders. However the SD on the WA is still MPEG 2 but recently upgraded to 8PSK.

I took down my Western Arc dish so I can no longer compare the two.