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Solar Transit Calculator

For anyone who is interested, there is a nice solar transit calculator available (on-line) here:

Sun Outage Calculator

Twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, the sun aligns nearly perfectly with the satellites in the Clarke Belt. This generally causes prime focus dish owners to experience sun fade as the noise from the sun can overpower the satellite signal when it is directly in line with the satellite.

However, for anyone desiring to actually "SEE" where every satellite is in the sky, you can use this calculator to locate them by viewing the sun's position during a specific time window on a certain number of days during the spring and fall.

I usually enter the orbital degree of the satellite (rather than selecting the sat name). Then enter my coordinates (lat/long), Ku or C band and spring or fall and the dish size and year. Then I select my time zone and hit CALCULATE.

This should result in at least four dates and a time window on each date when the sun is aligned with that one specific satellite. Then go out and look at the sun's position during that time on one of those dates to see where the satellite is in the sky.

You will be amazed at how high the satellites actually are! This is also a very excellent tool if you are questioning whether any trees, buildings, a bluff or ridge or other obstruction is going to interfere with your reception. Not to mention, being able to directly witness exactly how high the sat is above the horizon.

I used this calculator to determine where the best location in my yard would be to install my motorized dish. I have many trees and buildings scattered all around, so I wanted to be certain that I located the dish closest to the house (to avoid too long of a cable run) and get a clear LOS shot to at least the majority of the satellites. I ended up with (if I remember correctly) 285+ feet of cable run. I used RG-11 cable for most of this and have no problems.

This calculator is assuredly mentioned somewhere else on this site, but I thought I would revisit it here as it has a direct application to the discussion and the time of the fall solar transit is approaching (beginning of October).

If you have the opportunity to be at home (or wherever you are setting a dish up) on the dates indicated, I urge you to check it out. It is really sweet!

RADAR

AcWxRadar said:

For anyone who is interested, there is a nice solar transit calculator available (on-line) here:

Sun Outage Calculator

Twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, the sun aligns nearly perfectly with the satellites in the Clarke Belt. If you have the opportunity to be at home (or wherever you are setting a dish up) on the dates indicated, I urge you to check it out. It is really sweet!

RADAR

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That is real cool Radar , I will definitely make plans for the week of October 5th - 12th in my neck of the woods , I am really curious to see where Telstar 12 is in relation to my neighbors treeline , maybe there is still hope yet.

jayelem said:

That is real cool Radar , I will definitely make plans for the week of October 5th - 12th in my neck of the woods , I am really curious to see where Telstar 12 is in relation to my neighbors treeline , maybe there is still hope yet.

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Jayelem,

I hope that this tool gives you a great advantage in placing any future dishes! That would be great if it helps you find a "sweet spot" in your yard or on your roof for a better install to get more sats.

For me, it provided a much more accurate picture of what I was dealing with in regards to trees and other obstructions (mainly trees). I have a row of Catalpa trees that are very mature and thus VERY tall and wide. Ain't no signal going to get through a "full growed" catalpa tree, if you know what their leaves are like.

I was really trying hard to get the 12.050 TP from 43.0W, but I still cannot pull it in (used to, but not anymore). However, I can get many TPs from 30.0W now, and in the mid to high 90% quality level range. I would never have been able to get Hispasat to come in where my dish was originally located. But I am happy with it now.

I wanted a full, clear LOS to every satellite that was above my horizon, I now have that but am still a bit fuddled over 43.0 W. I only get two permanent channels (on at 92-96% and one near 70%) and one or two feeds (maybe). But no Dr. Dish and no sign of a signal from TP 12.050

If anyone can get NSS 7 @ 22.0W, please respond to inform if there is a hot and consistently active TP on this sat for N.A. I might be able to get a glimpse of this bird if I try hard, but I need a reliably hot TP to do so. At least I would like to try. Thanks.

Just a side note, I hear that all Echostar sats at 148.0W are gone now. That is going to be a disappointment to me as it was nice to utilize their test card channel ("Congratulations, you are pointed at....."). That was the furthest west satellite for me and I liked to utilize it to verify my arc (even though it was a circular bird). It was a good marker since there was nothing else along the line of Ku band between 129 and 148, it was helpful. Bye Bye Birdie!

RADAR

AcWxRadar said:

If anyone can get NSS 7 @ 22.0W, please respond to inform if there is a hot and consistently active TP on this sat for N.A. I might be able to get a glimpse of this bird if I try hard, but I need a reliably hot TP to do so. At least I would like to try. Thanks.RADAR

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Check out NSS7 22 W around 9:00 to 10:00 EDST, 12035/v/2893, and 12040/v/2893, they are listed as feeds on Lyngsat.

The channels are not hot every night, check every day for a week, you will be surprised.

mikelib said:

Check out NSS7 22 W around 9:00 to 10:00 EDST, 12035/v/2893, and 12040/v/2893, they are listed as feeds on Lyngsat.

The channels are not hot every night, check every day for a week, you will be surprised.

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Mikelib,

Hey bud! Thanks for the assistance and tip on NSS 7! That gives me a couple of TPs and at least a time frame to try. I take it that you have detected something on these before at some time near thase hours. Much appreciated! Thank you!

I will try to give it a shot.

RADAR

It used to be 11.0W where Express A3 used to reside...but since there is no programming there now (AM44 is there but I've found nothing on it ) it is AB1 at 12.5W.

AcWxRadar said:

Mikelib,

Hey bud! Thanks for the assistance and tip on NSS 7! That gives me a couple of TPs and at least a time frame to try. I take it that you have detected something on these before at some time near thase hours. Much appreciated! Thank you!

I will try to give it a shot.

RADAR

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Let me know if you get any stations, also there is a scrambled Reuters feed that pops in and out at times, 12005/V/4000 it has audio saying it is a Reuters World News Service. Lyngsat has it listed as a Carribean beam.
Mike Lib

goaliebob99 said:

For me Its NSS10 on my cband dish, I havent ventured in to KU yet. It seems like anything east of amc3 gets forgotton about other than a few like amc6. Im mainly looking for FTA hd. When I wake up in the morning I think Ill start swinging my dish twards the west up to amc 6 and give that whole side of the arch a good scan. Lots of s2 over on I805, but nothing good .. Im hoping that maybe I can find something coming from over the pond that might be good! ^____^

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I've only gone to W3. I don't see anything of interest further east so I haven't tried to bring any of those in.