97W -- looking back.

[toucan-man]

What's the history of 97W in the digital era? Which were the very first channels, were they FTA? How did this orbital location become so crowded with such a diversity of programming? Did this happen slowly or explosively? Globecast or Christian broadcasters -- which came first at this location?

Those of you who were there please comment.

 

[cyberham]

This is a snapshot of 97W on May 24, 2006 as provided by SatcoDX. Remember them? I saved it since then.
View attachment 97W C & Ku Band Satellites_2006May24.pdf

 

[AcWxRadar]

While I was taking down all of my fixed point dishes to prepare to relocate I found my first FTA dish with a strip of tape attached to it.
On the tape it was written with permanent marker: IA 5 97W EL 42 AZ 181 LNB 0.6 CW

I wish I had written the date on that tag, it would have been from sometime in 2005, maybe a little before. The dish was a fiberglass / composite Channel Master dish that I picked up from a local satellite installer for $5. At the time, I had just purchased a Coolsat 5000 and it was my first attempt at a FTA system. I wasn't entirely green to satellite stuff as my eldest brother operated a TV repair / satellite shop and did lots of C-Band BUD installations. So we talked shop from time to time. I hooked this system up and within about five minutes or less I found a BOOMING signal! I must have been luckier than most, but I thought to myself that this was just too easy and too much fun. I was hooked immediately! The rest is, as they say... "history".

RADAR

 

[Corrado]

I missed KCSG when it left 97W C band several years ago. It had plenty of retro TV programming.