Dish Files FCC Appication to Launch Echostar 18

[nelson61]

Finished generating the 109 kml beams for Echostar 18 and entering the data into the sort and web access tables along with the transponders each beam supports.

This will be the biggest spot beam satellite in EchoStar's fleet with something like 2x the spot capability of the other spot satellites. Many of the spots support multiple transponders (no Conus beam).

I have included the supported transponder numbers in each of the spot kmls

I use Google's Chrome browser (Internet Explorer does not support full functionality).

SatMaps

Those needing the native kmz files for direct generation in Google Earth can contact me.

 

[zippyfrog]

This will be the biggest spot beam satellite in EchoStar's fleet with something like 2x the spot capability of the other spot satellites. Many of the spots support multiple transponders (no Conus beam).

What does this mean for bandwidth on Western Arc? Are the current transponders on 110 that are functioning as spotbeams going to be converted to ConUS beams and all the locals moved to this new satellite? Or is this satellite truly backup?

 

[nelson61]

What does this mean for bandwidth on Western Arc? Are the current transponders on 110 that are functioning as spotbeams going to be converted to ConUS beams and all the locals moved to this new satellite? Or is this satellite truly backup?

Probably will not see much of anything change since essentially all the markets have spots today.
Would not be surprised to see EchoStar provide Directv service for the Directv 110 transponders since they will have lots of spot capacity available (or if Directv does not need the TPs, Dish might lease and use them).

The biggest improvement will be the redundancy added to the system. They have been at risk with limited backup capacity for spot beams. Locating E18 at 110W provides centrally located spot backup capacity that can be moved to any of their other slots relatively rapidly in the event of a satellite failure.
And, now they will have both Conus and Spot redundancy satellites.

 

[mike123abc]

Dish usually ends up using the newest satellite to its fullest. I expect E18 to take over most of the spot load and one of the other satellites to be moved to backup status.

 

[harshness]

Would not be surprised to see EchoStar provide Directv service for the Directv 110 transponders since they will have lots of spot capacity available (or if Directv does not need the TPs, Dish might lease and use them).

I would be very surprised as DIRECTV appears to using DIRECTV 5 for a Puerto Rican art card. That coupled with the fact that many DIRECTV customers don't have access to 110W nor 119W any more.

I think the FCC should seriously consider pulling DIRECTV's 110W license as it is not being effectively used in the public interest.

 

[zippyfrog]

Probably will not see much of anything change since essentially all the markets have spots today.
Would not be surprised to see EchoStar provide Directv service for the Directv 110 transponders since they will have lots of spot capacity available (or if Directv does not need the TPs, Dish might lease and use them).

It would be nice if Dish could pick up those 3 ConUS transponders on 110. That would give them enough bandwidth for 24+ HD channels, if they decided to go that way.

 

[mike123abc]

It would be nice if Dish could pick up those 3 ConUS transponders on 110. That would give them enough bandwidth for 24+ HD channels, if they decided to go that way.

When Dish converts to 8PSK they will probably have too many TPs on WA, they will be limited by Eastern Arc then... Right now Dish has 82 TPs on WA, on EA they have 64 TPs that can cover the US, they have access to another 32 on 77, but they are limited because of Canadian interference, so they just use them for a few locals markets. Of course a way around it would be to put a spot beam satellite at 77 and offload some of the spots from 61.5/72.7 and convert the TPs to CONUS.

 

[bobvick]

What Canadian interference are you talking about at 77? 77 is a Mexican DBS slot, as a matter of fact that is where Dish Mexico broadcast from. 72.7 is a Canadian slot, ExpressVu was going to use 1/2 of Nimiq 5 but backed out, and Telesat Canada leased the whole bird to Dish/Echostar.

 

[mike123abc]

What Canadian interference are you talking about at 77? 77 is a Mexican DBS slot, as a matter of fact that is where Dish Mexico broadcast from.

They have to keep it tilted south so that its signal does not interfere with the adjacent Canadian satellite slots. They cannot use it for full CONUS since its signal would be too strong in Canada and could interfere with 82.

 

[bobvick]

Since it's being used for Dish Mexico, there would be much more space available on it anyway would there?

 

[mike123abc]

Since it's being used for Dish Mexico, there would be much more space available on it anyway would there?

Right now they appear to be using 13 TPs for local markets in the US on 77. They do not have a spot beam satellite at 77. So, if they moved a spot beam satellite to 77 they could possibly turn up to 13 TPs to spots and free up 13TPs on 61.5 and 72.7 that are being used for spots and turn them back in to CONUS. Maybe this is a plan when E18 launches?

Right now Eastern Arc has more capacity since it is all 8PSK/MP4. When WA converts (supposedly later this year) to 8PSK, it will have more capacity than EA. If Dish were to lets say pick up the 3TPs from DIRECTV at 110, they would have a lot more on WA. A possible fix would be to move spot TPs off of 61.5/72.7 onto 77 and free up more EA CONUS.

 

[zippyfrog]

Right now Eastern Arc has more capacity since it is all 8PSK/MP4. When WA converts (supposedly later this year) to 8PSK, it will have more capacity than EA. If Dish were to lets say pick up the 3TPs from DIRECTV at 110, they would have a lot more on WA. A possible fix would be to move spot TPs off of 61.5/72.7 onto 77 and free up more EA CONUS.

How much space is available on EA currently? Is there currently enough empty space on EA that would allow all the RSN's to be in HD 24/7, plus allow the remainder of the major national channels (DisneyXD, Disney Jr, etc) and premium channels to be HD, but they aren't because WA can't handle it? Or even if WA were 8PSK, would we still be short of being able to have RSN's 24/7 HD, the remainder national channels and premium channels because of the EA limitation?

 

[mike123abc]

How much space is available on EA currently? Is there currently enough empty space on EA that would allow all the RSN's to be in HD 24/7, plus allow the remainder of the major national channels (DisneyXD, Disney Jr, etc) and premium channels to be HD, but they aren't because WA can't handle it? Or even if WA were 8PSK, would we still be short of being able to have RSN's 24/7 HD, the remainder national channels and premium channels because of the EA limitation?

A more detailed analysis:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/thr...ming-may-31st-2015.342727/page-2#post-3545007

But looks like EA currently has about 5 TPs worth of spare bandwidth. Essentially the 8PSK conversion of WA would free up 8 TPs, so WA capacity would then have 3TPs worth of space more than EA.

 

[dangue]

A more detailed analysis:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/thr...ming-may-31st-2015.342727/page-2#post-3545007

But looks like EA currently has about 5 TPs worth of spare bandwidth. Essentially the 8PSK conversion of WA would free up 8 TPs, so WA capacity would then have 3TPs worth of space more than EA.

5 TPs would be room for another 40 HD channels. That would be a big deal.

 

[Bobby]

Yeah, full time RSNs, east and west!

 

[mike123abc]

5 TPs would be room for another 40 HD channels. That would be a big deal.

Yeah, full time RSNs, east and west!

Or perhaps since they announced 4k content they will use the TPs for 4k content. They could get 10 High quality 4k channels, but probably get 20 so so quality (i.e. just past what full bandwidth HD could do)...

 

[Bobby]

The 4Ks are going to be streamed over the internet....

 

[harshness]

The 4Ks are going to be streamed over the internet....

Link?