Dish will have to say something before the markets open Monday, else the analysts will talk the stock into the ditch.
How long will it take for Dish to respond to the satellite launch failure??
- Thread starter tigerfan33
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If Dish had built and owned the satellite then yes they would need to comment, but they didn't build or own the satellite. Someone else did. So their stock won't be affected as much as you might think.
E* only launched the super-spot-beam satellite E*10 to 110 a few years ago.
What TalonDancer is suggesting to turn off all those spot beams. It's not going to happen.
What TalonDancer is suggesting to turn off all those spot beams. It's not going to happen.
Hmmm... If "It's not going to happen." Why exactly did Dish up-link the Dallas and Houston HD Locals which are currently served from spots beams on 110 to 61.5 last Wednesday? Just a test? Backups? or Maybe, just maybe, they really plan(ed) to move these HD Locals off of 110 to 61.5
Talon Dancer
Which means that they are:
a) Using those channels to test the coverage of the spot beams on 61.5 which will be used for other markets in the area, OR
b) Clearing those spot beams on 110 to use for other Texas markets.
Dish is planning about a half dozen HD Local markets in 2008 which can be served by those spot beams. I don't think the 61.5 spot beams in Texas can fit 40 channels...
a) Using those channels to test the coverage of the spot beams on 61.5 which will be used for other markets in the area, OR
b) Clearing those spot beams on 110 to use for other Texas markets.
Dish is planning about a half dozen HD Local markets in 2008 which can be served by those spot beams. I don't think the 61.5 spot beams in Texas can fit 40 channels...
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I don't think either of these ring true.
a.) "Testing" with ALL of the channels for two major Texas DMAs seems a bit over the top. BTW very few folks in Texas have any reason to have a dish pointed at 61.5 today. Most of us can easily get LOS on 110, 119 and 129 with a single Dish 1000.
b.) They up-linked the only currently unavailable Texas HD locals that were promised "starting in April" (Austin) at the very same time?
Let's just agree to disagree on this subject.
Talon Dancer
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All of your arguments do make the A) choice seem less likely.
But if you look at the Retailer Chat slide, you'll see that there are half a dozen more HD local channel markets coming in 2008 to Eastern Texas, which seems to require those vacated 110 spot beams.
But if you look at the Retailer Chat slide, you'll see that there are half a dozen more HD local channel markets coming in 2008 to Eastern Texas, which seems to require those vacated 110 spot beams.
Let us know in a few hours how poorly Dish's stock is doing then, will you ? My money says there won't be a blip in the price.... Just like their stock price hasn't fallen because "they haven't added any HD" in a while.
I doubt if even that many know.Out of the ten techs I work with none but me even had a clue about the launch.
From the same link:
"While further testing will be necessary, the satellite appears to be functional. Engineers from SES Americom and Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the satellite, are exploring options to potentially bring AMC-14 into its proper orbit. If those efforts are successful, station keeping fuel would be required to correct the orbit, so the service life of the satellite would be substantially reduced. "
At least this confirms that they are trying to get life out of the new platform.
Side question: Why are these satellites not designed to use solar power when in orbit?
"While further testing will be necessary, the satellite appears to be functional. Engineers from SES Americom and Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the satellite, are exploring options to potentially bring AMC-14 into its proper orbit. If those efforts are successful, station keeping fuel would be required to correct the orbit, so the service life of the satellite would be substantially reduced. "
At least this confirms that they are trying to get life out of the new platform.
Side question: Why are these satellites not designed to use solar power when in orbit?
They use solar power for the supplying the electrical needs of the satellite. The problem is you need fuel / propellant for thrust. There is a finite supply of propellant which is used to keep the satellite on station. How much fuel? enough to move it between orbital locations (once or twice is my guess) and to keep it on station for its planned 15 year lifetime.
The amount of fuel required to take it from an inclined non-circular orbit to a non-inclined circular geostationary orbit is estimated to cut the usable lifetime of the satellite from ~15 years to ~5 years. That's a huge drop in usable life. Once the satellite is out of fuel it can't be held on station which would render the satellite useless over time.
Cheers,
Anything is possible. But I find it hard to believe that Dish would disrupt the status quo in the 5th and 10th largest DMAs in the US by moving their HD locals to 61.5, in order to free up spot beams on 110 for smaller (by definition) DMAs in Texas or anywhere else that has even reasonable LOS to 61.5.
I can just hear the Dish Tech now....
"Yes Sir/Mam in Houston/Dallas. I know your HD locals are working just fine now. But we need to add a wing dish (or re-point your dish) so that the folks in Some-Place-Smaller-than-Houston/Dallas can get their HD Locals without a wing dish."
......vs....
"Yes Sir/Mam in Houston/Dallas. I know your HD locals are working just fine now. But we need to add a wing dish (or re-point your dish) so that YOU can get xx channels of new National HD."
I know which Dish Tech I'd rather be
FWIW this discussion may be moot. Dish may be changing their strategy as I type. Only time and more up-link reports will tell what they plan to do now.
Talon Dancer
