I am just north of Sacramento and trying to pick up Palm Springs DMA which is on 129W, transponder 9, Spotbeam 33. When i test the satellites on my receiver at the 129/9 it changes to spotbeam 9 with a signal strength of 65. I'm doubtful that this is the Palm Springs DMA since the map shows me clearly outside the yellow circle. When I checked on the Sat List it lists the 129/9 with a bunch of PR networks and locals from other DMA's across the nation. Could someone give me some insight as to what I could be picking up? Thanks.
Satellite DMA question
- Thread starter bradfordj
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 14
- Views 2K
The spot beam (meaning beams that are only transmitted to very small areas or "spots") frequencies (transponders) are re-purposed throughout the country in a NON-contiguous pattern to avoid interference. So, in theory, Palm Springs AND Sacramento COULD be the very same transponder frequency/transponder SPOT number provided they are not contiguous of each other. You aren't going to get any spot beams that aren't aimed at your DMA.
How far are you away? If your say 500 miles away from the other city and get a signal on the correct transponder I would say your good.
Keep in mind the spot beam signals can't over Lap, so your going to have a signal or no signal. One spot beam will not start where another ends
Keep in mind the spot beam signals can't over Lap, so your going to have a signal or no signal. One spot beam will not start where another ends
It all depends.
When Dish sets you up they designate which DMA you will receive. When I was traveling in my RV, I stopped at my brothers house in Chicago. I had Dish change my service address to his address. I had planned to make changes as I moved across country, but Chicago continued to work until I got to San Diego. Other times, a few hundred miles caused me to loose reception and required a service address change.
When Dish sets you up they designate which DMA you will receive. When I was traveling in my RV, I stopped at my brothers house in Chicago. I had Dish change my service address to his address. I had planned to make changes as I moved across country, but Chicago continued to work until I got to San Diego. Other times, a few hundred miles caused me to loose reception and required a service address change.
Probably what you meant, just to be clear DISH assigns you the DMA as designated by the FCC.
The FCC does not make up the boundaries, very true. But those boundaries are followed as designated by FCC rules....
The boundaries are not part of the rules and should never be so. The rules only refer to the Nielsen mapping. This is done, in part, because DISH (and DIRECTV) can choose one of a handful of the most recent Nielsen mappings to determine their distribution of local channels.Yep, adopted by reference by the FCC who then designates them as what DISH will follow...
These choices was allowed as spot beams aren't something that you can magically reconfigure coverage area for on the fly.
What I don't understand is if bwexler is clearly outside the spotbeam circle of Chicago (in San Diego, CA) on the maps and if I'm in say Auburn, CA and can get L.A., CA DMA spotbeam but I'm outside the spotbeam circle, how is that possible? I thought if I was outside the circle then I wouldn't pick up the signals.
