What is a Transponder?

[FrankJo]

And why should I care what that is.

(hey, i'm sure i'm not the only one who reads these threads who doesn't know)

 

[Sean Mota]

A wireless communications device usually attached to a satellite. A transponder receives and transmits radio signals at a prescribed frequency range. After receiving the signal a transponder will at the same time broadcast the signal at a different frequency. The term is a combination of the words transmitter and responder. Transponders are used in satellite communications and in location, identification and navigation systems.

Source

 

[Dvlos]

THink of them as tunnels which allows you to send automobile traffic through. THe more tunnels the more lanes (channels) you can stream cars through. HDTV is like that giant parade of ultra-wide flat bed trucks ramming it's way through the tunnel it requires more lanes than you're average geo metro.

EDIT: My explanation is prettier. =(

 

[fayrich]

Transponders are satellite channels. A typical satellite has 24 analog channels which can also be sub-divided into more digitally. Only need to pay any attention to them on a C-Band(large) dish. Some of the newer satellites have more transponders than the older 24 versions.

 

[vurbano]

Satellite Transponder





A satellite transponder is a circuit on a satellite that receives, modulates, amplifies and re-transmits an uplinked signal. There can be 20 -30 transponders on a single satellite. Typical bandwidths of a transponder are 27, 33, 36, 54 and 72 MHz.

Carrier signals are received by the satellite at a very low power levels because of the long distance traversed by the radiowaves. The satellite needs to significantly boost the power level of these signals before they are re-transmitted back to the earth to ensure that they are detectable by an earth-based receiver. This is achieved using a set of high power amplifiers on-board the satellite, where each amplifier operates over a defined frequency range.

The combination of equipment required to amplify carriers within a given frequency range is commonly referred to as a transponder. This equipment includes the high power amplifier (HPA) itself, as well as filters at the input and at the output of the amplifier to isolate the desired carriers from the carriers processed by other transponders. The frequency extent over which the amplifier operates is usually referred to as the transponder's usable bandwidth.

 

[007BlackMan]

I am happy that someone asked what a transponder was because i didn't know what they were? Good job Voomers.

 

[vurbano]

someone find a picture of one on rainbow1?
heres one from a Nasa website http://sgra.jpl.nasa.gov/html_surfsat/SURFpict/X-Katransponderfinal.jpeg

 

[Choochie]

And why should I care what that is.

(hey, i'm sure i'm not the only one who reads these threads who doesn't know)

Also known as the LNA or Low Noise Amplifer