Why don;t transponders all????????

[dude2]

Have the same output. I have checked the signal strength on trs 129 and I get anyway from 81 on 12 and 13 to as low as 60 on #6 .
Also my spotbeams used to be at 120 and now they hit 99, and once in awhile 100.
Also i have one spotbeam on 110 trs 31 at only 51 but other non spotbeams on 110 at 80 and on up.
Dave.

 

[Mr Tony]

Spotbeams are designed for a specific area and if you are close tot he fringe, the signal will be low.

As an example, I am in Minneapolis but the spotbeam for Milwaukee & LaCrosse barely reaches Mpls so that spotbeam is 55. My normal Spotbeam is 99-100. The older spotbeams use to be a broader area but the new ones are a little more fine tuned.

Example-Minneapolis spotbeam had Omaha, Sioux Falls, Duluth, Des Moines & Cedar Rapids on those 3 spotbeams so the footprint ran from Kansas to Canadian border. SO I had 125 signal. New Mpls footprint is pretty much the Mpls DMA so the signal is lower.

 

[Bountykiller]

This is a good question. Just tonight i sat and WATCHED my signal on 129 go from 110% on Tr # 1 to 65... I then watched it minutes later go up to 110 again slowly. I thought i had a tree issue but this is not typical behaviour of something blocking it. I would say that Echostar 5 is wobbling big time, has a bad transmitter or a warped TX dish or something. But it is DEFINITELY screwy without any doubt. 119 is quite stable for me and fluxuates about 10 points max for me in a given day as does E8 @ 110. It is not just you, E5 has problems! To be more specific, here is the issue which is pretty much what i said ;0

"In July 2001, Echostar 5 experienced the loss of one of its three momentum wheels. Two momentum wheels are utilized during normal operations and a spare wheel was switched in at the time. A second momentum wheel experienced an anomaly in December 2003 and was switched out resulting in operation of the spacecraft in a modified mode utilizing thrusters to maintain spacecraft pointing. While this operating mode provides adequate performance, it results in an increase in fuel usage and a corresponding reduction of spacecraft life. This operating mode is not expected to reduce the estimated design life of the satellite to less than 12 years. During August 2001, one of the thrusters on Echostar 5 experienced an anomalous event resulting in a temporary interruption of service. The satellite was quickly restored to normal operations mode. The satellite is equipped with number of backup thrusters. In March 2005, the satellite was leased to Ciel Satellite Communications of Canada and moved to 129°W."

-B

 

[Mr Tony]

for lack of a better term, 129 is f**ked up

It screws up (signal drops dramatically to 0) on the West coast. Here in MN it fluxuates greatly.

 

[mike123abc]

Echostar 5 had momentum wheel failures. So, it cannot hold its orientation point towards the earth. They have to fire thrusters on the satellite to turn it back to earth at regular intervals.

From Dish SEC filing

Momentum wheel failures on this satellite in prior years resulted in increased fuel consumption and caused a minor reduction of spacecraft life. During 2005, we determined those anomalies will reduce the life of EchoStar V more than previously estimated, and as a result, we reduced the estimated remaining useful life of the satellite from approximately seven years to approximately six years effective January 2005. EchoStar V has been utilized as an in-orbit spare since February 2003. On June 30, 2005, the FCC approved our request to use this satellite to provide service to the United States from a third party Canadian DBS orbital slot located at the 129 degree orbital location. Due to the increase in fuel consumption resulting from the relocation of EchoStar V from the 119 degree orbital location to the 129 degree orbital location, effective July 1, 2005, we further reduced the satellite’s estimated remaining useful life from approximately six years to approximately 40 months.

Note that the satellite should have about 10 years worth of fuel still. They are burning it up having to fire the thrusters all the time.

 

[Bountykiller]

I am amazed that they havent rushed Echo 6 there to be honest! E5 is really f'd up ;0 Its crazy to have the signal go up and down like a yo yo constantly. I guess E3 isnt much better either with its reent failure. I bet E11 will be going to 61.5 or whatever it replaces will be. Is Ciel Two going to run ALL of 129 when it launches? I cant wait for this issue to be fixed ;0 heh I hate losing signal midway through a show on a clear rain free day.... It just doesnt seem right ;0

-B