The Satellite Arc

**Robbo71** · 21-02-2008

We often speak of the TV satellites being on an arc. Especially when thinking of a motorised dish. Still very relevant however for any fixed dish setup.

In most of the UK, the satellites closest to your due south are the Thor 2 & 3 satellites at 0.8 degrees West, and are near the top of the arc and the highest in the sky. As you move east or west the elevation of the other satellites gradually drop down and approach the horizon as shown in the diagram. In the far west of the UK or Ireland you will find Atlantic Bird 3 at 5W will be nearer your due south.

The diagram also illustrates why the satellites at the extremes of the arc are difficult to get as they are so close to the horizon. In southern England (London), 0.8W will be around 30 degrees above the horizon, in Scotland about 25 degrees above, 68.5E for example will be around 5 degrees.

Robbo

**4dbennett** · 21-02-2008

Originally Posted by Robbo71

We often speak of the TV satellites being on an arc. Especially when thinking of a motorised dish. Still very relevant however for any fixed dish setup.

In most of the UK, the satellites closest to your due south are the Thor 2 & 3 satellites at 0.8 degrees West, and are near the top of the arc and the highest in the sky. As you move east or west the elevation of the other satellites gradually drop down and approach the horizon as shown in the diagram. In the far west of the UK or Ireland you will find Atlantic Bird 3 at 5W will be nearer your due south.

The diagram also illustrates why the satellites at the extremes of the arc are difficult to get as they are so close to the horizon. In southern England (London), 0.8W will be around 30 degrees above the horizon, in Scotland about 25 degrees above, 68.5E for example will be around 5 degrees.

Robbo
http://http://www.satellites.co.uk/s...6&d=1203552772

Thats why i can,t get THOR!!!!

a few months ago my dish moved and through adjustment i got good reception through Astra 1, but didn,t check 1west so my dish must be below the arc laterally, does my thinking make sense???

dave

**dago** · 21-02-2008

for those of us in uk, thor 1w. is the best and only sat for a motorise
setup, as if you get thor and the pole is perfectly vertical
all other sattelites on the arc fall into place.
regards.

**Robbo71** · 22-02-2008

Yes, The pole must be vertical, the latitude/elevation scale on the motor must be correct, if you align the dish/motor for 1W (or your nearest due south satellite) the other satellites should fall into place. Rolfs guide explains it all.
http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellit...or-others.html

Robbo

**keano** · 03-03-2008

Guys just wondering if i'am in Manchester with a 110cm dish how far west could i go.
I have never really looked beyond 30.0w and don't wont to waste time if nothing more west is poss.

Not to bothered what channels there is on the far west, just looking for something to do.

***Park Royal*** · 03-03-2008

61west has a data channel
58west sometimes has horse racing feed, cubavision, indian religeon.
45west has two chinese channels
43west has god slots, EWTN.
31.5west some music channels

Not really worth going past 30west unless you want to prove that you can receive from sats further west.
Parky

**Robbo71** · 03-03-2008

Looks like there are quite a few C-band transponders on 58W also, that according to the footprint are possible in the UK. The dish size needed doesn't appear to be too large.

**satelliteman** · 03-03-2008

I get cubavision and Aastha International (Tp1) on 58W but that's some dish angle at that location

Tsiklon · 03-03-2008

There are also data channels on Estrela de Sul on 63W and occasional analogue sports feeds on Galaxy 17 74W.

holywarde · 06-03-2008

Thats very interesting. Do you know where more pictures of these are?

**Robbo71** · 06-03-2008

Originally Posted by holywarde

Thats very interesting. Do you know where more pictures of these are?

If you mean of the arc?

I sat there with a drawing package and made the diagram, with a copy of lyngsat in front of me. What others do you need?

***zorba*** · 07-03-2008

Can you do the whole circle? Then we can cut it out and rotate it to match where we are.
For example,here in Cyprus 30e(arabsat)28.2e(sky) and 26e(arabsat) are our highest points. Furthest west is probably 30w(hispasat) and east probably 90e ish

**Robbo71** · 07-03-2008

Originally Posted by zorba

Can you do the whole circle? Then we can cut it out and rotate it to match where we are.
For example,here in Cyprus 30e(arabsat)28.2e(sky) and 26e(arabsat) are our highest points. Furthest west is probably 30w(hispasat) and east probably 90e ish

It took quite a long time to draw just that part of it.

I used an Open source drawing package called Inkscape (free download and use).

***Yeshi*** · 07-03-2008

The pic in the first post doesnt look correct..

I agree in principle what it serves.. but if your building is direct south as demonstrated in the picture... the satellite would be slightly to the left... not millions of miles away to the left :|

With this false advertising should follow strict punishment...

Ahmen good post... only jk btw :|

**Robbo71** · 07-03-2008

Originally Posted by Yeshi

T

With this false advertising should follow strict punishment...

Ahmen good post... only jk btw :|

Chezzdevil · 27-03-2008

Hi, the amazonas signal is strong (>80%) it sits at 12563MHz/27000 FEC 1/2 it's very handy to calibrate west limit for european users.
With my 100 cm dish and Stab rotor I have all sats (amos very weak only the 27000H TP) from 61W to 70.5E, about 8000 services (coded and not, radio & TV & Data) on my dreambox. Have to admit it took me YEARS to tune in the arc exactly, the difficult ones are: 34.5W - 20W (somewhat incl.) - 4W - 21.6E - 30.5E - 57E (31.5E is notoriously hard because it gets into arc only twice a day for a good half hour, it 'sinuses' on the arc due to faulty condition of the sat itself [carries RTL & Luxemburg chamber signal).
Hope this info is useful for the hunters here

Serge, Perpignan, France

***deepbluesky*** · 27-03-2008

Originally Posted by zorba

Can you do the whole circle? Then we can cut it out and rotate it to match where we are.
For example,here in Cyprus 30e(arabsat)28.2e(sky) and 26e(arabsat) are our highest points. Furthest west is probably 30w(hispasat) and east probably 90e ish

zorba, why do you use as highest points 26E/28.2E ? In Cyprus i would use 33E as the most southern satellite. The 1st mentioned would be suitable in the Eastern Aegean for example.
As for your theoretical viewable part of the Clarke-Zone from Lemesos/Limassol, if no obstacle would block the sight and the mount allowed the movement to such low elevations 45W-110E are the maximum. I wonder if anybody tried getting the still relatively strong 43W/45W from Cyprus. But the more interesting lower positions are of course in the C-Band. 40.5W which should be quite hard to get because of its low signal in the area and the much easier 105.5E which carries lots of Pakistani channels and drives mad so many residents of Western Europe since this satellite is below their horizon. But C-Band unfortunately for many people has a reputation of beeing old-fashioned. Ok, Astra 2D is interesting, no doubt about it, but the many FTA exotical stations in the C-Band are not less interesting in my view. Gladly more and more DXers here in Central Europe come to the same conclusion. I really wonder, is there anybody C-Band DXing with >3m in CY ?

surfgeek · 02-08-2008

Originally Posted by Robbo71

It took quite a long time to draw just that part of it.

I used an Open source drawing package called Inkscape (free download and use).

Hi Robbo71, any chance of the original Inkscape file so that I can make a bigger version of your arc map, or could you post a larger version. Maybe 1600 wide 150 dpi for printing.

Thanks

**Robbo71** · 02-08-2008

I will see if I can find the Inkscape drawing, I have it on a USB stick somewhere.

EDIT.

Found it, slightly different graphics but the arc bit is the same, I will email it to you,on the understanding it is MINE!

Let me know you got it OK, Oh I found a zipped version, see attachment.

surfgeek · 03-08-2008

Originally Posted by Robbo71

Found it, slightly different graphics but the arc bit is the same, I will email it to you,on the understanding it is MINE!

Let me know you got it OK, Oh I found a zipped version, see attachment.

Hi Robbo, thanks got the email, printing now.

surfgeek

Eddy39 · 13-08-2008

How lucky can you get, must go mad thinking which satellite to watch for the night!!!!!, Here in Australia, we are lucky to be able to pick up a dozen with most of them in the west. From Intel 701 to InSat 3B. Unless one can understand the Indian or Chinese language, that cuts the viewing channels in English to a handful.

**compufunk** · 13-08-2008

Originally Posted by Eddy39

..... that cuts the viewing channels in English to a handful.

The same thing applies in this part of the world, The UK and Ireland are the only countries where English is the first language, generally. So, most of the programing on everything except 28E is in other languages.

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