Just Sharing This C-band beacons

[John]

I have this beacon looking spike at 4000.80 V at about 42 West. It does not appear to be from an inclined satellite. Was wondering if it's from an active Milsat bird.

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[Channel Hopper]

Military satellites normally have beacons in the X band ( approx 7.48 GHz) s-band and sometimes the low UHF band.

 

[Channel Hopper]

If you can, point the dish down towards the horizon at the same position. You might have a terrestrial source of interference there,

 

[s-band]

I have this beacon looking spike at 4000.80 V at about 42 West. It does not appear to be from an inclined satellite. Was wondering if it's from an active Milsat bird.

My guess is that it is more likely to be a narrow scpc cluster, possibly from Intelsat 11 43W. hvdh's list only has 3 C band in that region at 40.5, 43 & 45. The SDR will let you see any mod on them.
GEO satellites from 120°E to 90°W
Nothing listed here: http://frequencyplansatellites.altervista.org/Beacon-Telemetry_Atlantic.html

 

[John]

Military satellites normally have beacons in the X band ( approx 7.48 GHz) s-band and sometimes the low UHF band.

Agreed, that's the info i found as well, but the only sats i found that were listed at 42 deg West were military ones. The signal definitely peaked in the vertical mode and dropped as i went to either 40.5 W or 43 W. Looking at it this morning again, it's a bit stronger and more careful dish nudging puts it around 42.5 W but the problem with the 2.2 PF is that the beamwidth is a bit too wide to get a really accurate fix. If only i had a larger dish with a tighter beam. Tried the suggestion CH, def coming off the arc, thanks both (CH & s-band) for the suggestions.

 

[hvdh]

This might be SES-14 that is still in LEOP, but within a few weeks will arrive at in-orbit test location (still unknown but will be close to 47.5°W final location). No recent TLE's because AFSPC lost track of the satellite. But if the signal moves a few degrees during the day, it's SES-14 probably. A beacon should be at 4198.0 V.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Looking at it this morning again, it's a bit stronger and more careful dish nudging puts it around 42.5 W but the problem with the 2.2 PF is that the beamwidth is a bit too wide to get a really accurate fix. If only i had a larger dish with a tighter beam. .

A 2+m dish should be trackable to within 0.6 degrees, beamwidth is from memory around three times that at higher C band frequencies.

Think of the neighbours.


On the other hand.....

 

[Channel Hopper]

There is a small chance you are getting an extreme sidelobe signal from the ZooMoo transponder on 43W, Intelsat 11.

 

[John]

This might be SES-14 that is still in LEOP, but within a few weeks will arrive at in-orbit test location (still unknown but will be close to 47.5°W final location). No recent TLE's because AFSPC lost track of the satellite. But if the signal moves a few degrees during the day, it's SES-14 probably. A beacon should be at 4198.0 V.

 

[John]

This might be SES-14 that is still in LEOP, but within a few weeks will arrive at in-orbit test location (still unknown but will be close to 47.5°W final location). No recent TLE's because AFSPC lost track of the satellite. But if the signal moves a few degrees during the day, it's SES-14 probably. A beacon should be at 4198.0 V.

Iv'e had a scan from 41 to 53West for beacon-like spikes at 4198.0 V but can only see a signal at around 53W at 4198.20 RHC.
I'll have a look into CH's suggestion re: ZooMoo freq.

 

[John]

Can't see any sign of ZooMoo at the marker at the moment at 4003 V, there's possibly just the very slightest sign of a signal trying to raise up but i can't improve on it even after dish nudging when checked at 11.20 am UK.
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[dx qwer]

Hello,

ZooMoo frequency has left in Februar this year. I can see a carrier at ~4003 V (probably LOF drift?).

 

[Channel Hopper]

Hello,

ZooMoo frequency has left in Februar this year. I can see a carrier at ~4003 V (probably LOF drift?).

Odd, it is still listed as accurate on Flysat as well as Lyngsat. It was a guess on the original frequency though.

Does changing polarity nullify the peak John ?

 

[John]

Odd, it is still listed as accurate on Flysat as well as Lyngsat. It was a guess on the original frequency though.

Does changing polarity nullify the peak John ?

Yes mate, definitely Vertical pol.