Just Sharing This Ecs 1 (eutelsat i-f1) in 1985

Adam792

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Just out of interest, I’ve been looking online for information about what was about in the skies above Europe in the mid 80s, before satellite became more popular with Astra 1A and other DBS systems at the end of the decade and into the 90s.

I stumbled upon this interesting scan of a Swedish document from 1985, which on pages 27-28 lists the channels carried by the original Eutelsat bird at 13°E in that year, launched in 1984 (ECS1/Eutelsat I-F1) -

http://www.teldok.net/pdf/Teldok-info3.pdf

The text is copiable so can be translated with Google translate. Obviously at that time the channels were intended for reception by cable companies, shared across 10 transponders -

Sky Channel
Music Box (precursor to Super Channel)
3Sat
TV5
SAT.1
ATN/FilmNet
World Public News
RTL-Plus
Teleclub
Europa TV
RAI Uno
New World Channel
Worldnet
 

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Just out of interest, I’ve been looking online for information about what was about in the skies above Europe in the mid 80s, before satellite became more popular with Astra 1A and other DBS systems at the end of the decade and into the 90s.

I stumbled upon this interesting scan of a Swedish document from 1985, which on pages 27-28 lists the channels carried by the original Eutelsat bird at 13°E in that year, launched in 1984 (ECS1/Eutelsat I-F1) -

http://www.teldok.net/pdf/Teldok-info3.pdf

The text is copiable so can be translated with Google translate. Obviously at that time the channels were intended for reception by cable companies, shared across 10 transponders -

Sky Channel
Music Box (precursor to Super Channel)
3Sat
TV5
SAT.1
ATN/FilmNet
World Public News
RTL-Plus
Teleclub
Europa TV
RAI Uno
New World Channel
Worldnet

nice thanks for the read. i wonder what World Public News & New World Channel were like, anyone remember or have any info on them ? only two i havent heard of. most of the others switched over to Astra 1 later on
 

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Ahh thanks for that! Very interesting for some extra context.

The free to read pages also mention the UK cable channels at the time like Lifestyle/Screensport, The Arts Channel and The Childrens Channel - which along with CNN International and BBC 1/2 Mix (later BBC TV Europe) would have been broadcast from the Intelsat V satellite at 27.5°W in the 80s (and some of those carried on there into the 90s). Obviously that orbital slot is the same one now used by Intelsat 907 which carries the Freeview back-up feeds for the BBC!

Other stuff definitely about in the mid 80s according to stuff I've read -

-The two new at the time French commercial channels (La Cinq and TV6 - later France 5/Arte and M6) carried by the Télécom 1B satellite at 5°W to feed their limited terrestrial networks, apparently initially with Discret encryption to prevent direct to home reception! TF1 and Antenne 2 (France 2) only appeared at 5°W in late 1989/early 1990 and were in the clear, so presumably by then so were La Cinq and M6.

-Feeds for German cable networks on Intelsat 60°E: Eureka (later ProSieben), Music Box (German version), the precursors to Tele5 and DSF/Sport 1, and Bayern-3 and West-3 (BR and WDR); the regional German public channels carried to feed cable networks in other parts of the country.

-Feeds from TVE to the Canary Islands of TVE 1 and TVE 2, in C Band on Intelsat 34.5°W. TVE2 arrived in the Canary Islands in 1982, presumably because of this satellite link being established by then! Something similar also presumably existed for Portugal and Madeira/The Azores - there were RTP feeds at one point in C Band on Intelsat 53°W which would be a likely contender!
 

stonesatellite

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Ahh thanks for that! Very interesting for some extra context.

The free to read pages also mention the UK cable channels at the time like Lifestyle/Screensport, The Arts Channel and The Childrens Channel - which along with CNN International and BBC 1/2 Mix (later BBC TV Europe) would have been broadcast from the Intelsat V satellite at 27.5°W in the 80s (and some of those carried on there into the 90s). Obviously that orbital slot is the same one now used by Intelsat 907 which carries the Freeview back-up feeds for the BBC!

Other stuff definitely about in the mid 80s according to stuff I've read -

-The two new at the time French commercial channels (La Cinq and TV6 - later France 5/Arte and M6) carried by the Télécom 1B satellite at 5°W to feed their limited terrestrial networks, apparently initially with Discret encryption to prevent direct to home reception! TF1 and Antenne 2 (France 2) only appeared at 5°W in late 1989/early 1990 and were in the clear, so presumably by then so were La Cinq and M6.

-Feeds for German cable networks on Intelsat 60°E: Eureka (later ProSieben), Music Box (German version), the precursors to Tele5 and DSF/Sport 1, and Bayern-3 and West-3 (BR and WDR); the regional German public channels carried to feed cable networks in other parts of the country.

-Feeds from TVE to the Canary Islands of TVE 1 and TVE 2, in C Band on Intelsat 34.5°W. TVE2 arrived in the Canary Islands in 1982, presumably because of this satellite link being established by then! Something similar also presumably existed for Portugal and Madeira/The Azores - there were RTP feeds at one point in C Band on Intelsat 53°W which would be a likely contender!

my old man had Diamond Cable for years & i often wondered where they & other cable companies got the terrestrials from, never knew it was 27.5°W. funny how things go full cycle & their back on the same position all these years later, interesting stuff. also i thought the french terrestrials were always free. the history of satellite TV in Europe is an interesting & colourful one
 

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27.5 was the parking slot for FilmMax.

I feel like an aerobicise.....
 

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I remember our local pub installing a humongous dish in the late 80's to get Music Box, and they had a rear projection TV in the bar for punters to watch it.
Music Box was also transmitted on Yorkshire TV after regular programming finished. I had a Antiference XG21 on a rotator and was able to pick a weak signal up in North Staffs from Belmont, when BBC2 Sutton Coldfield went off air for the night....happy days..
 

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solly

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Eutelsat I-F1 on 1987 remember rtl was east sport and after replace transponder to 3sat
only one tp was east beam all tp was super beam
 

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its only derelict when the fat lady turns up

Thankfully she didnt.


Remember to breathe out !
 

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Thanks a lot for the channel list! We watched these channels in Hungary with Grundig STR 201 Plus receiver and 2.2m parabola antenna. I was 12 years old that time, we watched Music Box most is the time. We connected the good quality stereo sound to Hifi tower. We really enjoyed, I remember!
 

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I always had a curiosity about ECS 1, particularly because of its lack of full eclipse protection. I've seen a few clips over the years of Super Channel having to close down overnight due to an eclipse.
 

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Here's a news report (in French) from Francophone Belgian public channel RTBF1 on 2nd January 1984, about the launch on that date of TV5, via the ECS satellite (and received in most of Belgium from launch via cable) -

 

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I just found a Grundig advertising newspaper during scrapping of my father's old storage.
 

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I just found a Grundig advertising newspaper during scrapping of my father's old storage.
You'll need to repost your newspaper clip without your personal page info. Not wanted in this thread.
 

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You'll need to repost your newspaper clip without your personal page info. Not wanted in this thread.
I couldn't. It is out of my business. This is how Pinterest shows the preview of an image what I have uploaded.
Double page is about Grundig STR 200 with some info, including channel list.
Sorry fans. It is public on the Internet from now on, search engines will scan it soon I guess.
 

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solly

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it was teleclub swiss and sky one on ecs 1
 
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