Just Sharing This Eutelsat 28A appears to be failing before it's replacement arrives.

[RichardCoulter]

Since last Sunday, posts like this have been appearing on the internet:

Along with the ESPN HD transponder 11.389H being dead for me, I'm also getting bad break up on the 11.390V channels

It is widely speculated that the satellite itself is to blame as it has passed it's expected lifespan and problems have arisen in the past.

Apparently, the move isn't due to start until 1 June 2015:

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=78176544&postcount=114

There have also been suggestions that say that 28A is used by the poorer channels as the capacity is cheaper due to the fact that the satellite has had technical issues previously and that the channels would be vacated if needed as a back up for the Astra satellite customers who pay more in case of any problems.

Which does beg the question, what in earth is a premium channel like ESPN HD doing on 28A?

Surely BT could afford the extra cost!

Admin edit - code tags added.

 

[Analoguesat]

Despite the wailings of imminent failure to be seen on other fora the E28A signals are all at pretty normal signal strengths here on my receivers (well set up 60cm dish).

I didnt see the alleged problems over the weekend so I cant comment on that particular incident.

If the signals are down a bit (hard to tell here as we have steady drizzle this evening - enough to push some of the weaker satellites over the edge) its much more likely that badly set up (marginally misaligned) dishes are dropping the signals over the digital cliff. This will be made worse by the high power being blasted out by the Astra2's now which will compensate for slightly awry dishes

 

[Analoguesat]

FWIW these are the signal levels Im seeing right now on my TM5402. As usual on E28A all levels are varying over ~0.2dB

11222H - 9.6dB
11224V - 9.7dB
11260V - 11.1dB
11261H - 10.0dB
11307H - 10.3dB
11307V - 10.4dB
11343V - 11.4dB
11345H - 11.3dB
11389H - 9.4dB (ESPN tp)
11390V - 8.8dB
11426V - 9.6dB
11428H - 10.0dB
11585H - 13.0dB
11604V - 11.5 dB (BT Sport tp)
11681V - I cant get any high band V polarity tp's on the TM5402 due to lnb problems.

 

[davemurgtroyd]

I lost signal for a short while last Sunday on ESPN HD (end of Indy 500) on a well aligned zone 2 minidish here down south - usually no problems at all.

There are also reports that there were problems in the uplink chain so may not be a problem with 28A failing prematurely.

 

[RichardCoulter]

Let's hope that it isn't the satellite then, otherwise some channels could be lost until the new craft arrives.

Is there any way that they can hurry it along if need be?

 

[PaulR]

... until the new craft arrives.

Is there any way that they can hurry it along if need be?

Yes, by using more fuel to accelerate and more fuel to decelerate. But this will shorten the overall life of the satellite as the fuel is also needed to maintain its position (all satellites will tend to wobble away from their optimum orbital position) once it arrives at 28E.

The optimum satellite will have the fuel and electronics designed to fail at the same time. It's relatively unusual for a satellite to fail (if that's what's happening) like this.

 

[timo_w2s]

Some 28A transponders are down in power whereas 2F and 2E are virtually the same as before (so the setup doesn't seem to have moved). 60cm dish, TM6900 receiver quality readings, South Bucks:

C1 11.222 H - Feb: 70% - Today: 70% (0%)
C2 11.224 V - Feb: 77% - Today: 68% (-9%)
C2 11.259 V - Feb: 75% - Today: 70% (-5%)
C1 11.264 H - Feb: 71% - Today: 66% (-5%)
C3 11.307 H - Feb: 75% - Today: 66% (-9%)
C4 11.307 V - Feb: 78% - Today: 75% (-3%)
C4 11.343 V - Feb: 76% - Today: 77% (+1%)
C3 11.344 H - Feb: 75% - Today: 69% (-6%)
C5 11.388 H - Feb: 77% - Today: 67% (-10%)
C6 11.390 V - Feb: 74% - Today: 60% (-14%)
C5 11.426 H - Feb: 73% - Today: 73% (0%)
C6 11.426 V - Feb: 73% - Today: 72% (-1%)

 

[RichardCoulter]

Yes, by using more fuel to accelerate and more fuel to decelerate. But this will shorten the overall life of the satellite as the fuel is also needed to maintain its position (all satellites will tend to wobble away from their optimum orbital position) once it arrives at 28E.

The optimum satellite will have the fuel and electronics designed to fail at the same time. It's relatively unusual for a satellite to fail (if that's what's happening) like this.

I wonder what will happen with regards to ESPN HD, a premium channel cannot just be allowed to fall off air.

What happens to the satellite once it's reached the end if it's life? Presumably, it simply falls out of the sky, but how do they get them to fall somewhere safe, like the sea?

 

[sonnetpete]

What happens to the satellite once it's reached the end if it's life? Presumably, it simply falls out of the sky, but how do they get them to fall somewhere safe, like the sea?

Usually they end up like this :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graveyard_orbit

 

[timo_w2s]

And if they do end up heading back to earth most/all of it usually burns up before it reaches the surface.

 

[Analoguesat]

Virtually all broadcast sats are moved a few hundred miles up above the Clarke orbit, then "safed". The last dregs of fuel are vented into space, & the batteries are shorted - both to avoid accidental explosions, and the bird is then abandoned.

A few birds do drift along the orbital arc having terminally failed on orbit, but thats normally caused by solar flare damage to the electronics. They tend to end up settling in in 2 or 3 "gravity wells" evey 120 degrees or so along the arc.

 

[Huevos]

What happens to the satellite once it's reached the end if it's life? Presumably, it simply falls out of the sky, but how do they get them to fall somewhere safe, like the sea?

Satellites below geostationary fall back to Earth. Satellites above Geostationary slowly move away, and will eventually be lost in space forever. Only reason for them to fall back would be gravitational interaction with a third object.

 

[solly]

unknow tp
11173h sr 341 i got signal
from where is it ?