Saorsat changes

steeviebops

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
105
Reaction score
74
Points
28
My Satellite Setup
A basic 28.2 Freesat config, but have had a long history of satellite TV dating back to the analogue 19.2 days. Using a HP ZBook 15 G5 laptop (Core i7-8850H, 32GB RAM, Quadro video card)
My Location
Drogheda, Ireland
From July 1st, the tuning parameters of Saorsat are changing from 25000 2/3 to 12500 5/6. Capacity is tight on the Irish spot beam at the moment from what I'm hearing.

 

ozumo

te wo tsuite
Staff member
Joined
May 26, 2020
Messages
5,197
Reaction score
2,595
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Raven mk2 zone 2 x4, Channel Master: 90cm x3, 1.2m x2, 1.8m PF. CM polar mount x2, Az/El x3.
My Location
South Durham
Capacity is tight on the Irish spot beam at the moment from what I'm hearing.

Sounds like it's Saorsat that's being tight, rather than capacity :eek:
 
Last edited:

Fisty McB

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
432
Reaction score
627
Points
93
My Satellite Setup
See my signature...
My Location
County Tyrone, N. Ireland
Sounds like it's Saorsat that's being tight, rather than capacity :eek:
There's no official figures, but unofficially it's reckoned that Saorsat is used by less than 1000 households in the Republic of Ireland, and with RTE needing to cut further expenses as well, this would seem to be an easy one to save a few Euros...

...not to mention that capacity on the Irish Ka-Sat spot beam has reportedly been struggling to keep up with demand over the last few months as people & businesses are using Tooway based connections more during recent international events - sacrificing some of the bit rate of Saorsat will help deliver a bigger IP payload on that beam.

What will be interesting is how the change in FEC to 5/6 will affect reception, especially in fringe areas. It's been thought that Saorsat isn't transmitting on "full" power at present in the first place so there might be scope to increase downlink power to compensate - otherwise the SNR margin is going to be further weakened (not to mention a reduction in overall bitrate capacity of the service), which could cause problems with not only those with smaller than recommended dish sizes, but also those towards the east of the footprint where reception is also interference limited.
 

steeviebops

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
105
Reaction score
74
Points
28
My Satellite Setup
A basic 28.2 Freesat config, but have had a long history of satellite TV dating back to the analogue 19.2 days. Using a HP ZBook 15 G5 laptop (Core i7-8850H, 32GB RAM, Quadro video card)
My Location
Drogheda, Ireland
I was thinking that myself regarding the FEC. It was originally 1/2, then changed to 2/3 and now 5/6. So there could be installations that worked fine before but will not now.

I don't personally know anyone with Saorsat although I do have the Ka LNB for it - was given to me by a TV club in exchange for an a analogue satellite receiver a few years ago. Saorview coverage is pretty good nowadays as a number of extra relays have been added since analogue was switched off. So I'd well believe that figure of less than 1000 households. Here in Drogheda I can get Saorview from four different transmitters (the local Drogheda relay which only went live in the last year, Clermont Carn, Kippure and Three Rock), so I definitely don't need Saorsat!
 

JOHN896

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
270
Reaction score
41
Points
28
Location
Swansea UK
My Satellite Setup
Channel Master 2.4m Dish Fixed On 9.0 East Ka Band.Channel Master 1.2m Dish.Satellite Reception From,53.0E-45.0W.
My Location
Swansea Uk
It will be interesting on the 1st July as here in swansea, i have a 2.4m dish fixed on saorsat.I know it is an overkill however i have got,customers abroad who depend on me to stream it to them.
 

steeviebops

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
105
Reaction score
74
Points
28
My Satellite Setup
A basic 28.2 Freesat config, but have had a long history of satellite TV dating back to the analogue 19.2 days. Using a HP ZBook 15 G5 laptop (Core i7-8850H, 32GB RAM, Quadro video card)
My Location
Drogheda, Ireland
Would probably be cheaper to give them basic Sky subs at this stage!
 

Fisty McB

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
432
Reaction score
627
Points
93
My Satellite Setup
See my signature...
My Location
County Tyrone, N. Ireland
I don't personally know anyone with Saorsat although I do have the Ka LNB for it - was given to me by a TV club in exchange for an a analogue satellite receiver a few years ago. Saorview coverage is pretty good nowadays as a number of extra relays have been added since analogue was switched off. So I'd well believe that figure of less than 1000 households. Here in Drogheda I can get Saorview from four different transmitters (the local Drogheda relay which only went live in the last year, Clermont Carn, Kippure and Three Rock), so I definitely don't need Saorsat!
Saorview coverage in the east & midlands of the Republic doesn't tend to suffer from a lot of issues concerning terrain, except where co-channel interference is a factor, which is the reason why a small TX at Drogheda was brought into service. Go further out west where the terrain is much more challenging and you can find numerous reception black spots. Nevertheless 2RN reckon that Saorview covers approx 99% of the population in the state (better than the Freeview PSB muxes in Northern Ireland, which is estimated at 98.5%) with Saorsat intended for these final 1%ers, as well as unofficially covering the parts of Northern Ireland out of reach from either Saorview or the NI Freeview multiplex network (e.g. much of the Co. Antrim coastline) which is reckoned to be around 7% of households. However, in these places it seems that most such affected viewers simply subscribe to Sky to receive Irish & UK transmissions rather than go down a route that involves Saorsat.

Would probably be cheaper to give them basic Sky subs at this stage!
That would seem logical, but the problem then would be every Tom, Dick & Harry looking to get RTE to purchase them a basic subscription! The only way that might work would be to take a leaf out of the Australian book for their VAST service whereby the full commercial service is restricted to viewers whom cannot get any terrestrial reception at all, confirmed as such by an authorised aerial installer, writing to VAST to sanction a satellite installation.
 
Top