Astra 2F Testing Reception Reports

[BlindFaith]

So now we can expect some modulated signals?

It is modulated. Otherwise you would see a thin line ;)

 

[Analoguesat]

So now we can expect some modulated signals? Do they work over weekends I wonder.

Its unusual to see broadcast signals off a testing bird. Hotbird 10 was lit up properly during testing but that one was the exception

 

[PaulR]

It is modulated. Otherwise you would see a thin line ;)

True (smacks hands) I meant to say a signal with some decodable information. But modulated was shorter!

 

[PaulR]

Its unusual to see broadcast signals off a testing bird. Hotbird 10 was lit up properly during testing but that one was the exception

There's a lot that's unusal about 2F!

 

[Llew]

new carrier: 12460H. Still no lock.

Yes, that's a much stronger signal here compared to the earlier test.

 

[solly]

it signal like 12186v same power ?

 

[Huevos]

Yes, that's a much stronger signal here

Is 12460H still? What is a typical signal level for an active DVB-S transponder on your scale?

I've had something on 12185H for the last 15 minutes. Well below the level required for digital lock on a DVB-S transponder though.

 

[Hixxy1]

I'm beginning to get a bit excited about these new signals.

It almost makes me wanna get the chainsaw out and cut the neighbours tree down. Then I'd get the mss1000 out!

Has anyone tried their trusty analogue receiver to see if there's anything visible on the screen?

There's too much jealousy/competition going on atm with Mr Roberto. He seems to be getting quite unhappy with people challenging his predictions. Either he's best friends with Septic Peg and her crystal balls or this guy is the real deal. Shame a few friends won't lend me their equipment, these rack mount bad boys will sniff anything out lol

Either way, got a spare triax. Might have to temp install tomorrow with the old mti blue line and leave the CrazyScan running.

 

[M60]

Do they work over weekends I wonder.

They certainly carried out testing with 1N on a Saturday but not a Sunday, maybe we will see testing every day this weekend if they want to get it through handover tests and in to service quickly.

 

[Llew]

Is 12460H still? What is a typical signal level for an active DVB-S transponder on your scale?

I've had something on 12185H for the last 15 minutes. Well below the level required for digital lock on a DVB-S transponder though.

A crude comparison between the signal levels of 12130V 42E and 12460H 43.5E. I can't position the dish exactly to allow each level to be the same, but the 42E TP is lockable at -51dBm with the dish off the satellite (ignore the scale readings, the true level is shown on the constellation diagram). Lower than that doesn't lock.

Aligning the dish on 43.5E pushes the 12460H signal above the 42E lockable signal, but of course I can't take a constellation reading to obtain the true dBm.

 

[Huevos]

Aligning the dish on 43.5E pushes the 12460H signal above the 42E lockable signal, but of course I can't take a constellation reading to obtain the true dBm.

Thanks, but when was it active? Or is it still active?

 

[Llew]

Still up, but empty of anything that we can lock to.

 

[Huevos]

I can't see a thing on that frequency. And to be honest the one on 12185 is very weak too.

 

[M60]

I can't see a thing on that frequency. And to be honest the one on 12185 is very weak too.

Maybe that is on the UK spotbeam, possibly first indications of how tight it might be.

 

[solly]

uk sport beam use low band no signal yet

 

[Analoguesat]

uk sport beam use low band no signal yet

On the new birds I think any frequency could be switched over to the spot beam

 

[BlindFaith]

3 new carriers switched on:

12226H
12323V
12445V

 

[timo_w2s]

On the new birds I think any frequency could be switched over to the spot beam

Wouldn't it be funny if Sky decided to use just UK spot beams. :-rub

 

[Analoguesat]

You have an evil mind timo. Funny though

 

[Huevos]

3 new carriers switched on:

12226H
12323V
12445V

What are you using to get those frequencies? I've got them about 10 MHz further along the band.

Anyway, on 12185H, if Solly is getting it, and I'm getting it here, and in the UK too I guess it is PE beam. If that's true it's more than 20dB down on a normal PE beam so estimate that the test must be in the 1-2 watt range, maybe less.