SATELLITE
WATCH
Compiled by GARRY CRATT*
New launches: one failure, one success
December 23 saw the failure of
Asiasat 3 to achieve geosta
tionary
orbit, despite an initial successful
launch aboard a Proton rocket from
the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakh
stan. Unfortunately, the fourth stage
booster failed some six hours later,
leaving the satellite stranded in a low
Earth orbit from which it will gradually descend into the atmosphere and
burn up. Asiasat has a contingency
plan to launch a replacement satellite
by early 1999.
Meanwhile Intelsat 804 was successfully launched aboard Ariane 42L.
Tracking, telemetry and command
monitoring was ac
quired some 45
minutes after launch by the Intelsat
earth station in Perth.
The satellite has 38 C band and 6
K band transponders and is expected
to commence commercial service
from 64°E longitude by the time this
column appears. The high power
of some of the C band transponders
means receiving dishes as small as
1.8m may be used for some of the
video services offered.
Optus B1/B3 status
As some readers will know, Western Australian broadcaster GWN has
operated a BMAC service on Optus
B3 for many years. Recently, GWN
decided to move to PAS-2 and convert
to digital format. Their digital signal
is now running on PAS-2 and they
will turn off their Optus B3 BMAC
service at the end of February 1998.
In addition, the ABC say that they will
convert to (different) digital format in
May 1998 and will continue to operate
on the Optus B3 satellite.
This means a WA viewer may need
two dishes and two different digital
receivers to continue receiving both
services. The Federal Government has
offered a $750 subsidy towards the
purchase of a digital decoder for “replacing an eligible BMAC receiver”.
The new GWN service on PAS-2
is to be jointly maintained by GWN
and Telstra (who own the uplink
equipment). They have also now
decided to carry the ABC (at slightly
lower quality) on PAS-2 to avoid the
need for WA viewers to buy a second
dish. This ABC service will include
the full suite of ABC radio services.
Telstra will also carry SBS in WA time
on PAS-2.
The new Aurora platform carried by
Optus on its B3 satellite will include
the ABC and SBS, both of higher
quality than that carried on PAS-2
due to more available bandwidth. In
addition, Optus has stated that they
will provide a GWN service at a lower but acceptable (quality) data rate.
GWN has not agreed to this.
Aurora is also expected to carry the
WA government’s educa
tional and
training talkback service “Westlink”,
as well as a national educational
channel “Horizon”. Aurora approved
decoders will be available early this
year.
Intelsat 701 (180°E)
Several viewers have advised receiving Network 10 feeds on 3764MHz
RHCP in MPEG with SR (symbol rate)
29,895 and FEC (forward error correction) 7/8. The Sports Pacific Network
(SPN) has also begun operation on
this satellite. Digital parameters are
The Sports Pacific Network (SPN) has
commenced operation on Intelsat 701.
SR 4730, FEC 3/4, RHCP polarisation.
This is a free-to-air service, funded by
advertising.
Asiasat 2 (100.5°E)
A new addition to this satellite is
Laos TV, a digital service operating in
PAL format at 4143MHz, horizontal
polarity, SR 2889, FEC 2/3. Another
addition is Star News Channel, appar
ently created to cover the Indian national election. The service operates
free-to-air in analog on 3740MHz and
with vertical polarisation.
Panamsat 2 (169°E)
Several new digital channels appeared on this satellite on January
15th, including a 6-channel bouquet
labelled “Napa feeds” on 3942MHz,
horizontal polarity, SR 6620, FEC 2/3.
There was also a single digital channel
identifying as ITJ Tokyo, on 4174MHz
horizontal polarity, SR 5632, FEC 3/4.
* Garry Cratt is Managing Director of AvComm Pty Ltd, suppliers of satellite TV
reception systems. Phone (02) 9949 7417.
http://www.avcomm.com.au
April 1998 27
