Grand rapids locals

[dougm]

Does anyone have any information on when the Grand Rapids locals will be available.

Thanks

About 2-3 Weeks as soon as Echostar 7 is online. From what I heard, Grand Rapids and Detroit will fit on the Same transponder :)

We might see Detroit Moved to 119 since we only have 8 locals, compared to all the other cities which have significantly more channels :)

Claude A. Greiner
Metro25 Of Detroit Inc.

Are you serious?? That is excellent! We have waited sooo long :)


By the way this is Gadgetman aka ShawnP from DBSforums, I registered yesterday but never got the email to activate my account can a moderator activate it for me? Thanks

[bryan27]

Probably, not until after E-8 is activated. The E-7 beam which covers DET/GRA/CHI/IND/STL is only 2 TPs and doesn't have enough room. When E-8 is activated with it's 3 TP beam for the same area there will be plenty of room for Grand Rapids.

It is possible it could be added sooner if they place it on the E-7 beam and leave a city out for now, or put it on 110 CONUS for a while, but it will be a little while.

This is the kind of a rough events schedule:

1: Locals already on 119 goto spots (takes about a day).
2: Anchorage and Honolulu are added (length of time depends on what E* has been doing to prepare these locals probably a couple weeks).
3: Remaining locals that will fit on 119 are moved (probably Mid May).
4: This is where things get tricky some space will be freed up on 110, but E* may wait to add the remaining 3 cities they promised and use the extra space to test Echo-8 or put 2 of the new cities on the E-7 spots instead of moving some cities.
5: Echo-8 launched (July) & Activated (August)
6: The rest of the locals that will fit on spots are moved (through mid-Sept).
7: The remaining 3 cities promised by E* are up and ready if they weren't added to the free space in June, or put on spots. (mid-Sept early Oct).

[TNGTony]

I just got an e-mail from a techie at W--- (station to be unnamed at senders request). They still do not expect to be up (grand Rapids locals) until AT LEAST --that means it could be later and not before-- mid JUNE. Sorry guys. As Bryan pointed out, it could be until E*8 is up and operational before you see these channels.

Sorry for the bad news. :(

See ya
Tony

[JohnH]

What's the delay? They have had space for Grand Rapids allocated on EchoStar 5 and EchoStar 3 since the first of the year. I guess there is no one to go to Grand Rapids and setup the POP.

[BrettR]

bryan, which 3 cities were "promised" by E*. I may have missed a CC review, but dont recall anywhere reading E* (via press release or othr form) promising to carry 3 specific cities anytime recent. I know D press release of carrying 3 new cities: Providence, Hartford Las Vegas and 7 more totalling 10 by year end requiring oval dish.

[SParker]

I can't wait until they put up the GR locals, I'm sure I am not the only one :)

[bryan27]

Brett, way back in the beginning of LIL Las Vegas, and Baltimore were promised. Last year Grand Rapids was promised. This wasn't from press releases but from Charlie Horse himself.

Las Vegas has it's own spotbeam as does Jacksonville Fl on 110. Baltimore and Grand Rapids will fit on the spot beams that cover them. The Great Plains has a spot that covers Oklahoma City and Topeka. Fresno can fit on the SF/SAC beam. And about 10 cities will fit on the extra 6 CONUS TPs on 110. I see E* stopping at about 54 cities on 110/119.

[SParker]

From what I understand I believe Channel 13 has most or all of the equipment installed at the POP, I think they are just waiting on E*.

[stugil]

How about Hartford /New Haven ,Connecticut. Direct is adding them next month, How about Dish? It was on there list of locals announced along time ago.

[Scott Greczkowski]

From what I can see Connecticut is getting hit (quite nicely) by the new E7 Spot Beams. It would be smart of them to throw Hartford locals up since we are getting hit by spots anyways.

[bryan27]

Scott, would there be room to add them to the spots. Even with E-8 there would be 6 spot TPs serving Washington, Philadelphia, New York, Boston. Add in Baltimore and I think the room is used up. It would be possible to add Hartford to one of the vacated TPs on 110. Lets hope that you guys get locals even if they would have to go on a CONUS TP.