Spotbeam questions

[toasthaven]

Hi!
I have a few questions about spotbeams:

1. How do spotbeams work?

2. What is the range of the spotbeam?

3. Are the spotbeams on different birds?

[JohnH]

1. Sends the signal to a limited area.

2. Depends. 200-500 miles diameter circle seems about normal.

3. There are spotbeams on EchoStar 7 at 119w and on EchoStar 8 at 110w.

[Bill R]

The big advantage for the vendors is that they can use the transponder frequencies many times. This allows them to send far more channels (and only to a limited area) than they could if did not use spot beams.

Spotbeams are only used for the local channels.

[Randall DBS]

And Fox Sports West 2. :nono2: :nono:

[James Long]

And Fox Sports West 2. :nono2: :nono:And TV Japan for Hawaii - but only if you want to get picky picky picky. :D

JL

[hammerdown]

Quick question:

As a paying customer with a motorhome... If I were to take my Dish setup on the road and traveled past my own spotbeam into another market, would I simply not get any locals? Or could I temporarily get the locals from the other market?

Is the behaviour because of E* policy, or is it simply a software/hardware limitation?

Hammer

[James Long]

As a paying customer with a motorhome... If I were to take my Dish setup on the road and traveled past my own spotbeam into another market, would I simply not get any locals?If your home spot can't be seen your locals on that spot can't be seen. It's hardware.

JL

[hammerdown]

If your home spot can't be seen your locals on that spot can't be seen. It's hardware.

JL

Ya, that's pretty much a given.

My real question was whether or not I could temporarily see the other market's locals? Unless you are saying the receiver/smart card is programmed somehow to not even look for any other spotbeam/transponder than my own? Theoretically, if I were to go into the setup and manually check for that transponder, would the receiver see it but not map any channels?

Hammer

[James Long]

My real question was whether or not I could temporarily see the other market's locals? Unless you are saying the receiver/smart card is programmed somehow to not even look for any other spotbeam/transponder than my own?Quick primer on channel authorizations:

When one subscribes to E* the channels are authorized based on the subscription. The subscription to locals is only for the local market. For example, I subscribe to AT120 and my locals - only those channels are authorized and viewable on my receiver - not every channel on the system or local in the nation.

Each satellite transponder and spotbeam transmits a few channels to it's own coverage area. CONUS (Continental US) transponders cover the entire US (including Alaska and Hawaii - yes the name isn't 100% accurate). Spotbeams cover much smaller areas.

Receivers are set up so they know where to look to find the channels ... If someone in Indianapolis wants to watch WRTV it knows it should try Echostar 119 TP 7. If someone in Austin wants to watch KVUE the receiver knows it should try Echostar 119 TP 7. If someone authorized for WRTV takes their dish to Austin the receiver still looks at TP 7 but can't find WRTV so it gives an error.

There is nothing in the programming that will authorize the receiver for KVUE just because it happens to be there.

JL

[alebowgm]

And TV Japan for Hawaii - but only if you want to get picky picky picky. :D

JL

Never understood that one...

[James Long]

Huh ??? Oh ...
I didn't realize that this was a resurrected thread until you posted that. :D

JL

[Chris Freeland]

Quick question:

As a paying customer with a motorhome... If I were to take my Dish setup on the road and traveled past my own spotbeam into another market, would I simply not get any locals? Or could I temporarily get the locals from the other market?

Is the behaviour because of E* policy, or is it simply a software/hardware limitation?

Hammer

No, but as an owner of a motorhome you will qualify for out of market locals, a choice of 2 from a list of 5 dma's that are on a Conus beam (NY, LA, Atlanta, Chicago and Denver), however these will cost you an additional $5.99/mo for each market.

[hammerdown]

Thanks James and Chris. Exactly the information I wanted to learn!

Hammer