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Good news for Freesat? Astra 2E satellite launched

Very good news for the UK millions of satellite homes: from today there will be another satellite full - up to 60 transponders - of television to receive signals from.

Very good news for the UK millions of satellite homes: from tod
published on UK Free TV

Good news from SES , Luxemboug today (September 30, 2013)

The ASTRA 2E satellite blasts into space on board an ILS Proton Breeze M booster last night at 3:38am Baikonur time (23:38 CET and 17:38 EDT on September 29).

After a 9-hour, 12-minute mission, the Breeze M upper stage of the Proton rocket successfully released the ASTRA 2E satellite directly into geostationary transfer orbit, from where ASTRA 2E will be deployed at the 28.2/28.5 degrees orbital arc.



54th SES satellite to be deployed into 28.2/28.5 degrees East orbital arc

The satellite was built for SES by Astrium of France. Based on the highly reliable Eurostar E3000 platform, the spacecraft carries 60 Ku-band transponders, including 12 incremental transponders for delivery of services outside Europe, as well as 4 Ka-band transponders.

It will enable the delivery of next generation broadcast and broadband services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. ASTRA 2E, which had a launch mass of 6 tonnes, will feature a wingspan of 40m once its solar arrays are deployed in orbit, generating 13 kW of spacecraft power at the end of its 15-year design lifetime.

Romain Bausch, CEO of SES says "We would like to thank Astrium and ILS for the successful ASTRA 2E mission. The 54th satellite in SES’ global fleet provides significant capacity expansion at a strategic orbital neighborhood over Europe. In combination with ASTRA 2F which was launched in September 2012, and the upcoming ASTRA 2G due for launch next year, ASTRA 2E is an important part of our fleet renewal programme at the 28.2/28.5 degrees orbital arc. The state-of-the-art new satellites provide more focused and higher power to our broadcast customers, while the Ka-band on board supports the delivery of next-generation satellite broadband services"-



Help with Free satellite?
What can I do when my Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fau1
Can I receive UK TV in Ghana?2
What is a CA module?3
My box says "No Satellite signal being received"4
Is there any way I can get free channels via satellite and have the kind of hard5
In this section
Show me the 55 TV channels have moved to the new Astra 2G satellite 1
No satellite signal? Check your dish for snow!2
New satellite footprints page3
BBC satellite changes: radio, BBC ONE HD, Red button reduction 12-15 October 2014
Changes to BBC HD transmissions on Astra satellites on 20 September 20125
Sky halves EPG charges for public service broadcasters and saves BBC local radio6

Comments
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
A
Anthony
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

11:45 AM
Accrington

m.mokhtary, you CANNOT receive ANY of the Astra 2 satellites over the middle east. Astra 2E/2F/2G are designed purely for viewers in the United Kingdom and Ireland ONLY;all UK national broadcasters use the UK only spotbeam which covers the whole of the United Kingdom with only a very limited overspill to North Western Europe, several free-to-air commercial broadcasters on those satellites where programme rights issues are not a concern (and some exclusively UK only subscription services in the BSkyB digital bouquets as well) use the pan-european widebeams which cover not only the United Kingdom but also a good part of mainland Europe as well. It is extremely unlikely that you will EVER receive Astra 2E/2F/2G over the middle east;the satellite footprints are so tight several european countries to the south and east of Europe have lost a lot of UK television channels from the UK spotbeams, but have managed to receive at least some from the pan-european beams-the main limit of the pan-european footpirnts is NW Greece which isn't ideal.

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Anthony's 70 posts GB flag
Anthony's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
P
Peter Blake
4:43 AM

I am driving my caravan to France and Switzerland Will I be able to receive freesat in those countries?

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Peter Blake's 1 post FR flag
Monday, 25 August 2014
A
Anthony
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

12:00 AM
Accrington

Peter, you CAN receive Freesat in Switzerland and France but the signal strengths DO vary to receive the Astra 2 UK Spotbeam channels-for touring purposes with a caravan you'll need a 90cm dish antennae at the very least and a 100cm dish antennae at the very most-this is because the UK Spotbeam has a very tight footprint that only really spreads through France and ends further north of the mediterranean than the old Astra 2D did, also bear in mind, that signal strengths on the Astra 2 UK Spotbeam channels can vary widely across Europe from as short as a few miles between towns villages provinces and cities to as far away as several thousands of miles across the continent. As a result several locations in Southern and Eastern Europe have lost their access to UK TV channels on the Astra 2 UK Spotbeams-such is the tightness of the beam and the restricted spread.

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Anthony's 70 posts GB flag
Anthony's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Friday, 10 October 2014
D
Davy
5:08 PM

Having trouble as to what satialite to use for my new freesat box, I live in Buckhaven Fife.

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Davy's 1 post GB flag
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

6:53 PM

Davy:If the box referred to is genuinely a Freesat device and "not" a free to air satellite box such as sold by Aldi or Lidls etc, then you do not have to enter any info relating to the name of a satellite
or transponders on, as the box is pre-programmed with the necessary info already in it.

What model of box are you using? and is the dish its connected into ex Sky, or have you just had the dish installed?, also, if the box offers options of either Satellite or Freesat, make sure that Freesat has been chosen and "not" satellite.



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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
Friday, 19 June 2015
J
js
sentiment_satisfiedGold

4:58 PM

Astra 2G finally arrived at 28E on Monday.

Eutelsat 28A (Eurobird) will soon be relieved of it's duties by Astra E, F and G.

Some transponder moves have already occurred as indicated in the NITs of the two DVB networks at 28.2E.


Freesat-Diffs 17-06-2015 11 26 to 18-06-2015 15 14:

Changed:
11222.17 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2311 --> 11223.50 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2311
11261.17 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2301 --> 11263.50 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2301
11662.00 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411 --> 11508.50 V 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411
11680.77 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412 --> 11973.00 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412

Found:
11225.00 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2106
11265.00 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2108

Lost:
11223.67 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2312
11259.67 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2302


ASTRA-Diffs 17-06-2015 11 26 to 18-06-2015 15 14:

Changed:
11222.17 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2311 --> 11223.50 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2311
11261.17 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2301 --> 11263.50 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2301

Found:
11225.00 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2106
11265.00 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2108

Lost:
11223.67 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2312
11259.67 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2302


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js's 822 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
J
js
sentiment_satisfiedGold

6:25 PM

ASTRA-Diffs 22-06-2015 16 22 to 23-06-2015 13 32

Changed:
11584.62 H 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2407 --> 11464.25 H 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2407
11603.85 V 29500 3/4 DVB-S2 0.20 QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2408 --> 11479.00 V 23000 8/9 DVB-S2 0.20 QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2408
11662.00 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411 --> 11508.50 V 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411
11680.77 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412 --> 11973.00 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412

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js's 822 posts GB flag
Thursday, 25 June 2015
J
js
sentiment_satisfiedGold

5:59 PM

Freesat-Diffs 24-06-2015 18 14 to 25-06-2015 14 59

Changed:
11508.50 V 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411 --> 11670.75 H 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411
11973.00 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412 --> 11685.50 V 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412

Found:
11836.50 H 27500 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2007

Lost:
12304.50 H 27500 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2031


ASTRA-Diffs 24-06-2015 18 14 to 25-06-2015 14 59

Found:
11836.50 H 27500 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2007

Lost:
12304.50 H 27500 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2031



Combining previous Freesat changes gives net changes:
11662.00 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411 --> 11670.75 H 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411
11680.77 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412 --> 11685.50 V 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412

So they are more or less back where they came from.

27500 x 2/3 = 22000 x 5/6 so the same capacity, but 5/6 needs a higher S/N

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js's 822 posts GB flag
Monday, 29 June 2015
J
js
sentiment_satisfiedGold

8:29 PM

Freesat-Diffs 25-06-2015 14 59 to 29-06-2015 17 35

Changed:
11389.00 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2113 --> 11386.50 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2113
11390.33 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2316 --> 11386.50 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2316
11426.33 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2306 --> 11426.50 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2306

There is no change to the FreesatHome transponder in the Freesat NIT

The FreesatHome transponder is unique:
-the basis of the Freesat Network
-not included in the ASTRA Network
-has (or had) an Orbital Position of 28.5 degrees East

Blind-scan shows the frequency is now 11426.50 MHz

This is what I had expected to see:
11427.83 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.5E :TSID = 2315 --> 11426.50 H 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2315


Where are the ASTRA-Diffs?

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js's 822 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
J
js
sentiment_satisfiedGold

8:10 PM

ASTRA-Diffs 29-06-2015 17 35 to 30-06-2015 17 18

Changed:
11464.25 H 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2407 --> 11582.25 H 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2407
11479.00 V 23000 8/9 DVB-S2 0.20 QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2408 --> 11597.00 V 23000 8/9 DVB-S2 0.20 QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2408
11508.50 V 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411 --> 11670.75 H 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2411
11973.00 V 27500 2/3 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412 --> 11685.50 V 22000 5/6 DVB-S QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2412

Found:
12382.50 H 29500 3/4 DVB-S2 0.35 QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2002

Lost:
12382.50 H 29500 3/4 DVB-S2 0.35 QPSK 028.2E :TSID = 2035


ASTRA NIT still not updated to match yesterdays Freesat changes:

11386.50,H,27500 ;tsid = 2113, Freesat
11389.00,H,27500 ;tsid = 2113, ASTRA

11386.50,V,27500 ;tsid = 2316, Freesat
11390.33,V,27500 ;tsid = 2316, ASTRA

11426.50,V,27500 ;tsid = 2306, Freesat
11426.33,V,27500 ;tsid = 2306, ASTRA

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