[time-nuts] Satellite TV messed up, how is GPS time

[David I. Emery]

On Fri, Nov 04, 2016 at 04:52:25PM -0400, paul swed wrote:
> Ummmm with respect to direct TV is it the noramal two time per year sun
> outage its about the right time.
> Regards
> Paul.

	Nope.... way off...

	The solar outage season (a loss of signal for about 10 minutes
max when the sun is directly behind the satellite as seen from the dish)
runs from very late Sept (deep south) to about Oct 15 or so (Canada).

	Around here in Boston the max is either the 9th or 10th of October
depending on which satellite you are talking about.   Both DirecTV and
dish use more than one orbital location so there are outages of DIFFERENT
channels at different times during the outage seasons in spring and fall.
This of course somewhat depends on the level of service you have, such
as whether you get the entire HD package or International channels or
your local TV stations, and what market area you are located in.

	Some outage happens for a window of maybe 4-6 days centered on
the max... but because of the cliff effect with FEC corrected digital
modulations that means that reception will be close to perfect until the
S/N gets just a little worse and then it fails completely - this may
almost not be noticeable except when the sun is right behind the
satellite.



-- 
  Dave Emery N1PRE/AE, die at dieconsulting.com  DIE Consulting, Weston, Mass 02493
"An empty zombie mind with a forlorn barely readable weatherbeaten
'For Rent' sign still vainly flapping outside on the weed encrusted pole - in 
celebration of what could have been, but wasn't and is not to be now either."