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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