NASA TV - OTA

[Wrinkle]

Can someone who understands TV encoding take a look at NASA's page on "How to recieve NASA's Digital TV" at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/digital.html and help to tell me if the HD signal would be available over the air here in the Tulsa area.

It does stream live at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/, but if I can get it OTA on my TV it would be better.

...I just love watching those spacewalks.

[Hoss]

Can someone who understands TV encoding take a look at NASA's page on "How to recieve NASA's Digital TV" at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/digital.html and help to tell me if the HD signal would be available over the air here in the Tulsa area.

It does stream live at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/, but if I can get it OTA on my TV it would be better.

...I just love watching those spacewalks.

Not over the air.  This is available via C-Band satellite (I still have a dish in my backyard but it does nothing right now) with a proper digital converter/receiver.

[patric]

Can someone who understands TV encoding take a look at NASA's page on "How to recieve NASA's Digital TV" at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/digital.html and help to tell me if the HD signal would be available over the air here in the Tulsa area.

If you have a C-band dish and a capable receiver you should be able to get the signal.

"If your C-Band-sized satellite dish is capable of receiving digital television signals, you still need a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB)-compliant MPEG-2 Integrated Receiver Decoder, or IRD, to get Digital NASA's Public "Free to Air" Channel."

For Ka/Ku dishes, NASA is on ch. 283 on DirecTV, Ch. 213 on Dish Network.

[Wrinkle]

Thanks, I guess I read it right.

The C-Band dish is one of those old 6' dia dishes, right?

Then, I'd need a DVB-compliant IRD attached to the C-Band dish to get it.

I cancelled my DirecTV last month....couldn't justify paying what they were charging me for FREE TV. Got into an issue with HD being required to enable the ATSC antenna on the receiver, and I don't even have a HD TV set. So, FREE TV was costing me $15/mo over my regular rates. Since I'd been with them so long, I didn't have Local Channels (which is now included in all packages). Anyway, the only way to clear up the accounting was to cancel (after many discussions).

Maybe someday I'll become a "new" customer again and they'll let me have local channels free and/or the ATSC connection.

BUT, it does make me wonder if the DirecTV dish can be used with another IRD to get some of that stuff?

[Hoss]

Thanks, I guess I read it right.

The C-Band dish is one of those old 6' dia dishes, right?

Then, I'd need a DVB-compliant IRD attached to the C-Band dish to get it.

I cancelled my DirecTV last month....couldn't justify paying what they were charging me for FREE TV. Got into an issue with HD being required to enable the ATSC antenna on the receiver, and I don't even have a HD TV set. So, FREE TV was costing me $15/mo over my regular rates. Since I'd been with them so long, I didn't have Local Channels (which is now included in all packages). Anyway, the only way to clear up the accounting was to cancel (after many discussions).

Maybe someday I'll become a "new" customer again and they'll let me have local channels free and/or the ATSC connection.

BUT, it does make me wonder if the DirecTV dish can be used with another IRD to get some of that stuff?

No.  C Band operates on a lower power level; thus the larger dish is required.  Plus, the dish is shaped in such a way to prevent anything but Direct/DishNetwork/KuBand.  The one I have in my backyard is an 8 foot aluminum one piece that was installed in 1984.  I still have some of the old receivers but the servo motor is dead, and the cable is likely not usable.

[nathanm]

BUT, it does make me wonder if the DirecTV dish can be used with another IRD to get some of that stuff?

It depends on which dish you have and what you're trying to receive. It's possible to receive some Ku band FTA programming from a few satellites if you replace the LNBF and get a new IRD. We are in one of the best parts of the pattern of most satellites, so the higher powered ones can sometimes be received. A 24 or 36 inch dish would be required for more reliable Ku reception.

If I were going to do some c-band FTA, I'd want a 10 foot dish minimum, even here, just because some of the most interesting signals are on satellites not primarily aimed at north america.

for an idea of what you could receive, visit lyngsat.com...

[Hoss]

It depends on which dish you have and what you're trying to receive. It's possible to receive some Ku band FTA programming from a few satellites if you replace the LNBF and get a new IRD. We are in one of the best parts of the pattern of most satellites, so the higher powered ones can sometimes be received. A 24 or 36 inch dish would be required for more reliable Ku reception.

If I were going to do some c-band FTA, I'd want a 10 foot dish minimum, even here, just because some of the most interesting signals are on satellites not primarily aimed at north america.

for an idea of what you could receive, visit lyngsat.com...

I can remember pre KU band days sitting at home at night and watching 'wild feeds'.  These were typically news feeds for the national news that didn't include the commercials.  So you had guys like Peter Jennings talking to his crew in between commercials, people prepping for remote sites nad interviews and the like.  I can remember in the death throes of C band when I moved back to Tulsa in 1994, I was living with my parents the first couple of months back from Houston, and waking up fairly early on the morning of the California Northridge earthquake, and watching one of the local stations over the C Band.  I watched it all morning.  They had the freeways collapsing, the natural gas fires, you name it.

[Wrinkle]

This could get pretty interesting.
At least with the neighborhood association once I put up a 10' dish.

But, if I lived outside the city, I'd definitely have one. It's almost a sport at that point.

In the meantime, I find I'm not missing my DTV very much after all. Seems it spent most of the time stuck to a news channel. And, since I didn't have HD TV set but did have HD service, I had twice the channels to graze, with all the HD ones blank and many of the non-HD ones pixelating. Made watching movies impossible.

But, I do love watching those spacewalks. The streaming feed works fine for the most part.

Also found a streaming CNN & FOX News, so get those anyway.
Here's the link for many other streams, too.
http://www.channelsurfing.net/

[nathanm]

This could get pretty interesting.
At least with the neighborhood association once I put up a 10' dish.

If you are more interested in getting the service than not annoying your neighbors (and you are putting it on your own property, not common property), they can't legally stop you no matter what your HOA rules state. You can put up an outdoor antenna, DBS dish, or any other antenna measuring less than 1 meter in size. (or any size antenna for OTA TV reception)

That does generally preclude C band reception, but you should be able to get acceptable Ku band reception on many satellites with a 1 meter dish. That would get you NASA TV, amongst many other interesting channels.

If you need a mast to clear trees or other obstructions, you can even put one up, subject to permitting from the city/county/state if it's over 12 feet.

OTARD

[Wrinkle]

So, up to a 1-meter dish on a 12' pole is free of constraints, as I read your posting and the rules.

Does this 12' pole always start at the ground, or from rooftop? My rooftop is over 24' up. The DTV dish is up about 36" from there to center.

My DTV dish is the larger eliptical one with 5-LNB. I think you, or someone said I'd have to change out/add at least one LNB (two of my 5 are doubles, so only take one slot, leaving two blanks).

First, is that eliptical dish capable of receiving Ku band? I think it measures only something like 30"x18" or so. Anyway, if so, what LNB would I need, along with a proper IRD. Any recommendations?

And, I guess to do it properly, I'd need a rotator for 3D pointing. Azmuth and Altitude, with a ground-based remote control (and feedback). Anything come to mind?

Sorry if it sounds like I'm pumping you, I am.
TV technology, for some reason, escapes me almost completely.
Don't have a proper foundation, I suppose. For years, it was ON/OFF. But, once, I did have to learn to view in color.

UPDATE: As I think about more, I decided to go look. The DTV dish is larger, maybe 30" almost round, but still a bit eliptical, not the older 30"x18" types.

[nathanm]

So, up to a 1-meter dish on a 12' pole is free of constraints, as I read your posting and the rules.

Does this 12' pole always start at the ground, or from rooftop? My rooftop is over 24' up. The DTV dish is up about 36" from there to center.

That I'm not sure about. What I get from reading it is that you can't be prevented from installing a pole of any length necessary to receive the signal, but that you may have to get city/county/state/federal permits for a taller pole, depending on local regulations and the actual height you intend to have the pole reach.

My DTV dish is the larger eliptical one with 5-LNB. I think you, or someone said I'd have to change out/add at least one LNB (two of my 5 are doubles, so only take one slot, leaving two blanks).

First, is that eliptical dish capable of receiving Ku band? I think it measures only something like 30"x18" or so. Anyway, if so, what LNB would I need, along with a proper IRD. Any recommendations?

It might work for some satellites. It all depends on how hot their signal is. Aiming will be difficult, as the elliptical dishes are made to receive more than one slot, so they reflect the signal differently than a circular dish. On the bright side, if there were only a couple of satellites you wanted and they were all within the design angle of the dish (a DirecTV 5LNB dish, for example, hits satellites from 99W to 119W, so 20 degrees), you could fabricate LNBF mounts that would position them to permanently receive the satellites you wanted in that 20 degree arc. It would be difficult to do, but would eliminate the need for a polar mount and actuator.

And, I guess to do it properly, I'd need a rotator for 3D pointing. Azmuth and Altitude, with a ground-based remote control (and feedback). Anything come to mind?

There are lots of options for polar mounts and their associated actuators. I don't know that you could retrofit one onto a DBS dish, though.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm pumping you, I am.
TV technology, for some reason, escapes me almost completely.
Don't have a proper foundation, I suppose. For years, it was ON/OFF. But, once, I did have to learn to view in color.

UPDATE: As I think about more, I decided to go look. The DTV dish is larger, maybe 30" almost round, but still a bit eliptical, not the older 30"x18" types.

I'm always glad to share.

FWIW, the best DBS dish to use would be the one that Dish Network "Super Dish," which is designed to receive signals from low powered Ku band satellites that Dish Network lease(s/d) space on. The 18" dishes are designed for the high powered "DBS" Ku band signals, hence the need for a bigger dish to receive the weaker signals.

That said, a 1 meter dish is pretty darn cheap. You can buy one online for under $150. If you're not going to make use of the elliptical nature of your existing dish, it would be easier to use a purpose built one. If you want an actuator so you can move the dish from indoor comfort using the receiver, you'll probably want someone to install it for you. It's supposedly pretty hard to get the polar mount lined up just right, although it'll be easier on a 1 meter (or 1.2 if you want to push it!) dish than it would be on a 10 footer, since its beamwidth is much larger.

[Wrinkle]

Thanks, very helpful.

Googled some and found these:
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Dishes/Motorized-combo-satellite-dish.htm
a motorized kit on a 31" dish. Asks about a "90N" upgrade and don't have a clue what that means.

Then, ran into this:
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/Fortec-Star/Dishes/Gray_FC120CM-48-inch-offset-ku-band-satellite-dish-antenna.htm
a 120cm fixed dish, but it included the line, "Can be used for one way broadband satellite internet reception."

....not sure what that means. Just what is "one-way" broadband satellite internet reception?  Is it useful, or can it be used in what I think of as traditional inet broadband?  Seems two-way would be required.

[nathanm]

Thanks, very helpful.

Googled some and found these:
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Dishes/Motorized-combo-satellite-dish.htm
a motorized kit on a 31" dish. Asks about a "90N" upgrade and don't have a clue what that means.

The 90N is a different, slightly larger (5cm) dish.

Then, ran into this:
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/Fortec-Star/Dishes/Gray_FC120CM-48-inch-offset-ku-band-satellite-dish-antenna.htm
a 120cm fixed dish, but it included the line, "Can be used for one way broadband satellite internet reception."

....not sure what that means. Just what is "one-way" broadband satellite internet reception?  Is it useful, or can it be used in what I think of as traditional inet broadband?  Seems two-way would be required.

It's just a bigger dish that's more suited for data reception. "One way" satellite internet means that all your upstream data (requests to websites, emails you send, etc.) go through a phone line back to the provider. Satellite internet isn't very good, I wouldn't recommend it unless you have no other option.

I think the reason they advertise it that way is because that particular size is usually used in VSAT applications at gas stations and other retail stores, although that's generally a two way application.

There's a company here in Tulsa that still sells C-band and Ku band dishes and receivers. I forget what their name is, but I'm sure they'd show up on Google. You might give them a call and have a chat with them about equipment and installation. They may not have the sort of equipment you're looking for, but they should still be able to install it if you don't want to set up the polar mount yourself. They can probably also recommend what the optimal dish size would be for your situation.

Personally, if I had the room and didn't have a bunch of trees around blocking the view to the southeast and southwest, I'd probably get myself a 10 foot dish for C band. There's still quite a bit of stuff there.

[DolfanBob]

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