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Nimiq 6 (New Bell Satellite) Discussion

113K views 286 replies 59 participants last post by  AETGSA 
#1 ·
On March 15th Nimiq 6 arrived at Baikonur in preparation for a May 17th launch on the Proton-M/Briz-M vehicle. Nimiq 6 will be placed at 91.1.
 
#3 ·
You are correct, nothing new, just more powerful than the 2 birds at 91 degrees right now.

The footprint will also change and cut off most of the US.
 
#4 ·
Satellite Name: Nimiq 6
Status: planned
Position: 91° W (91° W)
Norad:
Cospar number:
Operator: Telesat Canada Ltd.
Launch date: 30-Jun-2012 (Estimated)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome
Launch vehicle: Proton M
Launch mass (kg): 4745
Dry mass (kg):
Manufacturer: Space Systems Loral (SSL)
Model (bus): LS-1300
Orbit: GEO
Expected lifetime: 15 yrs.
Call sign:
Beacon(s):
Details:32 high powered Ku-band transponders. Bell TV has agreed to fully lease this new satellite for its lifetime to serve the fast-growing number of Bell TV subscribers across Canada.
Beams:Ku-band Canada beam (predicted)

Nimiq6 from Telsat.

http://www.telesat.com/satellite-fleet/nimiq/nimiq-6

 
#13 ·
It will help to some degree but it would be impossible to totally eliminate rain fade. The big cause of rain fade I noticed when I had Bell TV was not the weather locally where I lived but a down pour at the uplink center in Toronto. Bell should have a second uplink center else where in the country.
 
#14 ·
Yes I understand that n1 is dying but to put a new sat up with the same bandwidth as their current sat at that position, during a time when they're so strapped for space, to me seems like poor planning.

They've basically said "well, we have no bandwidth now, so lets have no extra bandwidth for the next 14~ years, unless we spend more money again on another launch for two birds or a replacement at 91".
 
#15 ·
There is no more bandwidth available for DBS at 92. Satellite frequencies are regulated, just like any other broadcasting. Bell was assigned a third satellite at 72 but sold the entire capacity to Dish network in the US. Bell has opted, instead, to use more compression and better compression technology (MPEG4.) The higher power provided by N6 may also allow Bell to use more efficient error correction methods and add more channels.
 
#21 ·
@46FD04

Maybe?

True once N6 is up and working its foot print will be almost entirely in the North with the exception of a few board US states.

But?

From what I've heard(and this only from hear say) that once the new sat telesat will launch for SD that too will have a northern foot print hence "some" channels(don't know which?)won't be available that south.

But?

There's more to consider here.

A large portion of so called "Snow Birds" are from Quebec(not all) but a large portion.The fact is BTV offers a far larger selection of Francohone services then SD does, so once back home those individuals "if" they choose SD will loose french services.

But back to N6

Can some tell me why N6 wioll have such a large foot print east of Canada into the Atlantic Ocean? From that map post in a earlier post in this thread from what I can gather the foot print appears to be almost have way between Canada & Europe. The only possiblity I can think of having that foot print that far into the Atlantic Ocean is Westjet. They use BTV on their planes, hence perhaps this might be for flights to Europe on Westjet?
 
#25 ·
The only possiblity I can think of having that foot print that far into the Atlantic Ocean is Westjet. They use BTV on their planes, hence perhaps this might be for flights to Europe on Westjet?
WestJet only flies within Canada, to the US and to the Caribbean.
 
#22 ·
Well I can't comment on those "snow birds" living in Western Canada as I don't live out there, so don't know what the 'winter vacation' habbits are of those individuals.

As for "Quebec" 'snow birds' know a fairly large portion(not majority of Canadian snow birds)vaction in the Florida area.

So (this is only a guess and a assumption on my part) that those that are francophone and want to keep french channels that they presently have with BTV, will either do two things

1) keep the things they way are now(not dropping BTV) and doing with out BTV in the "south"

or

2) Switch to SD and get less french channels(still get some)and when back at home either keep SD or go with cable(Videotron) and have two services.
 
#27 ·
It only goes so far into the atlantic by happenstance, not on purpose.

It's to do with the angle of projection from the satellite.

A similar thing happens to Dishnetwork's 119 satellite. The higher it goes (82,91,101, 110,119) the further to the west it goes and the further to the east the signal can "leak" or "spill" over.

If the sat was at 61, it would be almost directly above the east coast of North America and therefor could cut almost a straight line down the coastline.

It's all to do with angles, power, etc. etc.

On the topic of satellite on planes like westjet, as I drew in a diagram in this thread or another, westjet may have some issues with USA flights and getting services, unless Bell provides a specific beam for airplane sat tv.
 
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