Astra 4A satellite down?

chrisc

chrisc

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Since yesterday at 16.10, no signal from France 24 and other French channels feeding from Astra 4A, which is the same satellite feeding Top TV. Called two people, one in Jhb and one in Durbanville with same problem. All station ID names there but no data.

Who to ask?
 
chrisc4290 said:
Since yesterday at 16.10, no signal from France 24 and other French channels feeding from Astra 4A, which is the same satellite feeding Top TV. Called two people, one in Jhb and one in Durbanville with same problem. All station ID names there but no data.

Who to ask?
Click to expand...

I will check Monday...
 
No, its not TopTV. It just happens that the Astra 4A satellite (which TopTV also uses), which has over 300 transponders, broadcasts free to air French language channels to southern Africa. It came back on at 9.10 this morning, so the satellite management system must have malfunctioned, since there is supposed to be triple redundancy on transmissions, according to the specs of the satellite company. Anyway, someone in Paris pressed the right buttons and it came back to life.

Astra4A should have at least another 6-7 years of life in it in 2011.
 
chrisc4290 said:
No, its not TopTV. It just happens that the Astra 4A satellite (which TopTV also uses), which has over 300 transponders, broadcasts free to air French language channels to southern Africa. It came back on at 9.10 this morning, so the satellite management system must have malfunctioned, since there is supposed to be triple redundancy on transmissions, according to the specs of the satellite company. Anyway, someone in Paris pressed the right buttons and it came back to life.

Astra4A should have at least another 6-7 years of life in it in 2011.
Click to expand...

There are only 5 transponders on the South Africa beam. 3 for Top TV and 2 for Globecast (FTA)... and as per Lyngsat 73 in total, with the Scandinavia and Europe beams included.
 
Yes, thanks. Do you think there was really a problem, or was it my friend's sat receiver having a "Windows" moment?
 
Don't know hey. I don't have a dish pointed at Astra, here at home. Got one at work, but if it is running now, I guess we'll never know :D
 
The French language transmissions to South Africa have been restricted to the area near Durban, as the footprint has been made very narrow. No-one knows whether this is permanent or not.
 
chrisc4290 said:
The French language transmissions to South Africa have been restricted to the area near Durban, as the footprint has been made very narrow. No-one knows whether this is permanent or not.
Click to expand...

This is only for the French service for Reunion, that came from Eutelsat W2A. It has been moved to Eutelsat W3C, which has a footprint as you describe. It is not the Astra 4A GlobeCast FTA channels... I just put an Astra 4A feed on my instrument and I am getting Canal and France 24, as before. No problems.
 
Quantum Theory said:
This is only for the French service for Reunion, that came from Eutelsat W2A. It has been moved to Eutelsat W3C, which has a footprint as you describe. It is not the Astra 4A GlobeCast FTA channels... I just put an Astra 4A feed on my instrument and I am getting Canal and France 24, as before. No problems.
Click to expand...

Do you think if my friend who used to watch the FTA channels reconfigured his receiver using a different frequency, he would be able to receive something worthwhile? He had about 18 French language channels and being a French-speaking Swiss, was very pleased at what he had
 
chrisc4290 said:
Do you think if my friend who used to watch the FTA channels reconfigured his receiver using a different frequency, he would be able to receive something worthwhile? He had about 18 French language channels and being a French-speaking Swiss, was very pleased at what he had
Click to expand...

If he is in Cape Town, no... There will be a refund available, if he bought the equipment recently.
 
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