Solar interference?

[diggler]

solar interference is affecting our signal - anyone else getting this message atm?
seems to some and not all channels - austar

[ol' boy]

Nope, all good here.... been watching all morning
Bloody 100km/h plus winds though



Solar interference is going to be the least of my problems when the dish flys off the roof

[johnbarry]

I was watching Showtime Greats this morning and it kept cutting out. Then later on in the day i was watching channel V and it was doing the same thing.

[streeter75]

officaial message thru provider box was Solar interference, been happening between, 9am to still 30 mins ago... Same message with whitey in DM7000 with Irdeto CI Cam.. Last one, there werent even any sun in the sky here at coffs, it was dark blue twilight sky and still got solar interference message...

Strange

[ssrattus]

They are happening around these days for Optus C1 and other satellites at different times during the day, ie the further west the dish points the later in the day, PAS 10 is about 5:30pm Adelaide time.

But you should only lose reception for several minutes once a day for all services.

The times below are not for daylight savings times!

SOLAR OUTAGE RISK 2008

Early Season Group
Local Civil Time (no daylight saving added)
OPTUS C1, 156.00E
Standard antenna beamwidth at 12 GHz


Site 1
Adelaide, 34.93S, 138.60E, EL=45.38, AZ=28.69, TZ=9, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 30 10:59 11:01 11:02 Low 1.76
Mar 31 10:56 11:00 11:05 Low 1.37
Apr 1 10:54 11:00 11:06 Medium 0.98
Apr 2 10:53 11:00 11:06 High 0.60
Apr 3 10:52 10:59 11:07 High 0.22
Apr 4 10:52 10:59 11:06 High 0.17
Apr 5 10:52 10:59 11:06 High 0.55
Apr 6 10:53 10:59 11:05 Medium 0.92
Apr 7 10:53 10:58 11:03 Low 1.30
Apr 8 10:55 10:58 11:01 Low 1.68


Site 2
Brisbane, 27.30S, 153.00E, EL=57.95, AZ=6.52, TZ=10, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 28 11:35 11:39 11:43 Low 1.51
Mar 29 11:33 11:39 11:44 Medium 1.12
Mar 30 11:32 11:38 11:45 High 0.73
Mar 31 11:31 11:38 11:45 High 0.34
Apr 1 11:31 11:38 11:45 High 0.05
Apr 2 11:31 11:37 11:44 High 0.43
Apr 3 11:31 11:37 11:44 Medium 0.81
Apr 4 11:32 11:37 11:42 Low 1.19
Apr 5 11:33 11:37 11:40 Low 1.57


Site 3
Broken Hill, 31.57S, 141.30E, EL=49.92, AZ=26.62, TZ=10, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 29 11:30 11:32 11:35 Low 1.71
Mar 30 11:27 11:32 11:37 Low 1.32
Mar 31 11:25 11:32 11:38 Medium 0.93
Apr 1 11:25 11:31 11:38 High 0.54
Apr 2 11:24 11:31 11:38 High 0.17
Apr 3 11:24 11:31 11:38 High 0.23
Apr 4 11:24 11:30 11:37 High 0.61
Apr 5 11:24 11:30 11:36 Medium 0.99
Apr 6 11:25 11:30 11:34 Low 1.36
Apr 7 11:28 11:30 11:32 Low 1.74


Site 4
Cairns, 16.61S, 145.43E, EL=67.01, AZ=33.14, TZ=10, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 23 11:34 11:35 11:37 Low 1.77
Mar 24 11:30 11:35 11:40 Low 1.38
Mar 25 11:29 11:35 11:41 Medium 0.99
Mar 26 11:28 11:34 11:41 High 0.59
Mar 27 11:27 11:34 11:41 High 0.21
Mar 28 11:27 11:34 11:41 High 0.19
Mar 29 11:27 11:33 11:40 High 0.58
Mar 30 11:27 11:33 11:39 Medium 0.97
Mar 31 11:28 11:33 11:38 Low 1.35
Apr 1 11:31 11:33 11:35 Low 1.74


Site 5
Canberra, 35.30S, 149.13E, EL=48.36, AZ=11.78, TZ=10, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 31 11:32 11:36 11:40 Low 1.45
Apr 1 11:30 11:36 11:42 Medium 1.07
Apr 2 11:29 11:36 11:42 High 0.68
Apr 3 11:28 11:35 11:42 High 0.30
Apr 4 11:28 11:35 11:42 High 0.10
Apr 5 11:28 11:35 11:42 High 0.47
Apr 6 11:28 11:34 11:41 Medium 0.84
Apr 7 11:29 11:34 11:39 Low 1.22
Apr 8 11:31 11:34 11:37 Low 1.59


Site 6
Darwin, 12.38S, 130.73E, EL=57.37, AZ=65.57, TZ=9, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 21 10:56 10:56 10:57 Low 1.82
Mar 22 10:52 10:56 11:01 Low 1.42
Mar 23 10:50 10:56 11:02 Medium 1.03
Mar 24 10:49 10:56 11:02 High 0.64
Mar 25 10:48 10:55 11:02 High 0.24
Mar 26 10:48 10:55 11:02 High 0.16
Mar 27 10:48 10:55 11:01 High 0.54
Mar 28 10:48 10:54 11:00 Medium 0.93
Mar 29 10:49 10:54 10:59 Low 1.32
Mar 30 10:51 10:54 10:56 Low 1.71


Site 7
Hobart, 42.54S, 147.18E, EL=40.09, AZ=12.93, TZ=10, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Apr 2 11:31 11:35 11:39 Low 1.55
Apr 3 11:29 11:35 11:40 Low 1.16
Apr 4 11:28 11:34 11:41 Medium 0.78
Apr 5 11:27 11:34 11:41 High 0.40
Apr 6 11:27 11:34 11:41 High 0.04
Apr 7 11:27 11:34 11:41 High 0.35
Apr 8 11:27 11:33 11:40 High 0.73
Apr 9 11:27 11:33 11:39 Medium 1.10
Apr 10 11:29 11:33 11:37 Low 1.47


Site 8
Melbourne, 37.45S, 144.58E, EL=44.96, AZ=18.38, TZ=10, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 31 11:32 11:34 11:36 Low 1.71
Apr 1 11:29 11:34 11:38 Low 1.33
Apr 2 11:27 11:33 11:39 Medium 0.94
Apr 3 11:26 11:33 11:40 High 0.56
Apr 4 11:26 11:33 11:40 High 0.18
Apr 5 11:25 11:32 11:39 High 0.21
Apr 6 11:25 11:32 11:39 High 0.58
Apr 7 11:26 11:32 11:38 Medium 0.96
Apr 8 11:27 11:32 11:36 Low 1.33
Apr 9 11:29 11:31 11:34 Low 1.70


Site 9
Newcastle, 32.92S, 151.77E, EL=51.43, AZ=7.75, TZ=10, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 30 11:34 11:38 11:42 Low 1.53
Mar 31 11:32 11:37 11:43 Low 1.14
Apr 1 11:31 11:37 11:44 High 0.75
Apr 2 11:30 11:37 11:44 High 0.37
Apr 3 11:30 11:37 11:44 High 0.04
Apr 4 11:29 11:36 11:43 High 0.40
Apr 5 11:30 11:36 11:42 Medium 0.78
Apr 6 11:30 11:36 11:41 Low 1.16
Apr 7 11:32 11:35 11:39 Low 1.53


Site 10
Perth, 31.58S, 115.49E, EL=33.10, AZ=58.49, TZ=8, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 29 09:16 09:20 09:24 Low 1.54
Mar 30 09:14 09:20 09:25 Low 1.15
Mar 31 09:13 09:19 09:26 High 0.77
Apr 1 09:12 09:19 09:26 High 0.38
Apr 2 09:12 09:19 09:26 High 0.04
Apr 3 09:11 09:18 09:25 High 0.39
Apr 4 09:12 09:18 09:24 Medium 0.77
Apr 5 09:12 09:18 09:23 Low 1.15
Apr 6 09:14 09:17 09:21 Low 1.53


Site 11
Sydney, 33.55S, 151.10E, EL=50.64, AZ=8.82, TZ=10, D=0.85m

Date Begin Peak End Depth Closest(deg)

Mar 30 11:34 11:37 11:41 Low 1.61
Mar 31 11:32 11:37 11:42 Low 1.22
Apr 1 11:31 11:37 11:43 Medium 0.84
Apr 2 11:30 11:37 11:43 High 0.46
Apr 3 11:29 11:36 11:43 High 0.07
Apr 4 11:29 11:36 11:43 High 0.32
Apr 5 11:29 11:36 11:42 High 0.69
Apr 6 11:30 11:35 11:41 Medium 1.07
Apr 7 11:31 11:35 11:39 Low 1.45
Apr 8 11:34 11:35 11:35 Low 1.82

[Farmsky]

It's called the autumnal and spring equinox. Happens twice a year.

Funnily enough this is the Vernal (Spring) equinox as equinox's are northern hemisphere centric.

Reason

As the sun moves between summer and winter soltice it 'crosses' the equator.

So what?

Well as it does so and noting that geostationary satellites are in equatorial orbits, the sun lines up behind each satellite in turn for different times and dates. The interference duration as ssratus has advised, is generally around 6-8 days for around 1-6 minutes per day.

So why the interference and loss of signal.

Well the sun is one mighty radio frequency 'splatter gun' and during these periods your dish is aimed directly at the sun. Sure is more powerful than a 20watt satellite transponder.

So when you lose signal rush outside an where the sun is that's your satellite.

Paint a spot in the sky and you'll always find it.

Of greater use is that around this time the sun is more or less tracing the clarke belt. So if you wish to deterime if a tree/hill/house etc is blocking reception without going to all the trouble of waving your dish around, determine the azimuth of the satellite you wish to receive.

If you can see the sun at that azimuth, you'll get reception.

Anyhow if you'd like to calculate when you'll lose reception at your place have a look at this smick CSIRO site.



Here we can calculate when it will happen for your location and satellite.

Enter a value of 1 degree for ‘Max. Separation (e.g. 1.0 deg). This will
produce a valid result.