The first satellite television system for consumers was born in the United States in the late seventies and early eighties, and was called TVRO (Television receive only). It was characterized by requiring large antennas for the transmission and reception of signals, usually 6 to 12 feet in diameter and transmitting in the C-band. With the development of technology and the emergence of more powerful satellites, the size of the required antennas decreased by half, and the possibility of signal transmission grew exponentially thanks to the types of digital compression that emerged, likewise, the possibility of satellite transmissions in other bands such as Ku was opened with the simple addition of electronic parts (feeders or feeds) in the antennas.
The popularization of this form of transmission generated a new market of services and the appearance of new channels every day. Large telecommunications companies set up their ground stations and put their satellites into orbit to provide DTH (Direct-To-Home) or DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite) television services to millions of people around the planet. As expected, these services would generate costs for users, high at times, as a counterpart for the excellent signal quality that would be received. However, a parallel market for free channels has been developing as demand grows, the non-commercial and / or advertising purposes that generally drive these channels, give the possibility to see thousands of options of cultural, religious, political television, etc., and listen to countless radio stations in all languages.
Free television channels are characterized by being open or free reception, this implies that anyone can access their transmitted signal without any coding. The transmission of this class of channels is carried out in C-band (frequencies between the ranges 3.4 GHz and 7 GHz; downstream between 3.7 GHz and 4.2 GHz) and Ku band (frequencies between the ranges 12 GHz and 14 GHz); the format of its signal generally corresponds to the American, NTSC (Never Twice the Same Color), or the European, PAL (Phase Alteration Line), and its hosting can be on any satellite. The great advantage of this type of channels is in the zero cost that the viewer has to pay to watch them and the disadvantage is that these channels may or may not be open all the time and their frequency varies sometimes. However, those interested in setting up their small satellite reception system can rely on receiving more than 2000 different television and audio signals from all over the world.
It would be almost impossible to review each of the available channels that you will be able to find, but it is worth clarifying that generally state channels are open and remain so; among some channels are those generated by the channels of Bolivia, Colombia, Canal Sur, DW of Germany, RTPI of Portugal, TV of China, etc. For the location of open channels, certain data are required that allow us to know on which satellite and frequency the signal is located. You should know as definitive information the frequency of descent in MHz along with the polarity, and the Symbol Rate that allows you to locate the signal within the given band. Additionally, other data such as the intermediate frequency or L-band, the audio or video identifier (APID or VPID) and the FEC (Forward Error Correction) will allow you to locate the channel more quickly; it will depend on the type of receiver you have and the components of it, the need or not, for more data.
What is required to receive the free channels?
A satellite reception system is basically composed of six elements and the complexity of installation, maintenance and upgrade does not compare to the implementation of a cable network. Of course, the assembly of a satellite reception system of these characteristics requires less effort, time and from one point of view, lower costs.
To create such a system you must start by buying a satellite reception antenna that meets some characteristics among which the minimum size stands out. The required satellite dishes should be no less than 1 meter or 3 feet in diameter to receive Ku-band channels and preferably 3 meters or 10 feet in diameter to achieve good C-band channel reception. Your geographic location and the size of the antenna you own will give you more or less signal reception options; depending on the orientation of the antenna, it is usually in a south-western direction, greater satellite coverage can be achieved. For example, if your geographic location is in South America, you will be able to see almost all the satellites in orbit, however, for american domestic satellites you will need a large antenna that allows you to receive these signals. Likewise, if you are located in the California area or in western states such as Arizona or Nevada, receiving Intelsat's 806 satellite will be very difficult; other satellites, such as Brazil's Brasilsat or Argentina's Ku-band Nahuel, do not cover the area of North America and Mexico.
To see these satellites, you can use antennas of 12 to 16 feet in diameter that give you greater coverage or you must make use of two more elements of the system that are the Feedhorn or feeder and the Positioner or actuator. The Feedhorn is an element of the electronic part of the system that is installed in the antenna, it is a feeder unit mounted on the focal part of the antenna that gathers the signals reflected from the satellite; these units can have a circular reception capacity which translates into greater coverage of areas, on the other hand, you can add Teflon dialectical plates that further enhance the capabilities of your feedhorn. This can be dedicated to C- band, Ku or dual signals, that is, for both types. As for the Positioner or actuator, it is an element of the mechanical part, it is the unit that will allow you to move your antenna (inclination and elevation) to more easily locate new satellites, it is also known by names such as jack, mast or antenna arm and depending on its complexity you can achieve angles up to 180º with actuators known as "horizon to horizon".
A fundamental part of the system is the satellite receiver with remote control, which is available in different price ranges and with multiple features. To receive free channels you will not be able to use any receiver, for this there are a type of them that only capture channels without any encoding and are not compatible with small 18-inch antennas such as those used in DTH services. These receivers capture analog signals as well as digital (i.e. they are 100% DVB compatible) and compressed audio in MPEG-2. There are companies that have been dedicated exclusively to producing special receivers for free channels resulting in state-of-the-art boxes such as the Pansat 300, developed by Hyundai Digital Technologies and implemented by Communications Research Group, a very low cost receiver with great advantages in speed, memory capacity and programming. These units come pre-programmed with 40 satellites, 600 memories and an equal number of channels and are the only ones on the market with a built-in NTSC to PAL converter and vice versa; operates with a Second Generation THOMPSON STI 5500 DVB microprocessor, which provides better color, stability and semi-professional reception; It was designed to video fail-safe in case of signal loss thanks to its memory. The Pansat 300 has the ability to transfer all information from one receiver to another using an RS-232 serial port and has an automatic function of searching for programmed signals and one of scanning transponders or channels for unscheduled signals in the unit. The advantage of this receiver lies in the possibility of programming up to 1800 channels, even from the remote control, if you know only the frequency and the symbol rate.
Finally, as components of the system we find the LNB and the wiring. The LNB (Low Noise Blockdownconverter) is an electronic part of the system that is used to amplify the signal collected by the reflector and feedhorn. These components are added to the system to separately amplify the C or Ku band signals, their capabilities are doubled by being digital and a key function is the reduction of noise in the signal that allows to improve the stability of the same. Finally, we find the wiring used to make the connections is basically coaxial. There is a main connection that becomes the wire control motor; this central cable usually has several channels inside it, which are separated and coated with polyethylene to carry the transmitted signals in and out.
In short, you will be able to create your satellite reception system in your own home making sure to receive varied signals in many languages, you can also add new channels every day and it is best to receive a signal of excellent quality at no cost. The biggest implications of creating this system will be in the investment that must be made in money to buy, first of all, the antenna that may cost between U$800 and U$8000 or more, depending on its size and its components, for the value of the other elements you should not worry so much because their prices do not have such wide ranges, a good receiver will be on the market between U$300 and U$3000 and components such as the LNB will be around U$400. The other thing you will have to take into account is the space available in your home to install a large antenna, although it does not seem important the space is vital and especially the communication in a straight line with the satellite, obstacles such as trees or buildings will prevent a clean and continuous reception. If you have decided to create your own ground station the next step to follow will be to consult an installer who advises you what type of antenna to buy and where to install it, the signals will reach you freely, remember that there are more than 2000!!! open channels.
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