UPDATE‚ 04/07/13 at 22.00 - I can now confirm that all frequencies and channels have in fact as I suspected been transferred from the Eutelsat Hotbird 13A satellite frequenciesto the Eutelsat Hotbird 13D (ex 3C) satellite, this has happened, I now have indeed received correspondence from the outlying areas of the Hotbird reception area that I asked to contact me, they have confirmed that there have been channel losses at their locations, it's not often I am wrong but I am right again! LOL!
UPDATE‚ 04/07/13 at 20.30 - I am still of the opinion that there has been some if not all transfer of the Eutelsat Hotbird 13A satellite frequencies and channels to the Eutelsat Hotbird 13D (ex 3C) satellite has occurred, I posted the following at ten o clock this morniing :- "I have not been able to confirm the following information but my suspicions are that the 13 degrees east frequency of 11.623 V, SR 27.500, FEC 3/4 could have been moved from Eutelsat 13A to Eutelsat 13D, there was something being done with this frequency in the early hours of this morning and it is possible that what I am suspecting has actually happened, for your reference and checking purposes 11.623 V broadcasts the free to air channels "Arte France" in MPEG4, "RTL 102.5" the Italian music channel, and "TV Romania International, also on this frequency is the "RTG TV" which is the Russian Travel Guide channel which is currently free to air but it could be encrypted at any time because this channel is not always free to air, there are some other not so interesting channels on this frequency too but they are not worth listing, as I said, my suspicions are that the frequency 11623 V, SR 27.500, FEC 3/4 and all the channels on that frequency has vbeen moved from Eutelsat Hotbird 13A to Eutelsat Hotbird 13D (ex 3C) at the 13 degrees east satellite position, your reception reports of this frequency are most welcome from Pakistan and other countries on the edges of the Eutelsat Hotbird 13 degrees east satellite signals and please do remember where you read it first" As I said, i ahve not been able to confirmt aht this transfer ahs occurred but what I observed on teh 11.623 V frequency in the early hours of this morning has all the hallmarks of a frequency being changed to another satellite, some other frequencies were checked and they seemed to be in order but it could be that these other frequencies that I cheack had already been changed or had not yet been changed when I checked, in light of what I observed I am of the opinion that Eutelsat Hotbird 13A has been emptied of all it's frequencies, all have been transferred to Eutelsat Hotbird 13D, now I am not going to list every single frequency and channels but some free to air channels of interest which I am now assuming are on Eutelsat 13D are "Thai Global Network", "BBC World News", "Rai's 1, 2, and 3", "ZDF", "RTL CH", "RTL 2 CH", "ARTE France", "TV 5 Monde", and many of the English language news channels, do please let me know if you notice any signal changes on these channels, you read it first as ever at "Rob's Satellite TV"
UPDATE‚ 04/07/13 at 10.00 - A 13 degrees east update on this soon awaited transfer of the Eutelsat Hotbird 13A satellite frequencies and channels to the Eutelsat Hotbird 13D (ex 3C) satellite, I have not been able to confirm the following information but my suspicions are that the 13 degrees east frequency of 11.623 V, SR 27.500, FEC 3/4 could have been moved from Eutelsat 13A to Eutelsat 13D, there was something being done with this frequency‚ in the early hours of this morning and it is possible that what I am suspecting has actually happened, for your reference and checking purposes 11.623 V broadcasts the free to air channels "Arte France" in MPEG4, "RTL 102.5" the Italian music channel, and "TV Romania International, also on this frequency is the "RTG TV" which is the Russian Travel Guide channel which is currently free to air but it could be encrypted at any time because this channel is not always free to air, there are some other not so interesting channels on this frequency too but they are not worth listing, as I said, my suspicions are that the frequency 11623 V, SR 27.500, FEC 3/4 and all the channels on that frequency has vbeen moved from Eutelsat Hotbird 13A to Eutelsat Hotbird 13D (ex 3C) at the 13 degrees east satellite position, your reception reports of this frequency are most welcome from Pakistan and other countries on the edges of the Eutelsat Hotbird 13 degrees east satellite signals and please do remember where you read it first!
UPDATE‚ 03/07/13 at 20.00 - It's Hotter than July! I recently said about July seeing some changes at the Eutelsat Hotbird 13 degrees east satellite position because of some latest developments at another of Eutelsat's satellite positions, to use Eutelsat's own words "The entry into service of Eutelsat 3D at the 3 degrees east satellite position enables Eutelsat to initiate enhancements to its fleet that will bring higher in-orbit security and increased capacity", since that statement Eutelsat 3C was indeed moved from 3 degrees east to 13 degrees east which is the Eutelsat Hotbird satellite position, Eutelsat 3C has now arrived at the 13 degrees east satellite position and is being renamed as Eutelsat Hotbird 13D as we speak, it will operate at the 13 degrees satellite position together with the existing and identical Hotbird satellites which are Eutelsat 13B and Eutelsat Hotbird 13C, and now that Eutesat 13D (3C) has arrived at 13 degrees east we can expect the frequencies and channels which are currently on the Eutelsat 13A satellite to be moved to Eutelsat 3C/13D in the very near future, Eutelsat 13A will then be moved to 8 degrees west and be renamed as Eutelsat 8 West B and will serve the Middle east and North African but getting back to the Eutelsat 13A satellite frequencies and channels being moved to Eutelsat 13D (3C) very soon, this satellite‚ change couid posibly mean that viewers in remote edge of footprint areas of the current Eutelsat Hotbird 13A satellite beam may notice some changes in reception conditions when Eutelsat 13D takes over from Eutelsat 13A, some of the interesting free to air channels which are currently on Eutelsat 13A are "Thai Global Network", "BBC World News", "Rai's 1, 2, and 3", "ZDF", "RTL CH", "RTL 2 CH", "ARTE France", "TV 5 Monde", and many of the English language news channels, following the very soon to come satellite changeover it will be very interesting to know if Eutelsat 13D is performing better or worse than Eutelsat 13A did in the very edges of the Eutelsat Hotbird signal reception area, "Rob's Satellite TV" is read all over Europe but I also do know that there is a very large readership of "Rob's Satellite TV" in other parts and continents of the world too and Eutelsat Hotbird satellite viewers in Pakistan are currently very interested in these developments as are some other countries in the near to Pakistan, as I said, it would be interesting to know the reception conditions for receiving this new 13D satellite at 13 degrees east, please do "Contact Me" with your reception reports or any news from any outlying Eutelsat Hotbird reception country, if enough of you e-mail me I will start a dedicated section on my forum for you all regarding the reception of Hotbird in far away places but also for all the other reception and news in and from these far away places
20/06/13 at 09.30 - It's Hotter than July! July sees some changes at the Eutelsat Hotbird 13 degrees east satellite position because of some latest developments at another of Eutelsat's satellite positions, to use Eutelsat's own words "The entry into service of Eutelsat 3D at the 3 degrees east satellite position enables Eutelsat to initiate enhancements to its fleet that will bring higher in-orbit security and increased capacity", so what is going to be happening is that Eutelsat 3C which is currently at the 3 degrees east satellite position but has had all it's transponders/frequencies/channels transferred to this new Eutelsat 3D satellite at 3 degrees east will be moved in early July from 3 degrees east to 13 degrees east which is the Eutelsat Hotbird satellite position, at this stage Eutelsat 3C will be renamed Eutelsat Hotbird 13D, it will operate at the 13 degrees satellite position together with the existing and identical Hotbird satellites which are Eutelsat 13B and Eutelsat Hotbird 13C, following Eutesat 13D's arrival at 13 degrees east the currently 13 degrees east Eutelsat 13A satellite will be surplus to requirements and will be moved to the 8 degrees east satellite position to serve the Middle East and North Africa,a t this stage Eutelsat Hotbird 13A will be renamed as Eutelsat 8 West B. This Eutelsat Hotbird satellite change couild posibly mean that viewers in remote edge of footprint areas of the current Eutelsat Hotbird 13A satellite beam may notice some changes in reception conditions when Eutelsat 13D takes over from Eutelsat 13A, some of the interesting free to air channels which are currently on Eutelsat 13A are "Thai Global Network", "BBC World News", "Rai's 1, 2, and 3", "ZDF", "RTL CH", "RTL 2 CH", "ARTE France", "TV 5 Monde", and many of the English language news channels, as I said, there is only a chance of viewers in very outlying areas of the Eutelsat Hotbird 13D footprint possibly being affected by different reception conditions following the transfer of these channels to Eutelsat 13 but having said that viewers who are well within the main footprint of Eutelsat Hotbird 13D may also se a change in reception conditions, a change for the better with improved signal on 13D in comparison with 13A as some of the frequencies on 13A can be slightly problematic with signal strengths at times, we will observe these Eutelsat changes with interest, the Eutelsat article in question can be found‚ HERE
UPDATE‚ 15/05/13 at 11.30 - "Eutelsat 3D" was yesterday successfully launched, see‚ HERE‚ , Eutelsat 3D will be become operational at the 3 degrees east satellite position following testing but this launch was relevant to the "Astra 2E" launch date because this launch was also‚ from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a "Proton-M/Briz-M" rocket launcher and upper stage combination and any sort of problem or delay with this one could have had a knock on effect for future same location launches which include "Astra 2E", it now transpires that following this successful launch of "Eutelsat 3D" that there is no delay to the currently scheduled July 19th launch of "Astra 2E", there is one further launch to come before the "Astra 2E" launch and that is the "SES-6" satellite which will be placed at the 40.5 degrees west satellite position, this satellite is‚ scheduled for launch on June the 3rd and any problems with this launch could have a knock on effect on the "Astra 2E" launch schedule, whilst I am not scaremongering but all the possibilities need to be covered
14/05/13 at 15.30 - "Eutelsat 3D" is a new satellite scheduled for launch later today scheduled at 16.02 GMT, you can see this launch on the "Eutelsat 3D" channel which has appeared on the Eutelsat Hotbird satellite at 13 degrees east frequency of 10.911 V, SR 27.500, FEC 3/4 DVB-S2 8PSK, this is a free to air and HD transmission. Eutelsat 3D will be become operational at the 3 degrees east satellite position following testing but this launch could be relevant to the "Astra 2E" launch date because this launch is also‚ from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a "Proton-M/Briz-M" rocket launcher and upper stage combination and any sort of problem or delay with this one could have a knock on effect for future same location launches which include "Astra 2E" on July the 19th
UPDATE 01/03/13 at 20.00 - Eutelsat 28.5 East Frequencies -
"Eutelsat" have released a press statement which reads as follows‚
"Statement on use by Eutelsat of German filing at 28.5‚° East"
"Paris, 28 February 2013 - Eutelsat and Deutsche Telekom AG have reached a final settlement to the dispute regarding the duration of Eutelsat's right to use a German filing at the 28.5‚° East orbital position, without prejudice to the parties' respective positions concerning the subject of the dispute."
"Both parties have consequently agreed that arbitration proceedings initiated in 2011 before the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce will be terminated. The Court of Arbitration is shortly expected to issue a decision by consent which will reflect the settlement agreed by both parties."
"The exact terms of the settlement will remain confidential."
It does not tell us much does it? And it was not on the Eutelsat website last night (the 28th) either! We must await The Court of Arbitration to shortly issue a decision‚ which will reflect the settlement agreed by both parties before we find out anymore but as this is a "final settlement" between "Eutelsat" and "Deutsche Telekom" one has to ask the following question - Has "Eutelsat" succeeded in it's argument that "Deutsche Telekom" (the original holder of the "28.5" frequencies) had no rights to transfer the "28.5" frequencies to "Media Broadcast" who subsequently sold these frequencies to "SES-Astra"? The answer may be yes and a "final settlement" of some sort was reached, what this "final settlement" consists of is currently unknown, we await further developments