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SATELLITE WATCH Compiled by GARRY CRATT* Changes to BMAC services from Optus B3 Optus B3: . June 10 saw several changes to BMAC services on this satel­lite, affecting viewers in the Northern Territory and South Aus­tralia. ABC South Australia, ABC Northern Territory and Imparja have all moved in frequency and viewers using non-frequency agile Plessey receivers will need to upgrade their channel allocation chip, in order to tune the new frequencies. Details of all chang­es are carried on the ABC’s Internet web site at: http://ww.abc.net.au/corp/translist/ howtune.htm. Asiasat 2: Recent additions to this satellite include the American government broadcaster “Worldnet” at IF 1270MHz, horizontal polarity, 6.6MHz audio. This service previously operated on Intelsat 511 at 180°E. That service has now been discontinued. Another new broad­ caster on this satellite is “Baztab” TV, an Iranian program, broadcast Monday to Thursday from 2.45-4am AEST. Previously located on Arabsat 2B, this service operates at IF 1470MHz, horizontal polarity. Also sharing the same frequency is “ Mahuga Hadeen TV”, another Iranian broadcaster, which operates Monday to Thursday from 4-5am AEST. Recent changes to the Star TV digital service on this satellite saw the un­ encrypted Sky News UK and Star Plus movie channel disappear, presumably now operating with conditional access. These services were operating at 1250MHz IF. The ESPN digital feeder channel at 1450MHz is still operating “open key”. Panamsat 2: Several new stations appeared during June on this satel­lite. WCETV at IF 1250MHz, vertical polarity, 6.2/6.8 audio, appears to be a Chinese gambling channel operating daily from 11pm-6am AEST. AB Asia, a similar channel operates at 1335MHz IF, vertical polarity. Broadcaster TVSN has added Chinese and Japanese audio chan­ n els to their transponder, on The test pattern from Space TV Systems in Taiwan. 5.55MHz and 5.75MHz respectively. five Chinese channels and two hardThe broadcaster has added similar ad- core XX rated “Exxxstacy” channels. ditional audio subcarriers to their sig- By July 1, the two XX rated channels had been dropped but the others con­ nals on both Asiasat 2 and Palapa C2. tinue testing. One strange appearance on Pas 2 Space TV systems say their subK-band late in June was a 4-channel mence in digital bouquet that included Northern scription service will com­ Territory broad­caster Imparja and ABC September. Although details of the type of digital receiver required are Central. Signals appeared at 1000MHz unknown at present, the signal is IF, horizontal polarity. viewable during the test phase using Nokia, Panasat 630 and Hyundai digi­ Intelsat 802: Intelsat 802 was successfully tal receivers. launch­ed by Ariane V96 on June 25. The satellite will be deployed at 174°E, Gorizont 30: Papua New Guinea broadcaster replacing Intel­ sat 701, which will EMTV has added a new radio broadreplace Intelsat 511 at 180°E. I701 is sched­uled to commence operations at caster to its analog transponder. Loer frequency 180°E in September. These changes cated at audio subcarri­ will effectively eliminate the inclined 7.4MHz, the radio station is called 93FM and broad­ casts a mixture of orbit tracking now re­quired to receive English and local languages. I511. SC Intelsat 702 (177°E): Space TV Systems (Taiwan) commenced trials of their digital service in late June. Early test channels included * Garry Cratt is Managing Director of AvComm Pty Ltd, suppliers of satellite TV reception systems. Phone (02) 9949 7417. http://www.avcomm.com.au August 1997  53