Solar interference schedule. Attention! Autumn solar interference begins
Digital broadcasting
Analogue broadcasting
Channel One, Russia-Culture, St. Petersburg Channel 5, Radio Mayak 09.27 - 10.20.2018 from 13:37 to 14:41 maximum duration up to 10 minutes.
Russia-1, Radio Russia 07.10 - 19.10.2018 from 13:25 to 13:48 maximum duration up to 20 minutes. per day
Alena Mutovkina (Danilchenko): * On the topic of the day
Attention! Autumn solar interference begins
On September 27, a period of solar interference began in Russia. At this time, the Sun, the communications satellite and the receiving antenna of the ground-based satellite station are aligned on the same line, which leads to a deterioration in the quality of reception of television and radio channels from the satellite, up to complete loss. Interference is observed twice a year, for three and a half weeks from the days of the autumn and spring equinox (September 21 and March 21).
RTRS uses all available technical capabilities to minimize the influence of solar interference on the reception of television and radio channels by television viewers. For communication satellites located in different orbital positions, the time of adverse effects of solar interference is different. Therefore, RTRS branches organize local reception of television and radio channels from backup signal sources.
Both digital program packages (federal version of the first multiplex and the second multiplex) and direct broadcast satellites (program packages "Tricolor TV", "Tricolor TV Siberia", "NTV-Plus", "NTV-Plus" can be used as backup sources Vostok", "Continent TV", etc.).
Thanks to the reliable operation of modern RTRS equipment, the majority of Russian television viewers do not notice interference from year to year.
The influence of autumn solar interference on the reception of television and radio channels in the region
Program Interference period Interference time (local)
Digital broadcasting
The first multiplex RTRS-1, the second multiplex RTRS-2 09.29 - 10.20.2018 from 12:47 to 13:52 maximum duration up to 5 minutes.
On September 27, a period of solar interference will begin in Russia. At this time, the Sun, the communications satellite and the receiving antenna of the ground-based satellite station are aligned on the same line, which leads to a deterioration in the quality of reception of television and radio channels from the satellite, up to complete loss. Interference is observed twice a year, for three and a half weeks from the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes (September 21 and March 21).
RTRS uses all available technical capabilities to minimize the influence of solar interference on the reception of television and radio channels by television viewers. For communication satellites located in different orbital positions, the time of adverse effects of solar interference is different. Therefore, RTRS branches organize local reception of television and radio channels from backup signal sources. Both digital program packages (federal version of the first multiplex and the second multiplex) and direct broadcast satellites (program packages “Tricolor TV”, “Tricolor TV Siberia”, “NTV-Plus”, “NTV-Plus” can be used as backup sources Vostok", "Continent TV", etc.).
Thanks to the reliable operation of modern RTRS equipment, the majority of Russian television viewers do not notice interference from year to year.
In the Tyumen region, including the Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrugs, interference will be observed from September 27 to October 21.
The influence of autumn solar interference on the reception of television and radio channels in the region
| Program | Interference period | Interference time (local) |
|---|---|---|
| Digital broadcasting First multiplex, second multiplex | 27.09 - 20.10.2017 | |
| First multiplex (Reserve) | 27.09 - 20.10.2017 | from 12:47 to 13:52 maximum duration up to 5 minutes. per day |
“NTV+2”, “STS” +2, “STS Love” +2, “CHE” | 06.10 - 18.10.2017 | from 12:50 to 13:26 maximum duration up to 12 minutes. per day |
| "Match TV", "TV Center Ural" | 05.10. - 19.10.2017 | from 10:19 to 11:12 maximum duration up to 12 minutes. per day |
| Analogue terrestrial television broadcasting “1 channel Orbita-4”, “Russia 1”, “Russia-K”, “Petersburg 5 channel” Terrestrial radio broadcasting “Radio Russia”, “Mayak”, “Vesti-FM” | 27.09. - 20.10.2017 | from 13:37 to 14:41 maximum duration up to 5 minutes. per day |
| Analogue terrestrial television broadcasting “Russia 1+GTRK”, “Russia-24” Terrestrial radio broadcasting "Radio Russia+GTRK" | 06.10 - 21.10.2017 | from 13:24 to 13:50 maximum duration up to 20 minutes. per day |
Owners of satellite dishes sooner or later are faced with the concept of “solar interference”. This usually happens in the first year of operation of the antenna, when the provider himself warns users about the possibility of signal loss for precisely this reason. Let's figure out what it is and why the radio signal transmission deteriorates or disappears altogether.
What is solar interference
Any star, including our Sun, emits not only visible light energy, but also radio waves in the centimeter range. When the sun is in direct line with the satellite and satellite TV antennas, signal reception is impossible. This is all due to the fact that the Sun creates interference, and the transponder signals are simply blocked by noise from the Sun.
When does this happen
This phenomenon occurs 2 times a year - in autumn and spring. It is during these seasons that solar interference can be observed. Most often, this phenomenon occurs within 3.5 weeks from the days of the spring and autumn equinox. During this time it makes an annual journey, crossing the plane of the equator.
In February and March, interference first affects earth stations located in northern latitudes, then affects more southern receiving stations. At the equator, the most significant event falls on September 21 (equinox). The zone then moves to the southern hemisphere. It is the southern receiving stations that are the last to experience the influence of solar interference, which ends 3.5 weeks after the spring equinox.
In August, September, and October the picture is reversed, because the Sun begins to move in the opposite direction - to the Southern Hemisphere from the Northern. During this period, the interference period for each station lasts for one week. Every day during this time interference occurs. Moreover, in the morning, eastern communication satellites are influenced, and in the evening - western ones.
How does it manifest itself?
At first, with a weak influence, weak noises may appear on the TV screen, which become strong during the day. At the very peak of solar interference, there is absolutely no signal from the satellite. Therefore, you should not worry about this and think that something is broken or the antenna has moved to the side. Everything is fine with you, and this phenomenon is completely normal.
What to do
At the very peak of the signal, in the middle of a sunny day, it is advisable to move the antenna away from the satellite line altogether. This is done to prevent the plastic parts of the irradiators from melting. This may result in complete breakdown of the converter electronics. Because of this, aluminum reflectors are very “successful” in concentrating the sun’s rays at a focal point.
So if you notice severe interference or complete loss of signal from the satellite, check with your provider to determine whether solar interference has occurred or whether the signal is being lost for another reason. If this is an interference effect, then go up to the roof (or wherever you have an antenna installed) and move it to the side. And then let it have to be aimed at the satellite again. This is better than spending money on new converter electronics. Although there are simpler ways. For example, you can simply cover the antenna with something opaque that does not let the sun's rays through.
Harm from solar interference
First of all, radio stations and television companies that relay the signal from the satellite onto the air suffer from solar interference. As a result of this phenomenon, they lose the signal, which is fraught with defects on air and loss of ratings. Therefore, all self-respecting companies prepare alternative signal sources and switch to them before solar interference takes full effect.
Stations that receive radio signals from the Express and Horizon satellites are also affected. A special feature of these satellites is their movement in an inclined orbit. Pansat XR4600D, Drake ESR-700 and ESR2000XT-plus receivers are used to receive the signal. As a result of interference, these receivers can “lose” satellites and begin tracking the sun. Therefore, it is necessary to program the receivers in advance for the specified satellites as stationary and turn off tracking when such a phenomenon occurs. Once the interference wears off, the receivers must be reprogrammed to these satellites as inclined orbit satellites. All these actions need to be performed 2 times a year, and this is an extra effort. However, if not used, you can simply switch it to Stanby mode for the duration of solar interference.
Last but not least, the stations receiving signals from the Express and Horizon satellites with inclined orbits suffer. Occasionally, tracking table data may be checked during interference. If at this time the controller is pointed at the Sun, it will spoil the entire row of the table. As a result, repeated disruption of signal reception cannot be avoided even if the interference ends on the second day. Therefore, the controller is disconnected from the network in advance and, after normal reception conditions are restored, it is turned on again. The main thing is not to miss this moment.
Regular users who use large diameter antennas may also suffer. In clear weather, the sun's rays are focused on the converter using this very antenna. The converter becomes hot and may melt. This will cause it to fail, and the user will have to replace it with a new one. Therefore, watch out for solar interference and when it occurs, either move the antenna to the side or cover it with cardboard or opaque film. Otherwise, the sun's radiation from the antenna will melt the receivers.
Determination of interference time
There are special programs for the onset of solar interference. One of them is called Look, and it is distributed free of charge on the Internet. The program is simple and even primitive, it simply shows the exact date when the interference will be maximum. You can also use it to find out the first and last days of the interference “session”. To do this, you need to count the number of days back and forth from the specified date. The number of these days is also determined by the program depending on the specified diameter and range of the antenna. But it is worth noting that this program only works with receiving stations in the Northern Hemisphere.
Interference Determination Calculator
If you haven’t found or don’t want to download the above program, you can use an online calculator. It is presented on the PanAmSat website. However, to work with it you need to have some data.
For example, you need to know the orbital position of the satellite (you can select from the search or enter manually), the coordinates of the receiving station (you can select your city listed in the list), frequency range, antenna diameter, season. If you have all this data, you need to enter it into the online calculator and click “Calculate”. The program will show the start and end times of the interference. All data will be provided in HTML format, so you can print it out and hang it on your wall to always remember it.
Features of working with the calculator
Note that although this program is focused more on the USA, it works for all receiving stations. However, there are some features of working with this program:
- When entering antenna diameter, you must enter values with decimal places, using a period rather than a comma. Otherwise, the program will freeze and will not be able to calculate anything.
- Satellite positions are indicated in degrees west longitude from 0 to 360 W (west of Therefore, for satellites in the Eastern Hemisphere, you must enter values with a minus sign.
- Also, don't get confused about dates. In the USA they write the date like this: “month-day-year”. We are used to indicating the date like this: “day-month-year”.
Usually this calculator is quite enough to accurately calculate the onset of interference and its end. But if you can’t figure it out, then visit thematic forums on satellite television. There are usually topics for determining interference for different cities. Moreover, some providers warn users about the onset of this period and even give advice on how to “survive” it correctly.
1. You can use the simple calculator program look.exe, which is distributed free of charge on the Internet from ftp://mckibben.com/look.exe. This is an MS DOS program and does not require installation. The program is primitive, it only gives the date when the duration of the interference is maximum and the time of the middle of the interference “session”. To determine the first and last days of interference, it is necessary to count back and forth from the received date the number of days determined by the same program based on the antenna diameter and range. The same must be done with time to obtain the earliest start time and latest end time of the interference. The program only works for receiving stations in the Northern Hemisphere.
2. The in-line calculator located on the PanAmSat website is much more convenient. To calculate the interference time, you need to enter the orbital position of the satellite (or select a satellite from the list), geographic coordinates of the receiving station (or select a city from the list - there are even Russian cities!!!), select the frequency range (C-Ku), season (spring -autumn), enter the antenna diameter in meters, year and click the Calculate button. The program will display a schedule of start time, end time and duration of interference by day. It can be obtained as a separate html file to be printed or saved to disk; to do this, you just need to click the Print/Save As button.
The program works for any point on Earth, but it is focused on US receiving stations, so when entering data you must take into account some features:
o The orbital positions of the satellites are calculated in degrees West longitude in a circular measure from 0 to 360 W (from the Greenwich meridian to the West). For satellites located above the Eastern Hemisphere, it is necessary to enter the value of eastern longitude with a minus sign, or recalculate eastern longitude in a semicircular measure to western longitude in a circular measure: W = 360 - E
o The longitude of the receiving point must also be entered in degrees west longitude in a circular measure. For the Eastern Hemisphere, it is necessary to put a “minus” before the value of eastern longitude, or convert it to western longitude using the same formula.
o When entering antenna diameter, use a period rather than a comma to separate decimal places. When entering a number with a comma, the program freezes.
o It should be remembered that Americans write the date: month-day-year, not day-month-year.
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Here and below, all indicators related to ground equipment are assigned the index “z”, and indicators related to on-board equipment are assigned the index “b”; values related to the Earth-satellite section have the index “l”, those related to the satellite-Earth section have the index “2”.
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