Sun Interference with Satellite Signals
Satellite transmissions are subject to solar interference twice a year during the equinoxes and this is an unavoidable situation. The solar interference affects communication satellites, which pass in front of the Sun for a few minutes each day for several days straight around the time of the equinoxes. The exact dates vary depending on where the satellite is in the sky relative to the site where the signal is being downloaded. This outage occurs because the Sun produces massive amounts of microwave radiation which overwhelms the microwave signal coming from the satellite thus interrupting the signal coming into the satellite dishes.
Solar interference only affects the signal quality for a few moments to begin with at around the same time each day, for several days, with the interference getting longer and more pronounced. Then after a few days it gradually improves until the interference ends completely.The length of time the interference lasts can be affected by the viewer’s own dish set up and the strength of the satellite signal.
Below are the expected times for solar interference on the Thaicom 5 and Optus D2 satellites for Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea during March/April 2011.
Please note: The following information is a guide only. Exact times for temporary signal degradation have not been given as there are too many variables such as dish size, exact location of satellite dish, changes in daylight saving, etc., which affect the times for any given location and dish set up.
Thaicom 5 – for Australia only:
March 27 to April 9, 2011 in late afternoon/early evening.
Optus D2 – for Australia, New Zealand and PNG:
March 28 to April 9, 2011 midday to early afternoon.
Thaicom 5 outages will also affect Optus D2.