SNG, Mobile Uplinks, Bonded Cellular and Downlinks

Ravens were installed to replace/augment the DVCam VTRs that were in SNG trucks for local recording and also for playout of rushes down-the-line.

Ravens allow trucks to record content locally and replay it in both SD and HD (or make it available to an edit also connected to the Raven in the truck) and can also playout SD or HD content from SxS, CF, SD cards etc directly to line - allowing cards to be taken from a camera and line-fed without needing the camera to be present. The Raven will also do an HD to SD down convert if required to feed HD rushes over an SD link.

I think they've used UKI-1 to receive feeds which wouldn't be possible on a smaller dish without an extra satellite hop.

It's also useful in dubious weather, less susceptible to rain issues.

This is a pic of UKI-1 at the Olympics, which gives a good idea of its scale.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/tveng/7699914822/in/search_QM_q_IS_uki-1_AND_mt_IS_all_AND_w_IS_all

Was Intelsat 10-02 at 1°W if I remember right.

The larger your dish, the higher your gain (assuming a decent quality) so UKI-1 will deliver reception of signals that smaller dishes will not receive as reliably, giving you more protection against heavy rain, allow more marginal paths to be used more reliably etc. The same is also true of uplinks. (UKI-1 is often used for both requirements)

UKI-1 is larger than the dishes mounted on top of SNG trucks - it's a separate large dish on a trailer. It can allow you to use paths that would otherwise need a large fixed downlink/uplink dish or a double-hop (adding cost and delay)

Thanks everyone, I kinda imagined that would be the case, but nice to have it explicitly stated.

There was a video from the old BBC Monitoring website that basically was "the bigger the dish the easier it is to receive distant signals". They showed how they were able to receive satellite signals from the Africa and the Middle East. They have a few 11 meter satellite dishes.

I wish I could find that video.

There's a similar video on the BT YouTube channel, showing some of the kit at their Madley earth station - including their 32-metre dishes.

777 is no more, 888 has gone to Leeds but 999 is still going. As is 1091- somehow! 888 and 1091 have had HD refreshes. Two new trucks haved replaced 777 & 888 but with less memorable numbers.

I've a feeling VSAT designation is determined by dish size and power. They don't have to be talked up in the way an SNG would, are often self seeking and auto negotiate with a hub at the downlink site. This makes them ideal for use by shoot / edits (one person operation) or those who aren't fully trained satellite engineers.

I've seen 1884, 1903 and 1904 from BBC News in HD maybe last two are the new trucks you speak of.

No maybe required

Not sure who owns 1884, don't think it's a BBC truck- not a London one anyway. You may see 613 - the (SD only, left hand drive) Brussels based truck which back fills in the UK.

UKI 1884 is a BBC Wales truck.