OLAR OUTAGES DISRUPT TV 

AS WE ENTER THE HIGHLY TECHNOLOGICAL INFORMATION AGE WE ALL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN. ONE SMALL BUT ANNOYING CLASH BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND NATURE THAT WE WILL HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH -- AT LEAST ALL OF US WHO WATCH TELEVISION -- ARE "SOLAR OUTAGES".

WHEN TV CAME MAINLY FROM A LOCAL TERRESTRIAL TV TOWER AND PROVIDING YOU HAD A DECENT ANTENNAE OR WERE ON CABLE YOU WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT SOLAR OUTAGE'. TODAY IT IS DIFFERENT. MUCH PROGRAMMING, ESPECIALLY OVER CABLE IS TRANSMITTED VIA SATELLITE TO THE 'HEAD END' OF THE CABLE NETWORK IN EACH COMMUNITY. SO NOW WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN THE SUN AND THE SATELLITE AFFECTS VIEWING. A SEMI- ANNUAL PHENOMENON IS KNOWN AS 'SOLAR OUTAGE':

TERRESTRIAL 'EARTH STATIONS' OR SATELLITE DISHES ARE DESIGNED TO PICK UP AND CONCENTRATE AT THEIR FOCAL POINT VERY WEAK SIGNALS SENT FROM 22,300 MILES OUT IN SPACE. FAINT SIGNALS ARE AMPLIFIED 100,000 TIMES BY THE HIGH TECH DEVICE IN FRONT OF THE DISH KNOWN AS THE LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER OR LNA.

HOWEVER WHEN THE SUN IN ITS DAILY EAST TO WEST PASSAGE ACROSS THE SKY MOVES BEHIND A COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE PROBLEMS DEVELOP. FORTUNATELY BECAUSE THE SUN IS MOVING RAPIDLY IN RELATION TO THE APPARENTLY 'FIXED' SATELLITE THE PROBLEM IS OF SHORT DURATION. AND IT ONLY HAPPENS TWICE A YEAR IN EACH HEMISPHERE.

THE SUN IS ALSO TRANSMITTING ENERGY IN A WIDE RANGE OF FREQUENCIES AND WITH FAR, FAR HIGHER POWER OUTPUTS THAN ANY MERE SATELLITE. WHEN THE SUN IS DIRECTLY BEHIND A SATELLITE ITS ENERGY RAYS BEAM DOWN INTO THAT DISH AND CREATE AN OVERLOAD THAT AT FIRST RAISES THE STATIC OR BACKGROUND NOISE ABOVE TOLERABLE LEVELS AND FINALLY MAY TOTALLY OBLITERATE THE PARTICULAR PROGRAM THAT THE SATELLITE IS AT THAT MOMENT TRANSMITTING. SUCH SOLAR OUTAGES ALWAYS OCCUR WITHIN 3.5 WEEKS OF THE EQUINOXES ON MARCH 21 AND SEPTEMBER 22. NORTHERN LATITUDES GET IT FIRST IN THE SPRING DURING FEBRUARY. THEN THE AFFECTED ZONE MOVES SOUTH UNTIL IT HITS THE EQUATOR DURING THE EQUINOX ON MARCH 21. A SIMILAR SITUATION THEN OCCURS IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE DURING THE REST OF MARCH AND PART OF APRIL. THE WHOLE PROCEDURE IS REVERSED AS THE SUN MOVES IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

SO WHEN HEAVY STATIC, SNOW OR EVEN TOTAL LOSS OF PICTURE OCCURS DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET. IT WILL BE BACK TO NORMAL WITHIN THREE TO 18 MINUTES. THIS WILL HAPPEN TO EVERY SATELLITE ONCE A DAY. YOU MAY NOT BE TUNED IN TO THE PROGRAM FROM AN AFFECTED SATELLITE EVEN ONCE DURING THE OUTAGE SEASON OR YOU COULD BE UNLUCKY ENOUGH TO CATCH SEVERAL. MORE INFORMATION: MANNAMEDIA CORP., 996 S. ROBB WAY, LAKEWOOD, CO 80226.

PHONE: (303) 989-9562.

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