UHF-Satcom.com - Syracuse 3A / 3B X-Band monitoring                                                                      updated: (15/12/2006 09:25:37 -0000)

 Syracuse 3B was successfully launched into Geostationary orbit on the 13th August 2006. It was seen testing at 5 degrees West about 6 weeks later. The satellite replaces Telecom 2C which has been moved to 3.1 degrees East.

The Syracuse series of satellites have 9 X 40MHz wide transponders in the X-band, and 6 X 40MHz transponders operating at EHF. Syracuse and France should supply 45% of the space segment requirements for NATO, with the UK Skynet programme supplying 45% and the Italian Sicral supplying 10% of X-band capability. Sicral supplies 100% of the UHF capability, but Skynet UHF transponders are operating in reserve. There are some brief notes on Syracuse in the PDF. Syracuse 3A resides at 47 degrees East. Photos of Syracuse terminals and uplink stations are available on the restricted satcom-info page

 
47 East		7268.000	PSK
Syracuse 3A RHC	7269.000	PSK
		7272.000	PSK
		7273.000	Weak PSK
		7284.000	Beacon / Continuous carrier
		7300.300	PSK
		7301.100	PSK
		7302.750	PSK
		7326.500	PSK with pilot tone at CF
		7327.000	PSK with pilot tone at CF
		7328.200	PSK
		7329.700	PSK
		7378.000	PSK
		7433.100	Wide PSK
		7435.600	Wide PSK
		7500.500	PSK
		7507.500	Wide PSK
		7512.000	PSK
		7533.925	Narrow band PSK
		7554.075	PSK
		7554.400	PSK
		7554.750	PSK
		7612.200	PSK modem (idle)
		7616.700	PSK modem (idle)
		7720.000	DSSS TT&C (Identical to 7560/7580 from Telecom 2x)
		7737.500	TT&C generated on board the satellite (sidebands at +-40Khz, +-82KHz)
		
5 West		7269.996	transponder testing (transponder 7250-7290)
Syracuse 3B	7287.000	PSK
		7320.000	transponder testing (transponder 7299-7341)
		7370.000	transponder testing (transponder 7349-7391)
		7420.000	transponder testing (transponder 7399-7441)
		7470.000	transponder testing (transponder 7449-7491)
		7520.000	transponder testing (transponder 7499-7541)
		7570.000	transponder testing (transponder 7549-7591)
		7620.000	transponder testing (transponder 7599-7641)
		7662.500 	Weak continuous carrier with sidebands (may be from XTAR-EUR)
		7670.000	transponder testing (transponder 7649-7691)
		7705.000	DSSS TT&C Beacon (Identical to 7560MHz/7580MHz from Telecom 2x)
		7722.500	TT&C Beacon generated on board the satellite (sidebands at +-40Khz, +-82KHz)
Note: 27.9.06 - testing through transponder's with carrier increasing in 1MHz steps
 

Note: 28.9.06 - 'two-tone' IMD checks taking place with carriers at 2MHZ spacing in the transponder centre
 
   
Note: 28.9.06 - 8MHz wide QPSK / PSK modem tests taking place in the 7649-7691 transponder - modem indicates no data
 

Note: 6.10.06 - Full bandwidth transponder testing is taking place. 8 of 9 transponders up
   
Note: 7.10.06 - Further transponder tests, using sweepers etc. Some user traffic is seem just to the left of the first transponder. Also, far right is the 7705 MHz TT&C beacon.

There is an estimated 8 MHz guard band between transponders.
   
Massively strong signals from the output of the 7GHz LNA on 7.5GHz.
   
7570.000 MHz transponder tests via Syracuse-3B at 5west - note the high phase noise of the programmable synthesiser.