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> And Yahsat’s satellite hovers over the Middle East, making it harder for the Iranian government to jam the satellite’s signal as it’s broadcast directly down

> And Yahsat’s satellite hovers over the Middle East, making it harder for the Iranian government to jam the satellite’s signal as it’s broadcast directly down to Iranian dishes. Are some angles harder to block than others? Or do they just mean that satellites are hard to block in general?

detaro 11y ago
If you aim at a satellite very low over the horizon it would be easier to do disturb your reception with a terrestrial transmitter on the horizon line(?)
Hyperborian 11y ago
> Are some angles harder to block than others? As a matter of fact, yes. Satellite dishes have, by their very nature, a narrow "beam width" of reception. That's so that they can pick up the weak signals coming from satellites (which, having limited sources of power out in space, can't produce as strong a signal as terrestrial broadcasts), and it's why they have to be carefully pointed in order to receive that signal. In order to jam a signal and prevent someone from receiving it, you have to overpower it by aiming a signal of your own on the same frequency at their antenna. Since satellite dishes have such narrow reception beams, though, that means in order to jam them you need to get your signal out in front of the dish, so you can aim it directly in. If the dishes are pointed to the side, at a satellite near the horizon, that's not so hard to do. You just need to get your jamming transmitter up on a tower in the way and Bob's your uncle. If those dishes are pointed straight up, on the other hand... well, there's not much you can do without a capable space program. Iran is not exactly known for their extensive space program. :)
syedkarim 11y ago
It's always possible to saturate a satellite transponder by illegally uplinking to it. The Iranian government paid the Cuban government to do this a few years ago. I think they were jamming BBC content.

detaro 11y ago

If you aim at a satellite very low over the horizon it would be easier to do disturb your reception with a terrestrial transmitter on the horizon line(?)

Hyperborian 11y ago

> Are some angles harder to block than others? As a matter of fact, yes. Satellite dishes have, by their very nature, a narrow "beam width" of reception. That's so that they can pick up the weak signals coming from satellites (which, having limited sources of power out in space, can't produce as strong a signal as terrestrial broadcasts), and it's why they have to be carefully pointed in order to receive that signal. In order to jam a signal and prevent someone from receiving it, you have to overpower it by aiming a signal of your own on the same frequency at their antenna. Since satellite dishes have such narrow reception beams, though, that means in order to jam them you need to get your signal out in front of the dish, so you can aim it directly in. If the dishes are pointed to the side, at a satellite near the horizon, that's not so hard to do. You just need to get your jamming transmitter up on a tower in the way and Bob's your uncle. If those dishes are pointed straight up, on the other hand... well, there's not much you can do without a capable space program. Iran is not exactly known for their extensive space program. :)

syedkarim 11y ago

It's always possible to saturate a satellite transponder by illegally uplinking to it. The Iranian government paid the Cuban government to do this a few years ago. I think they were jamming BBC content.