Acires.24 net.followup utzoo!decvax!cca!hplabs!menlo70!hao!cires!harkins@sri-unix Wed Apr 28 13:33:06 1982 more.Watchit!! re: Chris Kent's Watchit!! you are confusing local microwave redistribution of satellite signals with the satellite sys itself; generally though, you're right; some signals are already going out encrypted, such as live heavyweight fights in the microwave "pirate" dish case, those will be obsoleted by putting HBO(for example) onto the local cable system as soon as possible; all the little microwave dishes will be either useless or taken back by the legal HBO provider in that town (those are usually leased) re: 3 meter or so satellite dishes; encryption is coming, but probably only on the "premium" services; worse though, is the probable changing of the satellite spacing at geosynch orbit; they're now at 4 degrees, which gives only a dozen or so slots that can see the whole U.S.; the move is to go to 2 degrees, which'll double the number of parking spaces up there; that means that your 3 m dish will no longer have the required "resolution", ie, it'll possibly get two birds at the same time with the net effect of garbage. on the bright side, it seems likely that there'll be retrofit kits for the 3 meter units, ie, bigger dish and new geometry mounting for the receiver itself... stay tuned, but don't buy yet is my advice ernie harkins ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.