ABSTRACT
A major task when setting up an SNG unit is ‘acquiring the bird’ – that is locking onto the booked satellite. The satellite occupies a fixed position relative to earth and its azimuth and elevation will be relative to the position of the uplink. To establish a link it is essential that the precise position of the SNG unit is fixed. Vehicle mounted SNG equipment and some flyaway units are equipped with automatic acquisition facilities. The position of the SNG unit can be calculated by one or a combination of three methods.
