Background - VuQube V10 Installation And Operating Manual

Background

Satellites used for television signals are 22,300 miles (37,000 km) above the
earth's equator. The purpose of the Vu Qube is to acquire the signal traveling
that great distance and transmit the signal to the digital receiver in your
vehicle, so you can watch TV anywhere you park.
Satellite television, like other communications relayed by satellite, starts with
a transmitting antenna located at an uplink facility on Earth. The uplink dish
is pointed toward a specific satellite and the uplinked signals are transmitted.
The signal transmitted to the satellite is within a specific frequency range and
is received by one of the transponders tuned to that frequency range aboard
that satellite. The transponder then transmits the signals back to Earth but at a
different frequency band (to avoid interference with the uplink signal). The leg
of the signal path from the satellite to the receiving Earth station, in this case
the Vu Qube, is called the downlink.
The downlinked satellite signal, quite weak after traveling a great distance is
received by the Vu Qube antenna, which reflects the weak signal to a focal
point that gets transferred to a feedhorn. The receiving antenna must have
a clear view, without obstruction, of the southern sky to maximize the
signal acquired. This signal is then amplified and converted by the LNBf
(Low-noise block converter feed) to a signal that is sent via a co-axial cable to
the receiver. Once the signal is transmitted from the Vu Qube to your receiver,
you can enjoy satellite television programming in your vehicle just like at home!
Vu Qube 3 V10-6/1007