In our modern world, we take satellite communications for granted, often using the technology without even realising it. This is a two part introductory course in basic satellite communications.

The morning session is aimed at people with a basic electronics background and covers the basic principles, applications and limitations of satellite communications. The afternoon session is aimed at communication technicians and provides an in depth continuation of topics introduced in the morning.

Virtually all satellite services are going digital, whether they be carrying telephony, video or internet traffic. Whilst the principle of transmission is the same for terrestrial or analogue traffic routes, the upgrade to digital satellite communications involves many inter-related technologies (Datacoms, RF, Microwave etc.)

The course is aimed at communication engineers and technicians, who wish to add digital satellite communications to their capabilities. This is our most popular course, having been presented internationally on many occasions.

Since deregulation of the telecommunications market, the number of “newcomers” to the satellite industry has meant a shortage of suitably trained technicians and engineers.

This course encompasses both a “classroom” and a “hands on” approach to providing the candidate with the necessary skills to commission and “fault find” a modern digital satellite earth station.

A satellite link relies heavily on the parameters not only of the satellite, but also on the earth station’s technical specification and its geographical location.

Accurate calculation of the link budget is necessary if the earth station is not to be undersized or indeed oversized for a particular application.

Contractual service agreements often include bit error rate performance requirements over the period of a year, a system that works well in summer may fail to meet such requirements during heavy winter rains. Link budgeting must take into account such variations in parameters.

This course was first held in 1998 and has been updated to reflect modern trends in satellite communications.