Satellites have max 20 watts transmit!


Just saw this statistic in a NASA video about the Deep Space Array.
Turns out that due to limitations in power gathering, etc. satellites transmit power is only about 20 watts! That is true even for deep space probes which have already breached the limits of the solar system.

Wow.

Imagine being able to see a 20 watt light bulb at Saturn from here.
erik_squires
rodman999993,336 posts12-04-2018 9:24pmConvert you to what, a beam of dark? Can you tell me, whether the universe, is one in need of dark matter, to reach a mathematical equilibrium, just one in a multiverse, or(lately) a hologram, created through information generated by vibrating strings? All the prior vastly simplified, of course. I really thought it was funny, when they expected the weight of the Higgs Boson, to lend credence to either of the first two of the theories and it weighed pretty much dead center of the two expected parameters. I’m simply pointing out that no one can tell me, with certainty(YET), much of anything, regarding this universe. Everyone can’t be correct, can they? It’s not that I can’t be convinced. Just difficult to, given the possibilities. I didn’t intend to turn this thread into another soap. Won’t happen again(I may have said that before). Just trying to have some fun in here(for a change) and it backfired.

>>>>I honestly don’t know what you’re hyperventilating about. I just gave examples of things that are known about the universe. I never said we know everything. Cut me some slack, Jack.
Great article!   Even mentioned my neighborhood(the warped side of the universe).
@geoffkait 

That’s because of the very high gain receivers at the other end. You have to account for free space loss.


Wrongo Geoffy.  Terrestrial GNSS receivers detect the unique pseudo random code that modulates the L1 carrier to ensure they are tracking the same satellite(s) consistently. Others use DSP to lower the noise floor. Hel-loo! High gain signal amplification will (rpt will) amplify noise as well as the signal, a self-defeating means to an end. Get on the knowledge train Geoffy 🚂 🚂 🚂 Toot! Toot!
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TBF, antennas are often described as "high gain" so I’m not sure Geoff was speaking purely about active amplification.

With up to 70m wide dishes, I’m sure those antennas are of extremely high gain, not to mention the digital signal processing and at least some electronic gain that occurs down the pipeline.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Deep_Space_Network#Antennas



Best,
E