Subscriber News | BJ HomeSat Network
Posted August 26, 2008
Dear BJ HomeSat subscriber,
We have just learned from our satellite provider that all dishes must be re-pointed to the new satellite by 9:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, August 30, 2008. This is earlier than we were told at first and reported to you. After 9:00 in the evening on Saturday, August 30, you will not be able to receive a signal from Galaxy 26.
If you miss content, please try to capture the second block feed later. Please check your Distance Learning Program Guide to see when your courses will be re-broadcast. If you don't have a printed guide, please go to www.bjupress.com/go/schedules and choose your time zone from the drop-down menu and hit "go."
We apologize, again, for this added inconvenience. We truly do.
Posted August 22, 2008
Dear BJ HomeSat Subscriber,
Were it not for faith in the Lord's goodness and wisdom, recent events might seem overwhelming to all of us. As we said in an earlier post on our website, we would not have chosen this time to report that our satellite provider is requiring a move to a different satellite. We completely understand that with school starting and with the next few months being crucial for those who are planning to record for future years, repointing satellite dishes poses a significant inconvenience.
To be completely transparent, this event poses major challenges for us as well. But we will maintain the satellite delivery through May 2009, and we will do everything we can to make the process of realigning the dishes as simple as possible.
Just to clarify what is happening, here is a short timeline of the past year. In September 2007, our satellite provider informed us that the Galaxy 25 had developed electrical issues on our part of the spacecraft making it unable to provide sufficient power to our network. They moved us to a sister satellite, Galaxy 26. This past week, then, we learned that Galaxy 26 has also developed power supply problems and would not be able to sustain our network operations. While there is a planned replacement for Galaxy 26, it is still some months from being operational.
Satellites are amazing technology, but, as with any technology, they are subject to unexpected difficulties and even failures. However, we had spent over eleven years on the Galaxy 25 satellite with no problem. And we are not the only users now to have been affected by the Galaxy 26 requirements. Satellite providers are somewhat quiet about anomalies that occur. Such things are not mainstream news stories unless large consumer media are involved. For example, when our first satellite (Galaxy IV) failed, National Public Radio and CBS television had to switch quickly, as did we.
The satellite dishes need to be repointed by Monday, September 1, 2008. During the transition, signal will be available on both satellites, but once the changeover is complete, you will no longer be able to receive signal from the current satellite.
To make this transition as efficient as possible, we have prepared a series of steps for you to follow. These steps have been posted at BJUPpress.com/satelliteupgrade along with other helpful information. Please check the site regularly for the latest information about this change.
If you do not have Internet access, please email us at satelliteupgrade@bjupress.com and we will send you the detailed instructions. You may also use this email address if you have specific questions about the change. Please use the new email address only for this purpose.
All other BJ HomeSat Network questions and comments should be sent to hsatinfo@bjupress.com . We ask that you check the website first. If you have followed the instructions there and are unsuccessful, then please do call, but please understand that there may be a queue of calls and a bit of a wait. We will be offering extended hours to provide technical support, if you should need help.
Steps for Repointing Your Satellite Dish
1. Perform a Default Reset on your receiver.
- Press MENU, and the Main Menu will appear.
- Select "Installation," and press OK.
- If prompted for a PIN code, enter 0000.
- Select "Factory Default" or "Default Settings" and press OK.
- If prompted for a PIN code, enter 0000.
- Select "YES" and press OK.
- Wait while the receiver changes the settings. When complete, press MENU and proceed to the next step.
3. Change the Manual Searching Parameters to the following new settings:
D/L Frequency - 11969
Note: The Quality will drop to zero when these setting are changed but will reappear once you have moved your dish over to the new satellite.
4. Before you move your dish, mark the current location of your dish on the pole and the position of the LNB. For more information, please go to BJUPpress.com/satelliteupgrade.
5. Point your dish at the new satellite.
- For specific coordinates go to SatCalculator.freehostia.com, select "Single Satellite," select "105o AMC15" under the drop-down, select location using either city or ZIP code, and select city or enter ZIP. Hit the calculate tab. Be sure to use magnetic azimuth.
- Adjust to the correct elevation. For example, if you are on the East or West Coast, adjust the elevation down 5 degrees; if you are in the Northwest, adjust up 5 degrees; and if you are more centrally located, the elevation adjustment will be minimal.
- Adjust the dish to the new azimuth, 14-20 degrees to the right. See BJUPpress.com/satelliteupgrade for more details.
7. Download channels according to the instructions in your installation manual. Verify that the DL frequency is 11969.
For more information and detailed instructions, please go to BJUPpress.com/satelliteupgrade.
Again, we apologize for this inconvenience. Please know that we are doing everything we can to meet your needs. This change in the satellite was an act of God, and we are taking it as part of His will for us. Certainly He has a good purpose in bringing events about as He has. Thank you for your patience and tolerance.
Subscriber News | BJ HomeSat Network
Posted August 22, 2008
HELP at Home Live
Shalom Ministries and the Critter Keeper
Friday, August 29, 2008
7:00 p.m. ET, Channel 4
Join Gary Moore and his guests for a fascinating first show of the year! Details.
Posted August 19, 2008
Dear BJ HomeSat subscriber,
No one could be more surprised than we are to need to write you again, the second time in little over a month, with other news about the satellite delivery of BJU Press Distance Learning.
We have just learned from our satellite provider that the satellite we are now using is losing strength rapidly and that our signal must move to a neighboring satellite. We had hoped that the satellite would be all right through next May. As you can imagine, this event was the last thing we wanted to announce to our customers at this point in the school year and just on the heels of the announcement that this was our last year of satellite broadcast.
Since we have already announced to subscribers that we would continue broadcasting this year to allow recording of what would be needed for the future, we will honor that promise and do what is necessary to keep transmitting. We do not have all the details yet, but we will let you know immediately when we do. Please keep checking here for updates.
We will do all we can to make the shift required for your dish as simple for you as possible. This failure of the satellite was an act of God and we are taking it as part of His will for us. Certainly He has a good purpose in bringing events about as He has. Thank you for your patience and tolerance.
Posted August 14, 2008
Beginning of School Year
August 18—BJ LINC Orientation and workshops begin. BJ LINC Orientation and Workshop Schedule Handouts 
Updated August 7, 2008
Beginning of School Year
- August 3–9—BJ HomeSat Network Orientation/Sampler Week. Program Guide
- August 10—Distance Learning K–12 prerecorded courses for the fall broadcast begin.
- August 17-23—The first week of Distance Learning K–12 prerecorded lessons will be rebroadcast. BJ LINC Supplemental Lessons will be broadcast during normal block-feed times. BJ LINC Supplemental Lessons Schedule
- August 18—BJ LINC Orientation and workshops begin. BJ LINC Orientation and Workshop Schedule
- August 24—Distance Learning K–12 prerecorded lessons will resume block-feed schedule (2nd week of actual lessons).
- August 24–30—BJ LINC Orientation and workshops will be rebroadcast during normal block-feed times.
- August 25—Fall daytime classes begin.
- August 31—BJ LINC block feeds will begin broadcasting.
Posted July 16, 2008
Special Announcement from BJU Press
On Tuesday, July 15, BJU Press mailed a letter to all our loyal satellite subscribers, explaining some coming changes in our satellite delivery method. Although the rapid progress of educational technology in recent years has required us to make some stewardship decisions, we have been careful to consider your needs as well.
The satellite broadcasts of our Distance Learning classes will continue through May 31, 2009. Current subscribers may record all classes that they need and keep the recordings as long as they wish, just paying the current subscription fee for as long as they use the recordings.
Although satellite delivery will be discontinued after May 31, 2009, our Distance Learning classes will continue to be available on DVD and Hard Drive. And we are researching other new ways to deliver our content.
We want to thank all our satellite subscribers for your enthusiastic participation in our satellite program. We hope you’ll continue to be part of our Distance Learning family as DVD or Hard Drive users.
We know you will have many questions about the changes in satellite delivery. Please look at our FAQ page for answers. Or give us a call. As always, we want to help you be successful in your homeschooling goals.
