The satellite downlink beam coverage maps show contour lines where each line refers to a particular power level from the satellite. The lines are marked with EIRP values like 45 dBW, 44 dBW, 43 dBW, 42dBW etc in decending order from the maximum.
The highest number, towards the middle of the coverage map shows where the downlink beam is strongest and most easy to receive. In the centre of the beam a smaller receive dish on the ground is required. As you move further away from the beam peak the beam becomes less powerful and a larger dish is required. A 3 dB reduction in power level (like going down from 45 dBW to 42 dBW) means you need a receive dish of 2 times the area. A 6 dB reduction requires a receive dish with 4 times the area.
The expression dBW refers to the power radiated from the satellite in the direction towards the contour line.
EIRP means Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power. 45 dBW is the same as 10^(45/10) = 31622 watt transmitter feeding an omni-directional antenna.
In practice, an EIRP contour of 43 dBW could be produced by a satellite using a 200 watt transmitter (200W = 10log(200) dBW = 23 dBW) plus a satellite transmit down antenna with a gain of 22 dBi (maximum) but on the -2 dB beam contour.
Sometimes you may see satellite coverage maps marked with G/T and PFDsat contours. These are uplink maps and refer to the sensitivity of the satellite receive system to signals sent up from the ground. This is of particular importance to satellite internet access services since it is desirable to keep the personal satellite earth station as low size and with as low power transmitter as possible, yet powerful enough to get a good signal into the satellite. If the satellite uplink is very good (high G/T) then it can pick up weaker signals from your little transmit dish.
G/T contours are typically +4 dBK +3 dBK +2 dBK etc. The beam peak number varies a good deal according to the size of the coverage beam. Small spot beams receiving from just the area of one country have much higer G/T than larger regional zone or hemi or global beams.
G/T means gain to noise temperature ratio. Gain is simply the gain (in dBi) of the satellite receive (uplink) antenna with consideration of what contour you are on. The temperature is the system noise temperature of the satellite receive system. This will primarily be the satellite LNA noise temperature plus the earth surface temperature (approx) which, of course, is fully visible to the beam from the satellite.
PFDsat contours follow the G/T contours exactly. PFDsat is the uplink power flux density required at the satellite to saturate a transponder. So if you put up sufficient power to achieve that PFD you will just saturate the transponder. Note the PFDsat is altered to suit the use of the transponder by selecting on board gain step settings using telecommand.
For the satellite internet outlink DVB-S carrier, a high PFDsat is better since this forces the large hub dish to transmit a more powerful uplink signal, thus maximising the uplink C/N and reducing the potential for interference.
For the satellite internet return links you need a low PFDsat to keep the customer dishes small and transmitter costs down but you can't go too far otherwise you pick up too much noise and interference from the ground.
* Please note that export of ViaSat LinkStar to Iran is not allowed. Coverage areas do not imply that operation is allowed everywhere within the beam.
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