C band

C band is a name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as a range of wavelengths of light, used for communications. The IEEE C band and its variations, in particular, are microwave ranges used for certain satellite television broadcasts, and by some Wi-Fi devices, cordless phones, and weather radars. For satellite communications, the lower frequencies used by C Band perform better under adverse weather conditions than the Ku band or Ka band frequencies. [ [http://www.tech-faq.com/c-band.shtml What is C Band] page from tech-faq (accessed Aug. 14, 2008)]

NATO C band

The NATO C band is that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between 500 MHz and 1000 MHz.

IEEE C band

The IEEE C band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies ranging from 4 to 8 GHz. [Peebles, Peyton Z. Jr, (1998), "Radar Principles", John Wiley and Sons, Inc., p 20.] .

It was the first frequency band allocated for commercial ground-to-satellite communications. A typical C band satellite uses 3.7–4.2 GHz for downlink, and 5.925–6.425 GHz for uplink. C band is primarily used for open satellite communications, whether for full-time satellite TV networks or raw satellite feeds, although subscription programming also exists. This use contrasts with direct broadcast satellite, which is a completely closed system used to deliver subscription programming to small satellite dishes connected to proprietary receiving equipment.

C band is highly associated with TVRO satellite reception systems, commonly called "big dish" systems since small receiving antennas are not optimal for C-band systems. Typical antenna sizes on C-band capable systems ranges from 7.5 to 12 feet (2.5 to 3.5 meters) on consumer satellite dishes, although larger ones also can be used.

The 5.4GHz band (5.15–5.35/5.47–5.725/5.725–5.875 GHz) is used for IEEE 802.11a Wi-Fi and cordless phone applications, leading to occasional interference with C band weather radars.

C band variants

Slight variations of C band frequencies are approved for use in various parts of the world.

Optical communications C band

"C band" is also used in optical communications to refer to the wavelength range 1530 nm to 1565 nm.

See also

*Big ugly dish
*Communications satellite
*Satellite dish
*Television receive-only
*4DTV

Notes