I have many fond C-Band memories from '83-'87. We would sign-off after CBS Late Night. Then we would crank the dish around to have something up while we were doing studio/transmitter maintenance. We would usually end up with VH-1 punched up on the Quad tape machine monitors. I remember when the sources started switching from in the clear to mostly VideoCipher II. I think some went with SA B-MAC. We used to scramble our signal at night for "Preview Subscription TV", using the Zenith SSAVI system (Sync Suppression Active Video Inversion). I spent quite some time watching the VC II scrambled signal drift through on a monitor switched to House Sync. Back then, 110 degree LNAs were about the best you would get and I don't think they were using LNBs yet. Of course, you could only get 24 video programs per bird with usually 5.8, 6.2, or 6.8 MHz audio subcarriers. Nothing like the density for DBS.
Thanks for triggering some synapses that I haven't used in years, Trumpy!
Joe
