# bird - antenna or satellite on a news van



## iheartL&O

I need your help pleeeeeeeease! 

I am translating a story about a newscast. Because it very windy, they are having trouble getting up the 'bird" -which I assume is the antenna or satellite on top of the van like the one in this link http://steamykitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/ultimate-breakfast-pancake-feature-3.jpg (but I'm not 100% sure)-. When the bird falls the live newscast is interrupted.

¿Alguna idea de cómo se llama esta antena en español? if anybody knows how its called in Spanish news jargon, that would be great!


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## frida-nc

Hi:
In this glossary: http://www.tecweb.org/eddevel/telecon/glossary.pdf, I found:
_Communications Satellite: Relay system in orbit above earth for telecommunications
signals (voice, video, data); require earth stations to transmit and receive signals at the
ground locations. Commonly called a "bird."_

I see that various satellites are called "Early Bird," "Hot Bird," "Eurobird," etc.; but for your general term I think just *satélite* would be fine.
Good luck.


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## iheartL&O

Oh Frida,

Thank you so much for your explanation and for the link. It was very helpful. Would it be ok to translate it: *antena*? When I think of *satélite *I imagine something in the sky orbiting the earth.


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## frida-nc

Hmmm, well, I am definitely not an expert.
Another glossary entry:http://www.magicyellow.com/category...ellite_Service_and_Repair/Van_Tassell_WY.html *

Bird:* Bird is a slang term that is used by satellite TV  providers. A bird is a satellite that is in orbit around the earth and  transmits TV signals.

However, if your context does not permit that interpretation of "bird," you will have to go with what makes sense.  Someone may be using the term loosely or wrongly.  If you give  the exact sentence, perhaps some clarity will result.  I will transfer this to Specialized Terminology, where many of our experts look first.

Cheers.


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## iheartL&O

ok, thanks a million.


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## k-in-sc

Are you sure they're referring to the antenna? Usually a "bird" is a satellite, as Frida says. What is the sentence?


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## iheartL&O

Its mentioned several times throughout the text. Here are some examples:
But the wind's making it tough to keep up the bird.
We lost the bird!
The bird is up.


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## frida-nc

Here's a document that uses "bird" for antenna: 
http://www.stanford.edu/~straussd/palmer/index.html

(look at Day 5)

so I guess it's probably legitimate, by extension from the original meaning.


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## iheartL&O

Guau Frida,
 Gracias. Aqui veo bird y antenna intercambiarse. Aprecio mucho tu interes en ayudarme. Un abrazo.


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## k-in-sc

frida-nc said:


> Here's a document that uses "bird" for antenna:
> http://www.stanford.edu/~straussd/palmer/index.html
> 
> (look at Day 5)
> 
> so I guess it's probably legitimate, by extension from the original meaning.


That's some good searching. How did you find that?


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## frida-nc

Ah well, searched "bird" and "antenna" together in Google to see if I could find a relationship.  Pretty basic.


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## phantom2007

Note that the document linked by Frida is not formal language. Also, the antenna they are referring to is a VLF type (Very Low Frequency) and most probably not related to satellites at all.

This case  is an exception and still believe the slang meaning of Bird" is "Satellite" and not its antenna. 

But for a nontechncal person, however, it could be difficult to be able to separate the earth/ground segment (the antennas and ground transposer or receiver) from the space segment [the satellite(s)].


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## k-in-sc

It seems to me that both the OP's TV crew and somebody from Stanford University setting up a transmitter in Antarctica are likely to know the jargon as well as anyone.


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## iheartL&O

Hmmm... so are you guys telling me I should say 'satelite' just to be safe?


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## phantom2007

I think I have found the reason of the apparent confusion among satellites, their antennas and radio communications in general:

It is usual to use "the xxx is up" to say that xxx has reached operative conditions. A typical use of this expression is with UNIX servers (and its opposite, "the server is down)"

Somehow this expression migrated to the TV industry and now, "the bird is up" means "El satélite está listo" (para operar). Actually it is not the satellite that has changed in any sense or made any internal configuration; basically communications satellites are just transponders (receiver + transmitters) and they are permanently ready. 

 What is actually ready to use is the ground station (the News van). But we could think the meaning in clear could be "the satellite service (or link) is ready to be used."

In this case, el "satélite está listo" creo que sería suficiente.


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## k-in-sc

Hmm, the satellite is always ready, it's the connection that comes and goes.


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## phantom2007

True. The problem they have is that the wind is moving the van and the antenna (that are normally big surfaces) so the connection is lost.


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