USS Enterprise (CVN 65)
The Shuttle Newsletter Edition
“We are Legend”
April 11, 2012 Issue
Teamwork Tackles TV Troubles Story by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Robert Guerra
USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea – Life aboard an aircraft carrier is filled with daily challenges and it can sometimes seem like even the simplest tasks require a painstaking amount of energy. Personnel aboard aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) are familiar with the kind of sacrifices necessary to sustain a 50-year-old warship while on deployment.
Combat Systems department’s CS-9 division officer. “We estimate that we have two times more [televisions] aboard than the system was originally designed to handle.” In addition to having more sets aboard, another issue that explains signal degradation is the interference from shipboard emitters, such as radar. “It is also important to note that as the ship transits, we experience intermittent loss of signal because of the movement,” said Myers. “We work diligently to reacquire the satellite signal and get the broadcast back. The Interior Communications Electricians that own the SITE system are working to improve the quality of the service, and understand the importance of the system to the morale of the crew.” While Enterprise is pierside in her homeport of Norfolk the ship is provided with satellite service from DirecTV and receives good signal strength. As the ship moved away from her homeport, and into the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR), the satellite service was disconnected from its local provider. The ship now uses the Orbit Showtime Network for satellite programming. “We are anticipating that within the next week we will be in the area of full Orbit satellite coverage,” said Myers. “Once we are fully up on the Orbit satellite we will have an additional nine channels that should have the same quality that we enjoyed with DirecTV.” However, even with the better satellite coverage that the Orbit system will provide, it will not fix all of the signal problems the crew may encounter. “People need to remove all unnecessary TV’s from the system,” said Myers. “People have made changes to the system adding splitters, jumpers and splices to accommodate more televisions and have weakened the signal strength for everyone. It’s also important to note that some spaces also have amplifiers located in them that are designed to boost signal strength. If you have one of these amplifiers in your space, please ensure that it is not blocked by anything because they require adequate air flow for cooling to ensure proper operation.” With extensive efforts to correct the signal and satellite
“Until we receive more DVDs, we have a gross imbalance of choices on tape versus the DVD channels.”
However, there is one sacrifice the crew was not expecting to make: television. In recent days, the issue of programming and signal quality reached a peak when crewmembers tuned in hoping to see news of a Navy jet that crashed near the ship’s homeport of Norfolk and had a hard time obtaining a clear picture. In order to fully understand the scope of the issues, it is important to know that it is not just one, but two different departments, that are responsible for maintaining the ship’s SITE TV system. Media department is responsible for the content of movies aired over the ship’s closed-circuit television system. Combat Systems department is responsible for the satellite programming and the signal quality to the televisions throughout the ship. “The system is designed to handle a finite number of televisions,” said Chief Warrant Officer Roger N. Myers,
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Big E Happenings Chief of Chaplains Visits Enterprise
SITE TV Channels 10 11 13 14
Photo by MC3 Scott Pittman
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- Movies - Movies - Movies - Navigation
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- AFN - AFN - AFN - CNN - Flight deck camera
Photo by MC3 Scott Pittman
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- Training - Movies - Movies - Movies The Shuttle USS Enterprise (CVN 65)
The Shuttle is published and printed daily underway and bi-weekly in port by the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Media Department, FPO AE 09543-2810. This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Please direct all story ideas, questions and comments to MC1 (SW) Steve Smith at smithsw@cvn65. navy.mil. Commanding Officer Capt. William C. Hamilton, Jr.
Executive Officer Capt. G. C. Huffman
Command Master Chief Public Affairs Officer ABCM (AW/SW) Eric M. Young Lt. Cmdr. Sarah T. Self-Kyler
Photo by MC3 Scott Pittman
Editors MC2 (SW) Kristin L. Grover MCSN Harry Gordon
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Navy News Navy Is Helping Those Affected By Va. Jet Crash By Brock Vergakis, ASSOCIATED PRESS VIRGINIA BEACH — A slew of residents who lost their homes after a Navy jet crashed into their apartment complex began picking up government checks on Monday to help them pay for food, clothing and housing over the next two weeks. Dozens of apartment units were destroyed or evacuated Friday when the F/A-18D Hornet careened into the Mayfair Mews apartment complex shortly after taking off from nearby Naval Air Station Oceana. Several people were injured but nobody died when the plane slammed into the complex’s empty courtyard. Residents fled burning and damaged apartments with few belongings, and fire officials worked Monday to help those who lived in undamaged units retrieve medications and critical documents. Vehicles that had been towed from the complex were also being returned to residents. The Navy said the crash was caused by a mechanical TV continued programming still ongoing, another issue the crew has vocalized focuses on the featured movie titles currently selected for broadcast rotation. During our recent availability, Enterprise was upgraded with an additional three movie channels following the installation of N-DVD, or encrypted DVD players. Although the number of movie channels being offered to the crew have actually increased, from three to six, since last deployment, the number of titles available is still limited by what is received through conventional mail. Enterprise is dependent on the Navy Motion Picture Service (NMPS) to provide programming suitable for broadcast to all hands. With the addition of the new N-DVD system, NMPS has begun to phase out the HI-8 format and opted to solely pursue the encrypted DVD option. “While it’s great to now have six dedicated movie channels, our challenge has become ensure a diverse selection of movies with the
malfunction, although a detailed investigation is ongoing. Normal flight operations at Oceana resumed on Monday, and the Navy said it sent the downed aircraft’s incident recorder to be examined at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. The Navy said that most of the aircraft debris at the apartment complex would be removed by the end of the week. Navy officials estimate that the crash affected 63 people living in 46 units. Initial payments started at $2,300 for individual residents, with more going to those with families. Many residents spent the weekend with family and friends and weren’t sure what they would do for longterm housing. “We’re here for the long haul,” said Capt. Bob Geis, commanding officer of Naval Air Station Oceana. Geis said the money being distributed Monday was meant to be a short-term remedy, and some residents could receive more.
least repetition,” said Lt. Cmdr. Sarah Self-Kyler, Enterprise public affairs officer. “Until we receive more DVDs, we have a gross imbalance of choices on tape versus the DVD channels.” Self-Kyler explained that it feels like we are playing the same movies over and over, because that’s all we have to choose from until the next box of movies arrives. “The issue of movie rotation will get better as the movie library regrows,” said Self-Kyler. “We have contacted NMPS in an effort to prioritize Enterprise in the distribution process, but must keep in mind that NMPS has a whole fleet of forwarddeployed ships it is responsible for supplying, all of whom are requesting movie titles.” In an effort to ensure personnel working on night shift are provided with the same movie viewing opportunities as the day shift crew members, Media department recently expanded its movie hours, implementing a 24-hour broadcast cycle. “We always appreciate crew input,”
said Self-Kyler. “It’s because of feedback we received this past week, that we’ve been able to implement changes and work to improve the viewing options offered.” Although the issues are not entirely resolved, both Media and Combat systems continue to work to provide the crew with an enjoyable viewing experience. “We are working very closely with Combat Systems to improve, not only the signal quality, but also content. It’s a team effort and we understand the importance of this issue to the crew.” If personnel do experience signal difficulties, they are encouraged to submit a trouble call ticket through the Combat Systems Officer of the Watch at J-6801 or J-6802, and a technician will be assigned to investigate the issue. For personnel curious about the current movie inventory, an updated list of titles can be found on the Big E Net as well as on the share drive at: S:\Public\MEDIA\GM\ Movie List.
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Sailors of the Day Ship’s Serviceman Seaman Wade M. Murphy
SHSN Wade Murphy, from Abilene, Texas, joined the Navy one year and three months ago to support and provide for his family. Murphy enjoys spending time with his wife and son, going to the zoo, aquarium and parks. In the future, he hopes to earn a college degree and become a master chief.
Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 2nd Class Cynthia Werner
PR2 Cynthia Werner, from from Glendale, Ariz., joined the Navy five years ago to follow in her father’s footsteps and provide for her family. In her spare time, Werner enjoys studying, reading, drawing and writing poetry. She plans to advance in rank and earn a college degree in the future.
Big E Entertainment