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Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2025 4:36 pm
by cooperhawk
We recently installed Star Link for our internet. We pondered it for a while but we live deep in the woods and our server was slow and sometimes didn't work at all. I found a deal on a Gen3 Standard setup through star link themselves and ordered it with the thinking that if it didn't work out, we'd return it within thirty day and get a refund.

It took a couple of weeks to find the sweet spot for the dish, but once I found it, it worked great. They say all you need is a clear view of the sky, but that's not quite true. In our case it had to be a clear view to the Northwest. Anyway, we love it and it's mounted permanently on a pole out front.

Here's the interesting thing. I found this link to a site that tracks all satellites overhead all over the earth. I didn't know it existed, but it's pretty interesting. Just bring it up and select where you live, select "all" from the satellite bar and sit back in wonder.

What we use it for is it tells us what satellite our unit is currently hooked on to and it's amazing how quickly it goes from one to another always looking for the strongest signal.

You will also see space debris and Russian Kosmos Sats overflying us.

I thought you folks might get a kick out of this.


https://satellitemap.space

Re: Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2025 6:25 pm
by The Wiz
Some people are saying that we are painting ourselves into a corner.

Re: Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2025 7:29 pm
by cooperhawk
The Wiz wrote:
Wed Nov 19, 2025 6:25 pm
Some people are saying that we are painting ourselves into a corner.
If you look at the targets the ones identified as "deb" are space debris and there are a lot of them.

I think we need to have a celestial junk dealer that goes up there and scraps these things for profit. It's getting to the point that it could be a lucrative industry methinks. I can see it all now. A fleet of brightly painted junk truck space ships up there scooping it all up. (Subsidized by the govts if course).

If you look closely you will see many marked CZ. That is Chinese space junk. The ones marked Kosmos are of course Russian.

Re: Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2025 9:16 pm
by fortyshooter
Do you have any TV streaming service on it too? That is cool stuff!

Re: Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 12:11 am
by cooperhawk
Yes, of course.

Re: Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 12:26 am
by Mags
cooperhawk wrote:
Wed Nov 19, 2025 7:29 pm
The Wiz wrote:
Wed Nov 19, 2025 6:25 pm
Some people are saying that we are painting ourselves into a corner.
If you look at the targets the ones identified as "deb" are space debris and there are a lot of them.

I think we need to have a celestial junk dealer that goes up there and scraps these things for profit. It's getting to the point that it could be a lucrative industry methinks. I can see it all now. A fleet of brightly painted junk truck space ships up there scooping it all up. (Subsidized by the govts if course).

If you look closely you will see many marked CZ. That is Chinese space junk. The ones marked Kosmos are of course Russian.
See the movie Space Sweepers

Re: Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 5:23 am
by Ernie
Now I can understand how my drone connects to several satellites everytime I use it.🚀
Thanks

Re: Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 7:47 am
by markiver54
👍

Re: Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 11:54 am
by Mags
Ernie wrote:
Thu Nov 20, 2025 5:23 am
Now I can understand how my drone connects to several satellites everytime I use it.🚀
Thanks
Sorta. The GPS satellites are geo-stationary, (orbit Earth at the same speed as Earth's rotation). From the ground the GPS satellites appear fixed in the sky. Drones, phones and other devices receive GPS info from multiple GPS satellites at the same time to be able to triangulate your precise location, altitude and speed.

Starlink satellites, on the other hand act like moving cell phone towers. Your WiFi signal is passed from one satellite to the other as the satellites come into and go out of range.

Re: Real time satellite tracking.

Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2025 4:46 pm
by markiver54
Mags wrote:
Thu Nov 20, 2025 11:54 am
Ernie wrote:
Thu Nov 20, 2025 5:23 am
Now I can understand how my drone connects to several satellites everytime I use it.🚀
Thanks
Sorta. The GPS satellites are geo-stationary, (orbit Earth at the same speed as Earth's rotation). From the ground the GPS satellites appear fixed in the sky. Drones, phones and other devices receive GPS info from multiple GPS satellites at the same time to be able to triangulate your precise location, altitude and speed.

Starlink satellites, on the other hand act like moving cell phone towers. Your WiFi signal is passed from one satellite to the other as the satellites come into and go out of range.
👍Good info Mags. Thanks