Starlink Internet Connection equipment - Home/Office user

[oldAtlas_Eguy]

Now here is something I stumbled across. It is possible to do LHCP and RHCP synthetic with a pair of dipole feed sources at appropriate distance apart by adding one feed to the other after shifting the phase +- 90 degrees. You get a high signal level rejection between R and L. Plus it also is adaptable into digitally processed synthetic beam forming and steering. Such as a multi beam phased array where all the work is done at the digital level and not the RF level.

[vsatman]

What is interesting to me about those pics is that all of the dishes are pointing the same direction in both photos, but that the direction that the same dishes are pointing has clearly changed between photos.

Otherwise, why have all dishes pointed the same direction, in any photos that we have seen?
Just trying to make sense of this.

It seems to me that now it makes no sense to analyze where the antennas are directed. There is no evidence that they even work. In VSAT networks, usually each gateway has a control terminal to check the quality of the transmitted signal. The construction of gateway is a long process, it is necessary not only to bring antennas (Ka band and UT), but also routers and most importantly lay two independent optical communication cables to the switch of the local Internet provider, sign an agreement with him and organize a channel to the Space X network. Perhaps what we see is just one of the completed stages of work

[jrhan48]

What is interesting to me about those pics is that all of the dishes are pointing the same direction in both photos, but that the direction that the same dishes are pointing has clearly changed between photos.

Otherwise, why have all dishes pointed the same direction, in any photos that we have seen?
Just trying to make sense of this.

It seems to me that now it makes no sense to analyze where the antennas are directed. There is no evidence that they even work. In VSAT networks, usually each gateway has a control terminal to check the quality of the transmitted signal. The construction of gateway is a long process, it is necessary not only to bring antennas (Ka band and UT), but also routers and most importantly lay two independent optical communication cables to the switch of the local Internet provider, sign an agreement with him and organize a channel to the Space X network. Perhaps what we see is just one of the completed stages of work

I think there is some confusion somewhere. 
What was being talked about in the pictures referenced was a User terminal, not a gateway.  All of the complexity you refer to is needed for a gateway, but none of it is required for a User terminal, This is what a single user will have, to tie to/from the Starlink network.   At the level of a gateway (also required, and can be seen in pictures of multiple 1.5 - 2 meter domes) the issues you describe arise.  But for the individual User, he just needs the UFO on a stick, antenna and connect the cable, apparently POE, to an unused Ethernet port on your home router, and then one can log in, when you have established an account with Starlink  At any location, based on the state of the number of active satellites you can see, there might be an optimal sector of the sky, and for these early Beta testers, they may be pointing to different places on different days just to test reception.   Pure speculation at this point and surely will resolve prior to open availability

[vsatman]

I think there is some confusion somewhere. 
What was being talked about in the pictures referenced was a User terminal, not a gateway.  All of the complexity you refer to is needed for a gateway, but none of it is required for a User terminal, This is what a single user will have, to tie to/from the Starlink network.   At the level of a gateway (also required, and can be seen in pictures of multiple 1.5 - 2 meter domes) the issues you describe arise.  But for the individual User, he just needs the UFO on a stick, antenna and connect the cable, apparently POE, to an unused Ethernet port on your home router, and then one can log in, when you have established an account with Starlink  At any location, based on the state of the number of active satellites you can see, there might be an optimal sector of the sky, and for these early Beta testers, they may be pointing to different places on different days just to test reception.   Pure speculation at this point and surely will resolve prior to open availability

You are right that everything I wrote concerns gateway, but the main point of my comment is as follows:
//It seems to me that now it makes no sense to analyze where the antennas are directed. There is no evidence that they even work.

[northstar]

I think there is some confusion somewhere. 
What was being talked about in the pictures referenced was a User terminal, not a gateway.  All of the complexity you refer to is needed for a gateway, but none of it is required for a User terminal, This is what a single user will have, to tie to/from the Starlink network.   At the level of a gateway (also required, and can be seen in pictures of multiple 1.5 - 2 meter domes) the issues you describe arise.  But for the individual User, he just needs the UFO on a stick, antenna and connect the cable, apparently POE, to an unused Ethernet port on your home router, and then one can log in, when you have established an account with Starlink  At any location, based on the state of the number of active satellites you can see, there might be an optimal sector of the sky, and for these early Beta testers, they may be pointing to different places on different days just to test reception.   Pure speculation at this point and surely will resolve prior to open availability

You are right that everything I wrote concerns gateway, but the main point of my comment is as follows:
//It seems to me that now it makes no sense to analyze where the antennas are directed. There is no evidence that they even work.

Any evidence is in the two pictures.  In one pic, the user dishes are pointing straight up, in another they are all pointed the same direction.

Unless the beta tester(s) moved them, unlikely, then the dishes all moved from one direction pointing to another. 

As per Nomadd's response, the dishes don't appear to track mechanically during operations, assuming they are operational.

My post on this was to see if anyone has any thoughts on what could this tell us about the starlink user dishes and their operation.

[Nomadd]

 They still look the same through my dusty lens. Of course, I can't even say for sure if they're active.

[ShSch]

Any evidence is in the two pictures.  In one pic, the user dishes are pointing straight up, in another they are all pointed the same direction.

Unless the beta tester(s) moved them, unlikely, then the dishes all moved from one direction pointing to another. 

I don't think these pictures show the same groups of UFOs. Just compare how they are placed with respect to roofing seams
(the original picture is by @tramblis from Twitter, I believe).

[mpusch]

Any evidence is in the two pictures.  In one pic, the user dishes are pointing straight up, in another they are all pointed the same direction.

Unless the beta tester(s) moved them, unlikely, then the dishes all moved from one direction pointing to another. 

I don't think these pictures show the same groups of UFOs. Just compare how they are placed with respect to roofing seams
(the original picture is by @tramblis from Twitter, I believe).

Looks just like a different camera placement to me. Everything else actually looks the same.

[ShSch]

Any evidence is in the two pictures.  In one pic, the user dishes are pointing straight up, in another they are all pointed the same direction.

Unless the beta tester(s) moved them, unlikely, then the dishes all moved from one direction pointing to another. 

I don't think these pictures show the same groups of UFOs. Just compare how they are placed with respect to roofing seams
(the original picture is by @tramblis from Twitter, I believe).

Looks just like a different camera placement to me. Everything else actually looks the same.

In one picture, a roofing seam goes under the UFO bases, almost through their middles. But in the other you can see the whole seam unobstructed. I don't think you can explain this by a different camera placement.

[r8ix]

Any evidence is in the two pictures.  In one pic, the user dishes are pointing straight up, in another they are all pointed the same direction.

Unless the beta tester(s) moved them, unlikely, then the dishes all moved from one direction pointing to another. 

I don't think these pictures show the same groups of UFOs. Just compare how they are placed with respect to roofing seams
(the original picture is by @tramblis from Twitter, I believe).

Looks just like a different camera placement to me. Everything else actually looks the same.

In one picture, a roofing seam goes under the UFO bases, almost through their middles. But in the other you can see the whole seam unobstructed. I don't think you can explain this by a different camera placement.

Not seeing that. It looks like same roof, about 90° different angle. The roof panels look the same and even the “loose” cables are running at the same angles to the roof panel seams.

[gongora]

To me the dishes seem to have moved just a few inches on the seam

[r8ix]

To me the dishes seem to have moved just a few inches on the seam

If it’s any help, the red line is drawn on a different row of dishes in the second picture, though at the same angle. That’s why the close left dish in the second picture (which is actually off the edge of the first picture) is aligned like the far right dish in the first picture.

[AnalogMan]

Here's my take on the photo by twitter user @tramblis.  I've numbered the antennas and picked out what I believe is the same the roof seam in both views.

[r8ix]

Right photo, left to right: 5, 3, 4, based on the numbering in the left photo. 5 is not in the left photo.

[ShSch]

To me the dishes seem to have moved just a few inches on the seam

Yes, this is a possibility. But why would one move them by a few inches if they were already operational? So I believe it's more likely that we see different parts of the roof (or different roofs altogether), where the terminals are arranged in the same Greek cross pattern.

On a second thought, it's also possible that one picture shows terminals right after they were placed on the roof, not yet activated. Then their positions were adjusted (might be needed for precise measurements) and the terminals switched on. This would explain difference in orientation of the dishes between pictures as well.

Edit: Found uncropped versions of the pictures (WayBackMachine rules! ). They clearly show that the roof is much larger than it appeared to be. Anyone still thinks these are the same groups of terminals?

[aero]

How many roof seams do you count between 2 and 4? Looks to me like they were moved more than just a few inches.

[gongora]

Edit: Found uncropped versions of the pictures (WayBackMachine rules! ). They clearly show that the roof is much larger than it appeared to be. Anyone still thinks these are the same groups of terminals?

I've always seen the uncropped versions when I went to the originally posted link, and I still think they are the same group of terminals seen from two angles.

[ShSch]

Edit: Found uncropped versions of the pictures (WayBackMachine rules! ). They clearly show that the roof is much larger than it appeared to be. Anyone still thinks these are the same groups of terminals?

I've always seen the uncropped versions when I went to the originally posted link, and I still think they are the same group of terminals seen from two angles.

Would you mind enumerating 5 dishes in both of these pictures showing a bijection (one-to-one correspondence) between them? Only four are visible on the second picture, but there is an obvious cable going to the fifth one.

By the way, a few buildings are visible around the roof. But for the life of me, I cannot locate them on Google Maps near SpaceX office in Redmond. Any ideas where this roof might be located?

[gongora]

Edit: Found uncropped versions of the pictures (WayBackMachine rules! ). They clearly show that the roof is much larger than it appeared to be. Anyone still thinks these are the same groups of terminals?

I've always seen the uncropped versions when I went to the originally posted link, and I still think they are the same group of terminals seen from two angles.

Would you mind enumerating 5 dishes in both of these pictures showing a bijection (one-to-one correspondence) between them? Only four are visible on the second picture, but there is an obvious cable going to the fifth one.

By the way, a few buildings are visible around the roof. But for the life of me, I cannot locate them on Google Maps near SpaceX office in Redmond. Any ideas where this roof might be located?

I'd label them the same as AnalogMan did above.  I spent a little while looking at Google Maps a couple days ago and also didn't have any luck trying to match the pictures to a SpaceX building.

[Asteroza]

Try this site for multimap options for overhead imagery. Apple maps might be newer than Google.

https://satellites.pro/