Starlink dish placement is a hot topic for satellite internet newcomers. That’s because it’ll help your dish receive the best signal possible.
And you’ll want completely clear skies for this — otherwise, it’s hit-or-miss with the reception quality.
So let’s find out how it works and what you can do to keep everything running smoothly.
Aiming Your Starlink Dish
Only Starlink gets the final say in where your satellite dish aims in the sky. The company will also change the dish’s orientation.
In such cases, west coast users likely see the dish pointing west. And that applies to those living on the east coast — except it aims eastward.
Therefore, your Starlink dish will always position itself in a direction based on where you reside.
There’s also an obstruction utility on Starlink’s app that you can use to find out where the dish points.
By looking at this feature, users tell which parts of the sky must have a 100-degree field of view.
Doing so allows your Starlink dish to obtain a strong signal. So make sure it’s mounted on your roof and aimed toward wherever the sky stays clear.
How To Use The Obstruction Feature
Satellites are shining brightly.
You can use the app to scan the sky for obstructions that may cause problems. So launch the app and log in to get started.
Have you ever used the app before? If not, launch it and choose the “Check for obstructions” option.
Otherwise, just go to the Home screen and tap on that choice.
Then, follow the next steps, which will show up on the display, and tap on “I’m ready” at the end. The camera on your phone will load.
So you’ll just need to aim it toward the sky, directing it along the path shown on the app.
The arrow you see just points to the area you should follow with your phone’s camera. Meanwhile, the green circles are regions you already surveyed.
After panning the sky, tap “View results.” Please wait for it to finish. This tells you where the dish should point. In that case, the blue area has a higher reception.
And the red circles stand for the obstructions that affect the signal.
Finally, point your Starlink dish toward the area shown on your app. Now everything should work without a hiccup!
Starlink Dish Placement: Do You Need To Adjust The Dish?
Trees can obstruct Starlink.
You won’t need to reposition the dish so it lines up with the Starlink satellites at any time.
If you notice buildings or trees blocking the signal path, it might be time to re-mount it elsewhere.
Make sure you keep an eye out for blockages because they may cause annoying hindrances.
Starlink Dish Placement: Is The Dish Self-Moving?
The dish moves.
Your Starlink dish will automatically move thanks to the internal electric motors.
Ultimately, the dish doesn’t need to adjust all the time whenever it syncs with the constellation’s position.
And when the dish boots up, Starlink will find the optimal position.
Starlink satellite.
The satellites are always on the move in space. So that means your dish won’t need to move as well to stay connected.
And since Starlink uses phased array antennas, the sats can fine-tune the signal. That suggests the dish won’t need to realign either.
Your dish will also adjust if mounted on a boat or an RV roof while traveling. It works for you by quickly and easily locking in with the best satellite—no matter its location.
Summary
Make sure the dish isn’t getting blocked next time you notice something’s gone awry with the signal.
After all, anything getting in the way will create more problems for you and make its use less enjoyable.
Once sorted, you can remount the dish somewhere else and get a clear signal from those space-floating satellites!
