SatApp

Saved Locations

Bookings at this Location

Quick Start Workflow

⚡ New: Quick Mode & Field Tools

Use the Status Bar at the top for fast access to field tools:

⚡ Quick - Hides non-essential sections for streamlined view
🔍 Large - Makes controller values bigger for outdoor visibility
💡 Wake - Keeps screen on during work (no timeout)
🌙 Theme - Toggle light/dark mode

The status bar also shows sync status for Vehicle, GPS, Location, and Satellite - orange = needs attention, green = ready.

Understanding GPS Precision

Note: GPS precision to within 10-50 meters is more than adequate for satellite pointing calculations.

Geostationary satellites orbit at approximately 36,000 km above Earth. Moving 10-100 meters on the ground changes pointing angles by less than 0.001° - completely negligible.

Bottom line: Use the "Saved GPS" button or any reasonable GPS fix. Don't worry about being precisely positioned.

Step 1: Initial Setup

Select your Vehicle from the dropdown
Select your Dish (if vehicle has multiple dishes)
Get GPS Location: Click "📍 Detect My Location" or "📥 Saved GPS"
New: If near a saved location, you'll see a suggestion bar - tap "Use This" to auto-select

Step 2: Before Each Job

Select Primary Satellite (peak on first)
Select Target Satellite (your job) - or leave unselected for Primary-only prediction
Enter Job Downlink Frequency (optional but improves accuracy)

Step 3: Get Predicted Controller Values

Read your vehicle's compass (magnetic heading)
Enter compass heading in "Vehicle Compass Bearing" field
Click "Calculate"
New: Select Primary Pol (H or V) to adjust polarity for your downlink

The system displays predicted RC3050 Controller Values in the LED displays.

💡 Suggestion: Fine-Tune on Map for Best Predictions

For the most accurate predictions, fine-tune your vehicle's location and orientation directly on the map. This updates both your GPS coordinates and compass heading automatically, giving you the best possible predictions.

If the map isn't ideal for your parking spot, use a compass app on your phone or a dedicated digital compass instead.

Step 4: Peak on Primary Satellite

Enter the predicted Az/El/Pol into your RC3050 controller
Fine-tune to peak the signal
Record final peaked values in "Primary Satellite Peaked Controller Settings"

Step 5: Move to Target Satellite

Select Target Pol (H or V) for your target downlink
Use the calculated Target Satellite Controller Values from LED 2
Fine-tune to peak on target
You're pointed and ready!

Step 6: Save the Booking (Critical!)

Click "📋 Add/View Bookings" button
Click "+ Add New Booking"
Enter your final peaked values for Target Satellite
Check "Save calibration sample"
Click "Save Booking"

How the Learning System Works

Every booking you save with compass heading + peaked values teaches the system the offset between calculated and actual values.

Bookings	Confidence	Accuracy
0	None	Raw calculations only
1-2	Low	Starting to learn
3-5	Medium	Decent predictions
6-9	High	Good predictions
10+	Very High	Excellent - Direct Mode!

🎯 Direct to Satellite Mode

When we built up enough calibration data (10+ bookings with low variance), predictions become accurate enough to go directly to ANY satellite without peaking on a primary first!

Tips for Best Results

✅ DO:

Always enter compass heading
Save every booking
Check "Save calibration sample"
Enter frequency when known
Set correct polarization

❌ DON'T:

Skip saving bookings
Enter estimated values
Worry about GPS precision
Expect accuracy with 1-2 bookings

The Golden Workflow

                    1. Enable ⚡ Quick Mode + 💡 Wake Lock in status bar

                    2. Select Vehicle + Dish

                    3. Get GPS → Accept location suggestion if shown

                    4. Select Primary & Target Satellites

                    5. Enter Compass Heading → Calculate

                    6. Set Primary Pol (H/V) → Note values from LED 1

                    7. Peak on Primary → Enter peaked values

                    8. Set Target Pol (H/V) → Note values from LED 2

                    9. Peak on Target

                    10. SAVE THE BOOKING with peaked target values!

                    11. Repeat - system gets smarter each time! 📡

The more you use SatFinder and save your bookings, the more accurate it becomes!

🚨 Common Issues & Quick Fixes

⚡ Status Bar Not Showing / Buttons Missing?

The status bar shows 4 indicators + 4 buttons:

Status Boxes: Vehicle, GPS, Location, Satellite (orange=pending, green=OK)
⚡ Quick - Hides extra sections (orange when ON)
🔍 Large - Bigger controller values (blue when ON)
💡 Wake - Prevents screen sleep (green glow when ON)
🌙 Theme - Light/dark mode toggle

If status bar is missing: Go to ⚙️ Layout Settings → Enable "Status Bar"

📍 GPS Not Working / Location Not Detected

Symptoms: "Detect My Location" spins forever or shows error

Solutions:

Check browser has location permission (look for 🔒 icon in address bar)
On mobile: Enable Location Services in device settings
Try stepping outside for better GPS signal
Use "📥 Saved GPS" button instead - uses last known coordinates for location
GPS precision within 50m is perfectly adequate - don't stress about accuracy
New: After GPS acquired, check for green "You appear to be at..." suggestion bar

🎯 Predictions Are Way Off (5°+ error)

Symptoms: Calculated values don't match where satellite actually is

Solutions:

Check Polarization: Is Primary Pol set to H or V correctly? Wrong setting = ~90° polarity error
Compass Reading: Is your compass calibrated? Figure-8 your phone to calibrate
Magnetic Interference: Read compass away from vehicle metal/electronics
Compass Type: Make sure you're reading MAGNETIC not TRUE north
New Vehicle: System needs 5-10 bookings to learn vehicle-specific offsets
Different Facing: Calibration is heading-dependent - try facing similar direction as previous jobs
Check Coordinates: Wrong latitude/longitude will throw everything off

💡 Note: With low calibration confidence, always peak on a PRIMARY satellite first, then move to target.

💾 Can't Save Booking / Save Button Not Working

Symptoms: Booking won't save, error messages, or nothing happens

Solutions:

Required Fields: Vehicle, Location, and Satellite must all be selected
Controller Values: Enter realistic values (Az: -180 to 540°, El: -20 to 120°)
Session Expired: If logged in for 8+ hours, logout and login again
Network Issue: Check internet connection, look for offline indicator
Create Location First: Must have a location selected before saving booking

📈 Calibration Confidence Stuck at "Low"

Symptoms: System not improving despite multiple bookings

Solutions:

Check "Save calibration sample" checkbox when saving booking
Enter Compass Heading: Calibration requires vehicle compass bearing
Same Vehicle/Dish: Calibration is per-vehicle and per-dish
Accurate Peaked Values: Enter the actual peaked controller values, not predictions
High Variance: If your bookings have wildly different offsets, confidence stays low
Need 10+ consistent bookings for "Very High" confidence

📷 Photos Not Uploading

Symptoms: Photo upload fails, stuck uploading, or error

Solutions:

File Size: Very large photos (10MB+) may timeout - app auto-resizes but network may still be slow
File Format: Use JPEG or PNG format
Save Booking First: You must save the booking before adding photos
Network: Slow 3G/4G can cause upload failures - try on WiFi

🌦️ Weather Data Not Loading

Symptoms: Weather shows "Error" or never loads

Solutions:

GPS Required: Weather needs your coordinates - get GPS first
API Limit: Free weather API may have rate limits - wait and retry
Network Issue: Check internet connection
Optional Feature: Weather is for reference only - doesn't affect pointing

⚡ Quick Reference - Compass Tips

✅ Good Compass Reading:

Phone/compass level and flat
Away from vehicle (2-3m)
Away from metal objects
Point phone same direction as vehicle nose
Wait for reading to stabilize

❌ Avoid:

Reading inside vehicle cab
Near dish/antenna structures
Near power lines
Tilting phone/compass
Moving while taking reading

📞 Still Having Issues?

Checklist:

Note the Vehicle, Satellite, and Location you're using
What values did you enter? What did you expect?
Take a screenshot of the error or unexpected behavior
Try logging out and back in
Try a different browser or device

Email Matt with any problems or suggestions for new version matt@sydneyteleport.com.au

🔢 Value Ranges Reference

Field	Valid Range	Notes
Controller Azimuth	-180° to 540°	Allows for offset/wrap-around
Controller Elevation	-20° to 120°	Allows for mechanical offset
Controller Polarity	-180° to 180°	Full polarization range
Compass Heading	0° to 360°	Magnetic north
Latitude	-90° to 90°	Australia: -10 to -45
Longitude	-180° to 180°	Australia: 112 to 154

🛰️ Satellite

Target Satellite

Uplink Frequency (GHz)

📡 Your Equipment

Dish Size (m)

HPA Power (W)

Antenna Gain

Feed Loss (dB)

Polarizer Loss (dB)

Your EIRP

📊 Carrier Settings

Symbol Rate (Msps)

Modulation

FEC Rate

Roll-off Factor

🌤️ Conditions

Elevation (°)

Rain Rate (mm/hr)

Pointing Error (°)

Weather data not yet fetched

✅ LINK GOOD +4.2 dB

Clear Sky Margin: +7.0 dB

Rain Fade: -2.8 dB

Bandwidth: 8.1 MHz

Data Rate: 9.0 Mbps

📊 Show Full Breakdown

                            HPA Power:26.0 dBW
                            Antenna Gain:44.2 dBi
                            Total Losses:0.8 dB
                            Your EIRP:69.4 dBW
                            ──────────────────
                            Free Space Loss:207.1 dB
                            Atm. Attenuation:0.3 dB
                            Rain Attenuation:2.8 dB
                            Pointing Loss:0.1 dB
                            ──────────────────
                            Slant Range:38,500 km
                            Beamwidth:0.78°
                            Required Eb/No:5.0 dB
                            Required EIRP:65.2 dBW
                        

📋 Step 1: Session Setup

Configure your calibration session. This will collect peaked values for 6 satellites to build an accurate prediction model.

Vehicle

Location

🧭 Compass Heading (°) from main page

📍 Latitude fine-tuned

📍 Longitude fine-tuned

⚖️ Roll (Side-to-Side) °

⚖️ Pitch (Front-to-Back) °

🛰️ Select Calibration Satellites

Ordered by distance from Intelsat 19. Unchecked satellites will be skipped.

1. Intelsat 19 (166°E)

2. Horizons 3e (169°E) +3°

3. Eutelsat 172B (172°E) +6°

4. Optus D3 (156°E) -10°

5. Asiasat 9 (122°E) -44°

6. Asiasat 5 (100.5°E) -65.5°

SNG-01 · Dish 1

Session # --

📍 Location · 🧭 88°

Progress 0 / 6 satellites

🛰️ Intelsat 19 (166°E)

1 of 6

📡 Calibrating on Polarization:

CALCULATED VALUES (move dish to these)

Azimuth

--

Elevation

--

Polarity (H)

--

📝 Enter PEAKED controller values after finding signal:

Peaked Az °

Peaked El °

Peaked Pol °

📜 Calibration History

Loading history...

🎉

Calibration Complete!

Completed 6 satellites for SNG-01

📊 Calibration Results

Avg Az Offset

+0.00°

Avg El Offset

+0.00°

Avg Pol Offset

+0.00°

Confidence Level

HIGH (75%)

💡 Tip: Run more calibration sessions at different headings to improve accuracy further.

STS

📡 STS SNG v5.29.4

📊 Historical Average (RC3050)

STS

SatApp

📡 STS SNG v5.29.4

📊 Historical Average (RC3050)

📡 Satellite Information

📡 SatBeams Transponders

📺 Services & Channels

📊 Spectrum Analyzer Images