Kit (Satellite Dish)

Kit (Small Satellite Dish)

Constructing Options	Small Satellite Dish
Properties
Stacks	No
Paintable	Yes
Recipes
Electronics Printer	5xGold, 10xCopper
Logic
Item Hash	1960952220
Item Name	ItemKitSmallSatelliteDish

Kit (Medium Satellite Dish)

Constructing Options	Medium Satellite Dish
Properties
Stacks	No
Paintable	No
Recipes
Electronics Printer	20xSteel, 15Electrum, 10xSolder
Logic
Item Hash	178422810
Item Name	ItemKitSatelliteDish

Kit (Large Satellite Dish)

Constructing Options	Large Satellite Dish
Properties
Stacks	No
Paintable	Yes
Recipes
Electronics Printer	20xWaspaloy, 50xInconel, 100xAstroloy
Logic
Item Hash	-2039971217
Item Name	ItemKitLargeSatelliteDish

Small Satellite Dish

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Operation
Power Usage	10W Base Power Usage
Prefab Hash	-2138748650
Prefab Name	StructureSmallSatelliteDish
Construction
Placed with	Kit (Small Satellite Dish)
Placed on	Small Grid
Requires Frame	Yes
Stage 1
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with tool	Welding Torch
Constructed with item	1 x Iron Sheets
Deconstruction
Deconstructed with	Hand Drill
Stage 2
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with item	1 x Cable Coil

Medium Satellite Dish

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Operation
Power Usage	50W Base Power Usage
Prefab Hash	439026183
Prefab Name	StructureSatelliteDish
Construction
Placed with	Kit (Small Satellite Dish)
Placed on	Small Grid
Requires Frame	Yes
Stage 1
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with tool	Welding Torch
Constructed with item	1 x Steel Sheets
Stage 2
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with tool	Wrench
Stage 3
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with item	1 x Plastic Sheets

Large Satellite Dish

[]
Operation
Power Usage	100W Base Power Usage
Prefab Hash	1913391845
Prefab Name	StructureLargeSatelliteDish
Construction
Placed with	Kit (Small Satellite Dish)
Placed on	Small Grid
Requires Frame	Yes
Stage 1
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with tool	Welding Torch
Constructed with item	10 x Steel Sheets
Stage 2
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with tool	Wrench
Stage 3
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with tool	Screwdriver
Stage 4
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with tool	Welding Torch
Constructed with item	Steel Sheets
Stage 5
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with item	10xCable Coil (Heavy)
Stage 6
Next Stage Construction
Constructed with item	10xPlastic Sheets

Description

Small Satellite Dish

"The small communications unit can be used to communicate with nearby trade vessels."
- Stationpedia

Medium Satellite Dish

"The medium communications unit can be used to communicate with nearby trade vessels."
- Stationpedia

Large Satellite Dish

"The large communications unit can be used to communicate with nearby trade vessels."
- Stationpedia

When connected to a Computer containing a Motherboard (Communications), a Landingpad Center, and a Vending Machine, this allows Stationeers to contact traders. Adjust its horizontal and vertical attributes either directly or through logic. The Satellite Dish must be guided by Satellite Tracking onto a signal and communications then may be initiated to call down and interact with traders.e`

Capabilities

Parameter Name	Units	Small Satellite Dish	Medium Satellite Dish	Large Satellite Dish
Minimum Power Setting	watts	50	500	2000
Maximum Power Setting	watts	200	7,5000	50,000
Base Power Usage	watts	10	50	100
Acquisition Power Usage, Ratio to Power Setting	%	10%
Azimuth Rotation Speed	deg/tick	4.5	0.9	0.24
Elevation Rotation Speed	deg/tick	4.5	0.45	0.18

Notes on Power Usage: Actual Power Draw from the satellite dish is based on the current mode of operation.

1. Idle Mode: The base power usage
2. Acquisition Mode: Acquiring traders signals, showing the green progress bars uses 10% of the current power setting. Once all visible traders have complete progress bars (acquired), the mode switches back to Idle
3. Interogation: Interrogating the trader will use draw power according to the satellite dish’s power Setting for the duration of the interrogation.

Antenna Patterns

Like real-world antennas, all three Satellite Dishes have Radiation Patterns. The closer the antenna is pointing to a trader, the more of the available power reaches the trader, and the faster the Computer with Motherboard (Communications) will acquire information about the trader. The pattern(s) for all three antennas are the same, and are a linearly interpolated through the points described in the table. Notice, that if the antenna is within than 2° of the trader, then there is no reduction in power from the Power Setting from reaching the trader. It should be noted that the game deliberately adds noise to the reported value; the displayed values of SignalStrength (degrees from trader) and the correlated WattsReachingContact (power Setting multiplied by Power Ratio) have a seemingly random ± 3° value added to the SignalStrength.

Satellite Dishes Radiation Pattern

Degrees Off Trader	Power Ratio
0°	1.00
2°	1.00
5°	0.90
22.5°	0.10
45°	0.05
90°	0.01
* 180°	0.001
*Note: 180° is estimated by extrapolation

Acquisition Times

To make the Interrogation and Land options visible for a particular trader on the Computer user-interface, the Satellite Dish must first complete the acquisition of the target signal. Three are a few phases for the signal acquisition.

1. Satellite Dish must be stopped. Any new motion or change in power Setting will reset any acquisition progress
2. Visible Traders are populated on the Computer
3. Green progress bar shows the Acquisition progress. All traders start their progress bars at the same time, grow simultaneously, and are dependent on the Received Power by the Trader
4. After a trader has been acquired, the user-interface on the Computer shows the approximate angle that the antenna is pointing off from the trader, as well as the Interrogate Button (left side, satellite icon) and the Land Button (right sight, downward arrow)

The time it takes for a green bar to fill up is nearly fully reliant on the Received Power at the trader. Received Power is the power Setting, reduced for Radiation Pattern offsets. There is an approximate formula that was determined from in-game testing to describe how long acquisition periods are expected to take.

Medium Satellite Dish

Data Network Properties

Click here to see/hide all the data network properties

Input Data (Write)

These are all parameters, that can be written to with different means of using logic.

Parameter Name	Data Type	Value	Description
On	Boolean	0	Turns the device off. Also toggles the switch accordingly.
		1	Turns the device on. Also toggles the switch accordingly.
Activate	Boolean	0	If the vessel's being interrogated, stop interrogating the vessel; or nothing.
		1	If the vessel's has not been interrogated, start interrogating the vessel. If the vessel has been interrogated, call down the vessel to the TargetPadIndex.
Setting	Integer	0 ~ Max watts of device.	Set output watts to the specified number.
Horizontal	Integer	0 ~ 360	Set dish's horizontal angle to the specified number.
Vertical	Integer	0 ~ 90	Set dish's vertical angle to the specified number.
TargetPadIndex	Integer		Sets the landing pad index for potential call down.
BestContactFilter	Integer		Lock dish to track the specified ContactIDHash ONLY, set to -1 to unlock.
Update 0.2.5888.25957 - Sun 7/9/2025 /Data_Network

Output Data (Read)

These are all parameters, that can be read by using different means of logic.

Parameter Name	Data Type	Value	Description
On	Boolean	0	The Dish is not powered. This is the same as the physical red powerswitch located on the structure.
		1	The Dish is powered. This is the same as the physical red powerswitch located on the structure.
Activate	Boolean	0	Read out current Activate value; if Activate == 1, it means the dish is either interrogating the vessel or the vessel is just coming down to landing pad.
Power	Boolean	0	The dish is not powered. Can be read to determine if the dish is correctly powered or not. Set by the power system, return 1 if powered and 0 if not.
		1	The Dish is powered.
Setting	Integer		Read out current dish's output watts.
Horizontal	Integer		Read out current dish's horizontal angle.
Vertical	Integer		Read out current dish's vertical angle.
RequiredPower	Integer		Idle operating power quantity. Does not include extra power during actual usage.
Idle	Boolean		Read out if the dish is not moving.
Idle	Boolean	0	Dish not moving, and not interrogating.
		1	Dish is either moving or interrogating.
Error	Boolean	0	1 if device is in error state, otherwise 0.
		1	1 if device is in error state, otherwise 0.
SignalStrength	Integer		The signal strength of currently tracking signal, negative value, larger is better. If the dish is moving, this value always show -1.
SignalID	Integer		The signal IDHASH of currently tracking signal.
InterrogationProgress	Integer		This value only has meaning if the dish has started interrogation to the vessel. Show's percentage on the process of the interrogation.
TargetPadIndex	Integer		Read out current value of target landing pad index, useful if you want to call down the vessel by code.
SizeX	Integer		The length on X axis of the vessel, see SHUTTLE_TYPE.
SizeZ	Integer		The length on Z axis of the vessel, see SHUTTLE_TYPE.
Reagents	Integer		Total number of reagents inside the device (e.g. 92g of iron = 92).
MinimumWattsToContact	Integer		The minimum watts required reaching target vessel before one can initiate interrogation. This is the requirement imposed by the vessel.
WattsReachingContact	Integer		The current effective watts reached target vessel due to angle setting and dish's watts output setting.
ContactTypeId	Integer		The category of the vessel, see ContactTypeID.
BestContactFilter	Integer		Currently locked ContactID, or -1 if not set.
StackSize	Integer		Read out the stack Byte count of the structure.
NameHash	Integer		The hash of the custom name of the structure.
PrefabHash	Integer		The hash of the structure.
Referenceld	Integer		Unique Reference Identifier for this object.
Update 0.2.5888.25957 - Sun 7/9/2025 /Data_Network

Satellite Tracking

See Satellite Tracking to learn more on how to setup and track traders.