Starlink glossary: field of view, obstruction map, OTARD

Sky and obstructions

#Field of view: The part of the sky the dish uses to talk to satellites, shaped like a cone. Starlink lists 110° for its current home dishes. Which way it faces.
#Obstruction: Anything that blocks part of the dish’s sky: trees, roofs, chimneys, poles, buildings, hills. Starlink names a single branch, a pole or a roof as enough to interrupt service.
#Obstruction map: A map in the Starlink app, built after setup, of where the dish has lost its view. Starlink says the app shows a live obstruction map of where blockages are and how they may affect you.
#Obstruction percentage: A number for how blocked the dish’s view is. Starlink publishes no pass mark for home dishes; its business dashboard guide says obstruction above 0.2% hurts performance, and above 0.27% causes outages users notice. How much is too much.
#Check for Obstructions: The scan in the Starlink app for checking a spot’s view of the sky before you install. Starlink says the app has a built-in tool to preview the install location and guide you to the spot with the fewest obstructions. How to scan.
#Elevation angle: How high something sits above the horizon, in degrees: 0° is the horizon, 90° is straight overhead. A treetop at 40° from the dish blocks more sky than one at 15°. See the drawing below.
#Azimuth: Compass direction, in degrees clockwise from north: 0° north, 90° east, 180° south, 270° west. Together with elevation it pins down any point in the sky.
#Horizon: Where the sky meets the ground, 0° elevation. Hills and buildings raise your real horizon.
#Clear-sky line: Our name for the 20° line in Starlink’s business and maritime install guidance, which asks for open sky from about 20° above the horizon, all the way around (360°). Starlink publishes no such figure for homes.
#Fist method: A no-tools way to measure angles: a closed fist held at arm’s length covers about 10° of sky, the rule of thumb amateur astronomers use. Count fists from the horizon up to the treetop. Sky angle calculator.
#Geostationary band: An empty curved strip on the obstruction map. Starlink says it is the geostationary exclusion zone; Starlink does not send or receive there, and it is normal.
#Leaf-on, leaf-off: Summer with leaves, winter without. Starlink lists new spring leaves among the most common new obstructions, so a winter scan can look better than summer will be.

Elevation angle, drawn: a 45 ft tree 50 ft from a dish on a 20 ft roof. The angle from the dish up to the treetop is what decides whether the tree is in the dish’s view. The 20° line is Starlink’s business guidance; the 35° edge is our reading of the 110° field of view. Our example, not a Starlink figure.

The Starlink kit

#Standard 4 X (V4): A rectangular Starlink home dish. “Starlink V4” is the customer name for Standard 4 X.
#Starlink V5: A smaller rectangular home dish. Starlink says V5 is currently available in select areas, with more as production ramps. Starlink doesn’t publish which addresses get it.
#Phased array: The kind of antenna in the dish: it steers its beam electronically instead of moving. Starlink says its dishes are electronic phased arrays that track satellites without moving; once set up clear and aligned, you don’t adjust them again.
#Alignment tool: The part of the Starlink app that tells you how to tilt and turn the dish by hand. In Starlink’s words, alignment means pointing the dish at the part of the sky where it talks to satellites most.
#Kickstand: The stand that comes with the dish. Starlink says the kit’s detachable kickstand can be used for quick setup or a permanent install.
#Router: The indoor box that makes your Wi-Fi. Starlink’s Router 3: Wi-Fi 6, tri-band 2.4/5 GHz, 4x4 MU-MIMO, WPA2/WPA3, IP56, for indoor use. The Router Mini is indoor only (not waterproof).
#Mesh: Extra routers that spread Wi-Fi to far rooms. Starlink says a Starlink Mesh router connects to the main router and extends Wi-Fi into weak areas.
#Bypass mode: A Starlink router setting that hands the Wi-Fi job to your own router, which plugs in behind it.
#Ethernet adapter: A small add-on that gives a router without a wired port an Ethernet connection. Today’s kits don’t need one: Router 3 has a WAN port and two LAN Ethernet ports under a rubber cover, and the Router Mini has two Ethernet ports: one WAN and one LAN.
#Power supply: The box between the wall outlet and the dish cable. Starlink says to mount it where it can cool; it shuts off (dropping the connection) if it overheats.
#IP rating: A two-digit code for how well a device keeps out dust (first digit) and water (second digit); higher is better. Starlink lists the Standard 4 X dish as IP67 Type 4.
#Snow Melt: The dish heating itself to clear snow. The app’s modes: Off, Automatic (recommended), Pre-heat.
#Sleep schedule: An app setting that turns the dish off at set times. Starlink says that during a sleep schedule Starlink gives no internet and doesn’t melt snow.

Mounts and the house

#Pipe adapter: A clamp that holds the dish on a pole. Starlink’s Standard Pipe Adapter fits poles 31–63.5 mm (1.25–2.5 in) across; metal pipes only, not PVC or plastic; pipe not included.
#Pivot mount: Starlink’s roof bracket: ideal for slanted, shingled roofs; swivels to adjust.
#Ridgeline mount: Starlink’s no-drill roof mount: no drilling, sits on a gable ridge with ballast; metal or shingle roofs under 45°; not for clay tile; wind rating up to 50 mph. No-drill options.
#Wall mount: Starlink’s wall bracket, for an exterior wall near the top of the gable or fascia; fits a 4-inch overhang at most.
#Home Mount: Starlink’s mount for the V5: double-pivot, for vertical, sloped or flat surfaces; typical spots are the fascia board near the roofline or directly on a sloped roof; uses the V5’s pipe adapter.
#X-Frame Base: A flat ground stand: for a ground-level install or quick setup.
#Mast: A pipe that holds the dish up off a roof, wall or the ground. The FCC rule covers “A mast supporting an antenna” as well as the dish.
#Footing: The concrete a ground pole sits in. Our rule of thumb: dig below your area’s frost depth, the depth the ground freezes to in winter, so frost can’t heave the pole.
#811: The free US call-before-you-dig number. Call it before digging a pole footing so buried lines get marked.
#Guy wire: A cable from high on a tall pole down to an anchor in the ground, to stop the pole swaying or bending.
#Tether: A safety line that keeps a dish or mount from falling if it comes loose. Our rule of thumb for balconies and tall poles.
#Ridge: The peak line of a sloped roof, usually the highest point of the house.
#Gable: The triangle-shaped end wall under a sloped roof. Starlink’s wall mount is meant for near the top of it.
#Eave: The lower edge of a roof, where it overhangs the wall.
#Fascia: The board that runs along the edge of the eave, often where gutters attach.
#Rafter: The sloped wooden beams under a roof. Roof mounts should be screwed into rafters, not just the roof decking.
#Roof decking: The plywood or board layer under the shingles. It’s too thin to hold a mount by itself.
#Flashing: Thin metal or rubber pieces that steer water away from anything that passes through a roof or wall.
#Standing seam: A metal roof with raised vertical seams between panels. Clamps can grip the seams, so no holes are needed.
#Skirting: The panels that close in the space under a manufactured home.

Cable and weather

#Drip loop: A dip in the cable just below where it enters the wall, so rain runs to the bottom of the loop and drips off instead of following the cable inside.
#Cable routing kit: Starlink’s kit for getting the cable through a wall: for drilling through most walls, not masonry; includes a 3/4-inch spade bit, drill bit, routing tool, sealant, grommets and clips; US orders ship in 4–6 weeks.
#Grommet: A rubber ring that seals and protects a cable where it passes through a hole. Starlink suggests a local hardware store for grommets, bolts and similar parts.
#Operational wind rating: The wind speed Starlink says the dish keeps working in (Standard 4 X: 60 mph+). It isn’t a promise the mount or what it’s screwed into will hold.
#Rain fade: A short slowdown or dropout in very heavy rain. Starlink says a downpour, heavy snow or hail can cut the link for a few moments.

Rules and property

#OTARD: Over-the-Air Reception Devices: the FCC rule, 47 CFR 1.4000, that limits restrictions on small dishes and antennas on property you own or rent and use alone. General information, not legal advice. The rule, quoted.
#Exclusive use or control: The rule’s test for whose space it is: an area only you use or control, such as your roof, your yard or your own balcony, as opposed to a shared area.
#Leasehold: Your right to use a property you rent, as set by your lease. The FCC rule protects owners and tenants with a leasehold interest.
#Common area: Space shared by everyone, such as a building’s roof, hallways or an HOA’s pool. The FCC’s 1998 order says the rule does not apply to common or restricted-access areas (for example, a building’s rooftop).
#Limited common element: A condo term for a shared-ownership area that only one owner uses, such as a balcony. The FCC’s 1998 order covers condo balconies and patios the owner uses alone even if they don’t own all of them.
#HOA: Homeowners association: the body that runs a planned community and enforces its rules. HOA rules.
#CC&Rs: Covenants, conditions and restrictions: the HOA’s recorded rules for what owners can do with their homes.
#Declaratory ruling: A decision that settles a question. Under the OTARD rule, anyone may ask the FCC (declaratory ruling) or a court whether a restriction is allowed.
#Certificate of service: A statement filed with an FCC petition saying who was sent a copy. The OTARD rule requires one.
#Affidavit: A written statement of facts made under oath. The OTARD rule says facts in a petition must be backed by one.
#Waiver: Permission from the FCC to set a rule aside. Under OTARD, local governments or associations may ask the FCC for a waiver.
#Service address: The home address on your Starlink account. Starlink says Residential service is for use at the registered service address; it does not support roaming.

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What we checked this page against

Standard 4 X spec sheet, PDF · seen Nov 3, 2026
Business install: choosing a location (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Aligning the dish (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Measuring the sky with your hand (EarthSky) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Checking a spot before you install (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Beam switching around obstructions (Starlink update, Jul 30, 2025) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Business dashboard statistics (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Reading the obstruction map (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Fixing obstructions (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
V4 vs V5 dishes (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Mini vs Standard 4 X (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Whether you need a mount (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Router specifications (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Standard 4 setup guide (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Router Ethernet ports (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Starlink Mesh basics (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Power supply placement and heat (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Snow and ice performance (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Sleep schedule (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Standard accessories guide, PDF · seen Nov 3, 2026
Starlink shop, public accessory prices · seen Nov 3, 2026
47 CFR §1.4000, the OTARD rule text (eCFR) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Items missing from the shop (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Weather and service quality (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026
FCC 98-273: OTARD extended to renters (1998) · seen Nov 3, 2026
Residential plan overview (support article) · seen Nov 3, 2026

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