Why am I getting free Sirius? [more inside]
posted by InsanePenguin on Nov 19, 2009 - 17 answers

Will a Hi-Defintion Satellite Signal go through tree branches in the winter months? [more inside]
posted by priested on Oct 7, 2009 - 4 answers

What happens when the satellite my pay-tv satellite-dish is pointing at dies? [more inside]
posted by Jimbob on Oct 4, 2009 - 5 answers

Satellite photos: what interesting features can be seen or measured in them (or other aerial photos), and where can I get a supply of images? [more inside]
posted by k. on Sep 30, 2009 - 12 answers

I want to download a bit of Landsat data - two small countries worth - but can't find any way to efficiently do this via GloVis or elsewhere. Where can I just select places on a map (or use my GloVis-exported) scene list to download these in bulk? Given 200MB/scene and the 80 scenes I need, it'll be 15.6 gigs downloaded (and likely around 40 unzippped), but that's not the problem; there just doesn't seem to be a way to do this. [more inside]
posted by tmcw on Sep 27, 2009 - 3 answers

Should I stick with DirecTV or switch to Dish? OR: Can I get DirecTV to upgrade my receiver for free? [more inside]
posted by chndrcks on Sep 16, 2009 - 10 answers

Are satellites (or satellite parts) ever made from metal salvaged from pre-1945 shipwrecks? Possibly to ensure that those metals were refined before atmospheric A-bomb explosions increased the background radiation levels? [more inside]
posted by metaBugs on Aug 4, 2009 - 17 answers

Ham Operators: In the event of the apocalypse, how long will satellite-based repeaters last? [more inside]
posted by jsonic on Jul 24, 2009 - 10 answers

The house I'm renting has a satellite dish up on the roof, and I'm pretty sure I know where the wall-plug for it is indoors. What kind of equipment and cables would I need to do/buy to easily (and importantly, cheaply) access satellite TV and watch it on my television set? I'm in Australia, if that matters.
posted by Effigy2000 on Jul 23, 2009 - 8 answers

Do we tip the satellite installer? [more inside]
posted by hippybear on Jul 8, 2009 - 21 answers

Can anyone interpret this LED diagnostic sequence? [more inside]
posted by gene_machine on Jul 8, 2009 - 8 answers

One of my two HD direcTv receivers routinely loses its satellite signal and will spend countless hours 'searching for signal' while my other receiver works just fine. What's up? [more inside]
posted by calgirl13 on May 26, 2009 - 6 answers

What resolution would the Hubble Telescope be able to discern, if we pointed it at my back yard instead of into the stars? Would it be able to pick up individual blades of grass? Would it be able to see bacteria or anything not visible to the naked eye? Could it see the illuminated dial of my watch at night? [more inside]
posted by crazyray on May 12, 2009 - 19 answers

Would orbiting solar power farms be remotely practical? [more inside]
posted by greytape on Apr 16, 2009 - 10 answers

Did we see the International Space Station on Friday night from the beach in Malindi, Kenya? [more inside]
posted by allkindsoftime on Apr 13, 2009 - 5 answers

Could the US or Japan shoot down the missile that North Korea is planning on launching next week? [more inside]
posted by crazyray on Mar 29, 2009 - 18 answers

What has caused a sudden failure of my wife's laptop? [more inside]
posted by gene_machine on Mar 23, 2009 - 5 answers

Can anyone recommend a good adhesive tape for an automobile dashboard? [more inside]
posted by paxton on Mar 21, 2009 - 5 answers

With things falling out of the sky with a little more regularity then usual lately, and what with me being a bit of a flybaby, I was hoping some of the Metifilter geniuses could help reassure me with some science... [more inside]
posted by monkey!knife!fight! on Feb 16, 2009 - 14 answers

There was a huge fireball in the sky; looking southwest from my back yard this morning. How do I find out what it was, or where it landed? [more inside]
posted by dejah420 on Feb 15, 2009 - 17 answers

Searching for historical satellite images? [more inside]
posted by banjo_and_the_pork on Jan 27, 2009 - 7 answers

Are their any satellite Internet options for the budget traveler? [more inside]
posted by nitsuj on Jan 5, 2009 - 5 answers

What is this device? And what was this truck doing in Central London (Soho) today? [more inside]
posted by vacapinta on Dec 25, 2008 - 7 answers

How can I get DSL in Barre, Vermont? Alternately: is satellite internet really that bad? [more inside]
posted by youcancallmeal on Dec 10, 2008 - 11 answers

Is is possible to purchase commercial satellite internet service and equipment in the US to install and use in Jamaica? [more inside]
posted by humannaire on Dec 7, 2008 - 6 answers

I need cable/internet. Should I go with Comcast, DirectTV, or DISH Network? [more inside]
posted by decrescendo on Oct 15, 2008 - 25 answers

Is there a way to watch foreign television stations on your computer or via High Definition antenna? [more inside]
posted by fantasticninety on Oct 14, 2008 - 4 answers

Minneapolis: What was this tent for? This parking lot is now Gold Medal Park. [more inside]
posted by BradNelson on Sep 22, 2008 - 5 answers

Will be moving to Beijing and would like to have high speed reliable internet service in my apartment. We'll likely be living in one of the US or HK developed apartments along Chao Yang park. I've worked with DSL connections in serviced apartments in Beijing and Shanghai and was not thrilled with the throughput (70kbs) or reliability. The Great Firewall is not an issue as far as completely blocking sites, but I'm sure it affects transfer speeds from the US sites I'd be accessing. [more inside]
posted by bleecker on Sep 3, 2008 - 5 answers

What are useful/fun/collaborative things that can be done with a PDA, computer and a small GPS device these days?
posted by vizsla on Aug 20, 2008 - 4 answers

What is this? 60°24'37.66"N 130°48'59.78"W. View it in satellite on Google Maps or Earth. [more inside]
posted by converge on Aug 18, 2008 - 15 answers

I vaguely recall seeing some kind of online/download that tracked in near realtime all of the satellites orbiting earth, allowing the user to pan around. Am I insane, or does that exist?
posted by sharksandwich on Aug 3, 2008 - 7 answers

My Toshiba Satellite laptop has this problem. But, there's a catch: I'm pretty computer illiterate and don't know how to fix it. [more inside]
posted by Ms. Saint on Jun 11, 2008 - 9 answers

What does a river look like from above, over time? [more inside]
posted by a_green_man on May 27, 2008 - 15 answers

How is it possible to detect arsenic in soil from a satellite? [more inside]
posted by destro on May 15, 2008 - 3 answers

CyprusFilter: Where on the island of Cyprus are these large satellite antennas located? They belong to CYTA, the telecommunications authority of Cyprus. [more inside]
posted by thewalrus on May 7, 2008 - 6 answers

Help me figure out which satellite provider has the best parental controls, specifically restrictions on time of day. [more inside]
posted by drstein on Apr 30, 2008 - 5 answers

Telecom nerd filter (again): Documented instances of 802.16-2004 or 802.16e-2005 WiMax installations interfering with C-band satellite systems? 3.40 GHz to 6.425 GHz frequency range. [more inside]
posted by thewalrus on Apr 21, 2008 - 1 answer

Is there a cheap (free) way to get information off my old Toshiba Satellite laptop now that I've lost the AC adapter? Read more about my plug-holes of differing sizes inside. [more inside]
posted by cheeken on Apr 4, 2008 - 7 answers

Help me find the title of this documentary with pirated, never-seen tv clips. [more inside]
posted by ddaavviidd on Apr 1, 2008 - 9 answers

What should a bone-novice know about installing extra memory in a laptop, a Toshiba Satellite A135-S2386? [more inside]
posted by Countess Elena on Mar 17, 2008 - 3 answers

My system has multiple Internet connections, and I want to be able to specify which of these connections particular applications will use. I run Windows XP Pro. [more inside]
posted by Emanuel on Mar 5, 2008 - 16 answers

Say there's another huge blackout like the Northeast had a few years ago, and let's say it lasts two months... Will a GPS unit in my dashboard and powered by my car still be able to connect to the satellites it needs to, to direct me on my way?
posted by CarlRossi on Feb 18, 2008 - 20 answers

Is there any way to cache a set list of websites so they load from the hard drive instead of dynamically? [more inside]
posted by genial on Feb 5, 2008 - 9 answers

I'm looking for broadband internet connectivity options for my (quite non-tech-savvy) in-laws. They live in a somewhat rural area in Wisconsin where no cable or DSL service exists. [more inside]
posted by gazole on Jan 1, 2008 - 21 answers

I haven't owned a tv since 2004. Since then, I've been downloading my shows, at first at compressed HD quality, and then more recently 720p and 1080i/p. I don't want to watch broadcast TV that looks like YouTube, I want a beautiful picture. Should I wait until 2010 to get an HDTV and service? [more inside]
posted by stewiethegreat on Dec 28, 2007 - 19 answers

Any satellite radio users able to offer some insight on the best method of installation? [more inside]
posted by Rewind on Dec 26, 2007 - 4 answers

What device can be used to send/receive text messages from very remote locations? [more inside]
posted by mateuslee on Dec 26, 2007 - 11 answers

I've tried to resist, but I can't any longer — I want to subscribe to satellite radio. XM has at least two stations that I'll listen to almost constantly (channels 4 and 44, though 28 and 81 sound appealing, too). After hearing the web-based "free trial", I'm ready to sign up but I don't know anything about receivers. I'll mostly be listening at home. I don't have a stereo setup, but I do have lots of Macs (including Airport Express). I'd like to be able to listen in my car, too. Which receiver options are best? I know that XM and Sirius are merging — is this any reason to wait to purchase equipment? [more inside]
posted by jdroth on Dec 11, 2007 - 23 answers

Mrs. mysterious1der's laptop (M55-S331) won't keep time accurately. I've torn apart and repaired (board swaps, not actual board level repair) dozens of Dell laptops, but this is my first Toshiba. Lo and behold, the CMOS battery is soldered to the motherboard. Do I either have to unsolder it and resolder a new one, or get a new motherboard? [more inside]
posted by mysterious1der on Dec 9, 2007 - 5 answers