[HN Gopher] Show HN: Open-Source International Space Station Tra...
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Show HN: Open-Source International Space Station Tracker
ESP32/Arduino for $20
International Space Station Tracker on an ESP32 CYD (Cheap Yellow
Display) costing $20. Live update over Wifi, touchscreen, backlight
power management. Cheap and interesting classroom STEM project.
Fully open source.
Author : keyth72
Score : 58 points
Date : 2025-06-27 18:34 UTC (3 days ago)
(HTM) web link (github.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
| panki27 wrote:
| Looks like a fun tinker project. Could be easily extended with a
| GPS receiver to show your location on the map.
| calgoo wrote:
| A SDR could be cool too, and basically let it connect live to
| ISS when the GPS confirms its above. CPU and memory might be an
| issue, but getting some 145Mhz / 437Mhz SDR and an external
| antenna jack on the board could be a cool way of letting the
| device listen in when the ISS is above.
| keyth72 wrote:
| Definitely alot of directions you could go with it, looking
| forward to seeing what people do with the code!
| matteason wrote:
| Really neat! If you're interested in adding clouds to your
| basemap I built a service [0] which generates free, almost-live
| cloudmaps (with alpha channel or precomposited onto a Blue Marble
| image) as part of my own ISS tracker project
|
| [0] https://github.com/matteason/live-cloud-maps
| keyth72 wrote:
| That's really cool! Starred so I can find it later, might be
| challenging putting it on the esp32 but if there's an easy way
| to downsize the images then it should be do-able. Thanks!
| fillskills wrote:
| Wow, this is pretty legendary work:
| https://iss.matteason.co.uk/
| consumer451 wrote:
| This is a complete tangent, but a photographer recently captured
| what is likely the all-time best shot of the ISS.
|
| https://old.reddit.com/r/spaceporn/comments/1lfgtiw/on_sunda...
| keyth72 wrote:
| WOW that is a cool shot, thanks for sharing!
| potsii wrote:
| Another variant of the generic:
|
| "Read a REST endpoint via HTTP and draw it on a display with
| LVGL"
|
| But also funny because OP used two MCUs, when a single ESP32
| could do all of this.
| keyth72 wrote:
| Yup, that's all it is! Really simple beginner project, with
| room to grow on the hardware.
| endofreach wrote:
| you seem to be (someone who wants to appear) more experienced.
| maybe you could give constructive feedback rather than
| ridiculing. what a negative comment just to feel better about
| yourself. sad.
| keyth72 wrote:
| No need to perpetuate any negativity, I can take it ;)
| constructive feedback is appreciated though!
| SiempreViernes wrote:
| Aaaw, this only displays the position on a screen :( I was hoping
| for the cool version where a small arm is physically pointing at
| the ISS.
| keyth72 wrote:
| I saw that one! Very impressive project with 3D printed parts.
| Here is that project for anyone interested:
| https://projecthub.arduino.cc/alex_chang/satellite-tracker-2...
| keyth72 wrote:
| Or maybe this is the one you meant:
| https://www.reddit.com/r/arduino/comments/11pxh3h/iss_tracke...
| coffeecoders wrote:
| This looks like a fun project. Any reason for using resistive
| touch model?
| keyth72 wrote:
| It's what I learned on, and there seems to be more info
| available out there about it (for now), but capacitive touch
| CYD would probably be better/more responsive. The resistive
| touch option seems to be a few dollars cheaper in general on
| Amazon.
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(page generated 2025-06-30 23:01 UTC)