I have made the Starlink RV purchase. Heading to Florida later this month with reservations to camp at Key West Naval Air Station (NAS) for the month of February. It is dry camping with limited cellular service and mostly non-existence wifi. I did my inter-web research of Starlink reviews and decided to give it the plunge. Some folks exclaim it is a game changer and others are not impressed. If not satisfied you can return it up to 30 days for a full refund. The RV package it is the same as the residential unit with portability and is 110VT powered. SL does not have a 12VT power option as of yet. That sine wave inverter I previously purchased will be the solution. The RV option does allow the ability to pause the service when not using which the residential with portability does not. The unit is scheduled to arrive today and I will update you along the way how it works out.
Cool. I look forward to the report!
Lots of good things have been written about Starlink on both boating and RV forums. Sounds perfect for your forthcoming KW stay. But let us know how it works if you also camp in shady spots. Probably not much shade in KW though.
David
Key West CG is wide open. The challenge is trees blocking the receiver view of the north sky. I did get the 20' harbor freight collapsible pole with SL adapter. This should help but time will tell.
Starlink arrived today. Only one minor issue with set up due to the wifi router name not the same as the instructions stated. Working great even though it states I have an obstructed view to the North in our backyard in Easton, PA. Speed tests of 8.9 Mbps with 36 ms Latency (I do not speak geek). Able to run multiple tablets, phones and MacBook and view You Tube videos.
Speed is rated as down and up (up is often slower but a fast speed isn't so important in up) in Mbps- millions of bits per second. Latency or Ping is the time in milliseconds to send the first bit from your device to the satellite (or maybe back down to the ground station) and back.
It takes about 5 Mbs to stream an HD movie, so two separate devices streaming movies simultaneously could cause problems with that speed. 36 ms latency is ok, high speed cable is usually under 20. High altitude satellites such as Hughes have more than 100 ms latency which may cause problems.
I would have expected faster than about 9 Mbps. Since you on the RV plan it has low priority so may get slowed down in dense population areas.
David
A track riding buddy of mine has Starlink and loves it; uses it exclusively (off-grid) and he said its pretty reliable. He gets much higher bandwidth than 9Mbps DL; I want to say he's usually near 100Mbs. I'm not personally familiar with plans or hardware options; I'd assume there are different packages though?
Took it out to the camper today to test run with the inverter on the camper. Could not get the Starlink up. Came back later with the cables for the genny and was able to get things running. I have my winter battery hooked up and read that the 450WT Sine inverter may not be the ticket. A 500 pure sine wave inverter is on the way. Much better speeds today.
Those are very nice speeds.
David
That would be fine for everything I want to do. Thanks for the update.
After installing the 500 WT Pure Sine Wave inverter I got the Starlink (AKA Dishy) to work. Nice job of streaming You Tube videos for a test.
Okay, you have peaked my interest. Going to have to check this out for up here in Canada.
Review this comprehensive thread started two years ago and still going strong with more than 1,000 posts. https://www.irv2.com/forums/f53/starlink-rv-installation-and-use-512812.html
Here is brief summary:
There are three types of Starlink service/hardware: standard- based on a fixed location, RV and mobile.
For the standard service, in some locations you may have to wait a while for more satellites to be launched to allow expansion. This policy while maybe frustrating ensures that there are sufficient satellites serving your location to get decent service. Decent service means 50+ Mbps and less than 50 ms latency. The standard physical package consists of a satellite "Dishy" and a router. You place the Dishy outside with an open view of the north sky. If the northern sky is obstructed by buildings or trees, you may not get a connection.
The standard service costs about $500 for the hardware (one time cost) and $125 +/- per month for service.
50+ Mbps will stream HD TV just fine, even with a couple of different users at the same time. Zoom also will work fine. Not sure about multi player video games. The latency is a bit slow for these I would think. FWIW the best internet connection available today is fiber optic based and has as much as 500 Mbps and <10 ms latency. To put that into perspective, I started my computer communications with a 300 bps dial up modem, a million times slower, but it also had a microprocessor and disk drive that were equally slow. But FWIW, it blew my mind when I wrote a short Basic program with my new Apple II that spit out the square roots of all numbers between 1 and 100 in a second or so.
The RV service uses the same hardware, but it allows you to try to connect anywhere and you don't have to wait as above. Usually (maybe always) it works, but as Chappy discovered the speed may be a bit slow, but that is all relative- see above. The RV service can be started or stopped any month and restarted later. The cost is the same for the dish but about $150/mo for the service.
The RV service plan can be used at home, but if you are in a high user density area, your speed may be slow and you are not guaranteed 50 Mbps.
The mobile service is the newest and it works on any moving platform: RV, truck, boat and at speed. But it requires a larger and much more expensive antenna- several thousand $.
And FWIW, it won't work for us. We always camp in rustic, forested campgrounds and unless you have a good view of the northern sky it won't connect.
Frankly, I am having a hard time seeing how it will all work out financially for Starlink when all satellites are launched. Right now I am guessing that Starlink has launched about 25% of their final satellite count which is projected to hit 10,000+. In some areas of the NE US you have to wait as much as a year for Starlink to allow you to connect with standard service. I just don't see how they can serve enough customers to pay for the billions they have spent and will spend. Maybe future satellites will be able to serve more customers per satellite. Time will tell.
David
Quote from: gibby on January 09, 2023, 12:39:24 PMOkay, you have peaked my interest. Going to have to check this out for up here in Canada.
I think it works fine in Canada. Some users in Anchorage, AK have reported good service there.
David
Thanks for the summary David and the installation info Chappy.
I'm curious about the power needs. Is it on all the time and what is the wattage. I wonder if the combination of TV/inverter/Starlink is a significant draw.
My understanding is that with the ice and snow melting feature off, the power draw isn't too bad, maybe 50 watts.
David
One of the draw backs to Starlink is they do not have a 12VT set up. I had to upgrade my inverter to 500 WT and Starlink requires a pure sine wave inverter. I will be dry camping at Key West NAS for the month of February. I will only have the Starlink on when I need to use it vs. on all the time. I do not have the battery set up to go all the time. My set up is two 6VT golf cart batteries in series. I did upgrade my solar panel from an 80WT to a 200WT Renology panel. I can also run the generator in the evenings until 10:00 pm. I let you know how it goes for power once I am up and running for a while. I do have the heater turned off. Shouldn't need it 90 miles from Havana. There is a funny picture floating around on the inter-web of 5 cats sitting on a Dishy staying warm in the snow.
The challenge, as David states, will be camping in the NE and obstructions. That I will need to update you all on later on. Some folks have reported that a partial obstructed view they still get decent service. I am not a "gamer" so my requirements are lower. The equipment costs are now $599 vs. $500. A lot of folks go for the home service with portability. It costs the same as the RV service but gives you a higher priority. The disadvantage to that option is you cannot start and stop the service like the RV option and may have to wait to get the service.
I too have my concerns on Starlink and longevity but once all the birds are in orbit the international commercial use should be able to fund the operations.
My first computer had two 5 1/2" floppy drives. It was amazing for spreadsheets and writing papers. DirecTV service is delivered via satellite and they are doing OK. They had to start somewhere. Time will tell.
Oh, I should have added.
Starlink Satellites for Internet = Nice.
Starlink Satellites and Amateur Astrophotography = Bad (can't shoot a 5 min exposure without one of those damm things showing up as a streak in the image)
Guess I better pick which hobby is more appropriate, quite often I am doing both at the same time!
Starlink service is doing very well on this trip. Currently at Key West NAS. Running Starlink with the 12VT TV is draining my two 6VT Golf Cart batteries quicker than desired at night. No issues with 200 watt solar may need to consider a lithium battery upgrade option or just use the generator at night. No battery issues powering the Starlink at night. Screen shots of the speed test. 114 Mbps is RV restricted. 204 Mbps is unrestricted. I am satisfied with the service so far.
Any idea of the amperage that the Starlink system only (no TV and presumably no snow to melt) is drawing.
David
David no meter with me to check with. Snow melt feature was turned off right after I got it. Also read on line that feature is "frying" cables due the heat feature cycling on too often.
I have read that the Starlink power consumption runs about 5 amps, ex snowmelt. That and other house loads can certainly run your battery down quickly.
Best to turn it off when you are not using it.
David
The challenge with Starlink is running the cable outside to the antenna, since it is powered from the router. With the 16 TBS it was easy to run the cable out the slide after routing around the mattress but not with the 21 RBS. Did some web research and found an Australian product to solve the issue. A weather Resistant Cable Access Bung / Portal for Starlink Cable. I did not want to cut the cable and do a cable connection box. So I measured 3X, used a stud detecter and cut a hole behind the TV stand for the cable to exit. I have two rubber grommets to plug the gap while in use to keep the weather and critters out.
https://spacetek.com.au/products/weather-resistant-cable-access-bung-portal-for-starlink-cable?variant=43792499048683
Quote from: Chappy133 on February 04, 2023, 08:14:19 AMDavid no meter with me to check with. Snow melt feature was turned off right after I got it. Also read on line that feature is "frying" cables due the heat feature cycling on too often.
I did find a no cut cable solution through ESTY. You can also build your own 12 volt solutions too. However having red green color blindness I can't do the wiring. Quite a few YouTube videos to walk one through the process.
I have been pleased with this. For a one night use this is quicker for setting up for me.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1469315359/easy-dc-12v-all-in-one-dc-power-supply
Chappy, Based on your notes and observations, I think I'll get into the Starlink system for use at my cabin. The Internet there now comes in via a very wimpy/iffy cell tower that's 12 miles away and blocked by trees. I even had to put up my own 50' tower with a Yagi antenna connected to a booster to get any reception at all.
Anyway, as I understand it from you, the RV Starlink service allows for on/off periods and even with a lower priority the speeds are fine. I have a clear view of the north sky from my cabin and lots of solar power in reserve for operation. We are there for 1-2 weeks at a time during the spring/summer/fall. Do you have any advice on setting up a Starlink system for Internet access (up and down) in a situation like mine?
As an aside, I'm not going to use it for my camper, so far as I know now. I just completed a 5700 mile 16 state trip and with the WeBoost Drive RV booster and both Verizon and AT&T connections available, we always had good Internet access in campgrounds.
Merlin, I believe only the "roam" service gives you the ability to pause and unpause. Otherwise it is pretty straightforward to operate. Just link your app WiFi to "Stinky " when first set up.