Starlink satellites

[gungriffin]

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it. How crazy to think that you can steam high def movies, or attend a video chat in HD anywhere. With VOIP phone service and 20ms lag, you now have cell service anywhere you want. Pretty cool.

There is no wait on the RV satellite. Service is $135 a month vs $110 for stationary service. It is also possible that in peak demand areas speeds might be throttled to 5-100 Mbps. I am guessing that would be very infrequent though.

 

[mcgaskins]

I knew this Cruise Moab bag would come in handy Using an EcoFlow River Pro and some Renogy flexible solar panels to combine for theoretical internet anywhere off grid!

 

[gungriffin]

I knew this Cruise Moab bag would come in handy Using an EcoFlow River Pro and some Renogy flexible solar panels to combine for theoretical internet anywhere off grid!

Looking good! Please post about the power requirements when you know more. I hadn't even thought about how much power one of these might use. It will be interesting to see how many hours you get with the EcoFlow in real world use.

 

[nakman]

We're building a rack mount for these things already- have a customer asking for one. Nothing too technical it's really just a plate with a tube welded through it, the plate mounts to the rack and the antenna slips into the tube. I'll post up some pics of the deal once I have them.

Interesting use case- the guy & his wife live on a sailboat full time, and they park their 100 series at the dock... so he'll be taking his Starlink setup with him now in both rigs, for more extended remote sailing as well as remote camping. He fully acknowledges the irony, but they need to make money so they need the internets for that... I feel like the old guy watching the world change without me... no one's impressed anymore than I can read a verneir scale caliper.

 

[nakman]

this is what we came up with for the antenna base.. the antenna has a 1.5" OD tube that needs to slide into something, so this tube is 1.600" ID and 1.905" OD. I drew the hole at 1.915 and it slid in easily, could have made that a little tighter but I didn't know if the laser would have cut that undersized or not.. .1875" 6061 plate. The customer will have several mount positions, most likely the left rear of his roof rack

that's his rack above, 100 series... this is what it looks like sitting on my GX

It will be bolted directly to that rack plate on one side, and secured around the bar using a tube clamp on the other. the tube came in at 12" long, the customer asked for 5" to be cut off the top to make it a little lower. Then it was welded up...

@AxleIke made all the sparks here, as I have no business welding aluminum.. he also added a few gussets for added support. I just hope this never gets tested in a parking garage or something, it's no taller than a folding RTT but still it's gonna be a jolt if this hits something. Just 4 bolts to remove it though if the customer needs the clearance... shipping it all out today, the customer has plans to add a snap pin to secure the antenna, and maybe a set screw to stabilize the pole, he's psyched so far at what he has to work with here. Hoping to see some installed photos in a week or so

 

[Corbet]

Saw this Friday night (not quite as many):

 

[Corbet]

@DaveInDenver When's the last time you can remember you didn't have cell coverage? It's pretty far in middleofnowhereville Utah or Nevada at this point.

Everyday for me. And I’m not really in the middle of nowhere.

 

[nuclearlemon]

• 
  

• @DaveInDenver When's the last time you can remember you didn't have cell coverage? It's pretty far in middleofnowhereville Utah or Nevada at this point.
  
  Everyday for me. And I’m not really in the middle of nowhere.

  Same here. i don't get service on much of i-80

 

[3rdGen4R]

Tim, people are using harbor fraught flag poles because the are collapse able and 3D printing a peace that makes it so they can snap the existing hardware into place. The idea is that is can get above the trees. But your mount looks good as well.

 

[DouglasVB]

@DaveInDenver When's the last time you can remember you didn't have cell coverage? It's pretty far in middleofnowhereville Utah or Nevada at this point.

Everyday for me. And I’m not really in the middle of nowhere.

Sitting at my house in the middle of Monterey, CA I don't have cell service.

 

[Corbet]

I just got my equipment yesterday. Playing with different dish locations but sitting on the ground is way better than my DSL.

 

[LARGEONE]

I installed my starlink internet at our BV property last weekend! Very fast! Now I just need to get my battery situation a little more robust to handle the continuous draw. I might need two more panels as well? Haven't tested...so far my panels can run it all day as long as the sun it out. But I end up shutting it down when I go to bed since it only takes about 5 minutes to boot up in the AM. Definitely need better batteries, though.

 

[PhillyB77]

Searched and found this thread. My buddy up here in Bailey just got his Starlink equipment and I checked it out, pretty cool. I ordered mine today but who knows, could be 6+ months until I get it but am anxious to try.

I've had both major players in Sat internet up here and they both suck. Currently pay $285 a month for the Hughes business plan with a larger dish, internet drags and the VOIP phone often just goes out. Want to watch a 30 second vid on your phone or get media text messages via Wifi...? LOL. No better than excede when I had it, also terrible but...a product of where I live.

Maybe the Starlink solution will be better, we did get a broadband initiative approved and they took my money for it but could be a few years yet.

My original message on 23 Jan. Just an update that my stuff has finally shipped so...not that long of a wait. LOL

 

[DaveInDenver]

I can think of worse places to have to be without service

I seek places without coverage.

 

[MountainGoat]

I seek places without coverage.

Yeah I was totally bummed last time I was at the Dollhouse and I had 3 bars of cell service.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Yeah I was totally bummed last time I was at the Dollhouse and I had 3 bars of cell service.

I mean, yeah, I get it. But it's liberating knowing that you're totally responsible for your own hide if things go sideways without a safety net under you. It's a different mindset than just turning off your phone.

 

[MountainGoat]

I mean, yeah, I get it. But it's liberating knowing that you're totally responsible for your own hide if things go sideways without a safety net under you. It's a different mindset than just turning off your phone.

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I was bummed because I had cell service, not because it was weak. Back in the day that whole area was dark, as it should be.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I was bummed because I had cell service, not because it was weak. Back in the day that whole area was dark, as it should be.

#vanlife #OLAF #forthegram

 

[PhillyB77]

Just a note on Starlink setup, I watched a few vids but found it much more easy than it appeared to be. A few notes:

- The system is purely wireless, you can buy an adapter for an ethernet port ($25) which I did, but I'm not entirely sure if I need it.
- Allegedly, the mount that comes with it is just a temp one and you are (via the Starlink store) supposed to buy a more permanent one to use after you figure out your location. I just screwed the temp one into the roof (silicon inside holes to prevent leakage) and it's good to go.

Setup for me as follows:

1- Open Box
2- Download Starlink App
3- Climb onto roof, Starlink App accesses camera and tells you if your spot is good after scanning the sky
4- Drill 1" hole into wall, run cable from interior to exterior
5- Tie extension cord to Starlink cable, use that to toss everything up onto the roof
6- Plug in Modem, and connect to cable for antenna
7- Back onto roof, with antenna and base, drill, screws, silicon, iPhone
8- Secure base, plug into antenna, run a few loops with zip ties so if the cable got tugged it wouldn't yank it out of the port (slim chance)
9- Starlink App up, follow instructions (create wifi account and password, boot up etc)
10- Climb off roof, clean up wiring, seal the hole in the side of the house, admire work
11- Plot to call Hughesnet in order to cancel with extreme satisfaction

 

[nuclearlemon]

i haven't even gotten to the finished mounting and i've had it since february or so. it's just sitting in the "back" yard and the cable is running across the ground and in a window.