Starlink

[EscapeBoulder]

Our experience is Starlink uses 3-4 amps at 12v. Around 0.3 - 0.4 amps at 120v.

[kavm]

Originally Posted by EscapeBoulder

First Trip Starlink Review:

We’ve been using our 1,500 watt Escape installed inverter to power Starlink’s 120v system on this trip. No shore power. I’ve been happily relieved to discover Starlink only pulls about 3 to 4 amps thru the inverter. Very acceptable with our original Escape installed flooded, lead acid batteries. In addition to our Escape installed 170w roof mount solar panels, we have a portable, 100w, ground mounted Jackery panels which I move around to follow the sun. We’ve been camping in an open forest, so the roof solar panels have been periodically in shade, but with our typical Colorado clear skies the two solar panels have create plenty of solar gain keeping up with Starlink and our furnace‘s relatively high current needs. Historically, we haven’t tended to use as much electricity in the evenings, but found our batteries down only to a 92% capacity reading on our Victron battery managment system in the morning. No problem recharging during the morning. Ilse’s been super happy watching the French open tennis tournament, and me the evening TV news & some YouTube videos. (She’s a tennis junkie, me a news junkie.)

I put a 3” external hatch under the passenger side bench in our 19’er to run the cable out to the antenna, coil the cable up in the bench when not needed and just set the router on our Escape’s table. We leave the Starlink plugged in and just turn on the inverter when needed. Easy, peasy.

Of course the internet speeds are incredible for camping.

All in all we’re super happy with Starlink. I can’t think of better, more convenient solution for internet while camping.

And, of course, I’m uploading this comment thru… Starlink!

Where does your antenna sit when deployed?

[EscapeBoulder]

We deploy the antenna on the ground where it'll have the best view of the sky, particularly the NW sky. We run the antenna wire out of a small hatch I put in the side of the Escape. The router sits on our dinette table.

[EscapeBoulder]

RESTARTING PAUSED STARLINK?

After pausing my mobile Starlink for a while, how do I get it turned on again? I’ve gone into www.Starlink.com and reactivated my account. Starlink confirmed that by billing me. So I know I’m reactivated. I can see the Starlink router on my iPad’s wifi settings page. So I know Starlink’s router is alive. I’ve checked the router to antenna connections. They seem well set in place. But the antenna hasn’t come “alive” (moved). And I have no internet thru Starlink.

Suggestions?

[brroberts]

Should be a wake up dishy or something like that in the app. I’m not home now and don’t remember the exact menu.

[kernwig]

Look in your StarLink App > Settings > Starlink (tab).

I have options to REBOOT STARLINK and STOW STARLINK. You "stow" option may be something else to "unstow" - or just reboot.

Hope that helps.

[EscapeBoulder]

Our problem with the restart was the cable connector at the dishy end was damaged and wouldn't engage. I straightened it out with pliers and got it working again. So... I've made foam (plastic) covers for the cable ends so they (hopefully) don't get damaged again while not in use.

[brroberts]

Glad you solved it.

[gklott]

We have Starlink Roam, $150/mon. Got it in early June. Works well in central Texas.

I ordered the 150 ft cable, and I am installing shielded RJ45 connectors in the cable, to make about a 30 ft section for inside the trailer and a 120 ft section from trailer to antenna.

Installing a SmartPlug RV TV/Internet Inlet - 1 Ethernet, 1 Coaxial Connector - Stainless Steel (BDCOAXEC) where the current coaxial connector is. That makes set up easy and weather resistant. Will match our SmartPlug 30 shore power inlet.

There are several Etsy sellers that have the Starlink with RJ45 cables like I describe, but they want $300 for them.

We are keeping our NETGEAR Nighhawk 5G modem and AT&T 100GB/mon data plan for a while longer. ATT just lowered the monthly from $75 for 12 Mbps service to $55 for 25 Mbps service with same monthly amount.

Time will tell.

73/gus

[Don Flamenco]

You can make your own cable with RJ45 connectors, for ~$10, if you already have the crimp tool.

I was forced to, after my friend did me the favor of running over the dark grey cable with his lawnmower. :-)

I crimped RJ45 connectors on both ends of the cut cable then connected both ends through a female to female connector and finally ran the cable in a yellow expandable braided cable protector.

[gklott]

Originally Posted by Don Flamenco

You can]make your own cable with RJ45 connectors, for ~$10, if you already have the crimp tool. I was forced to, after my friend did me the favor of running over the dark grey cable with his lawnmower. :-) I crimped RJ45 connectors on both ends of the cut cable then connected both ends through a female to female connector and finally ran the cable in a yellow expandable braided cable protector.

I have Modem V2 with the proprietary connectors on each end. They are closer to a mini-HDMI or mini-USB.

Putting on the 8 Ethernet wires into the RJ45, plus the shield 9th wire, is straightforward.

73/gus

[Don Flamenco]

Originally Posted by gklott

Putting on the 8 Ethernet wires into the RJ45, plus the shield 9th wire, is straightforward.

73/gus

You don't need the shielding. I cut mine off with zero issues.

[kavm]

Has anyone installed the Starlink Flat High Performance dish with their Escape?
https://api.starlink.com/public-file...erformance.pdf

It offers better connectivity, less sensitivity to obstructions like trees and in-motion use option (we don't necessarily need it but might spring for if we were traveling a lot).

I am interested in it but am concerned about the installation options. We will use some mobile tech for doing the install as this is way beyond me, but my concerns going in area -

Fixed Install on the camper roof: This would be my preferred route...

• We already have a Houghton AC and 2 solar panels installed on our 5.0TA. Not sure if there is enough roof?
• Can the fiberglass roof support a durable installation? I suppose there will be some wind forces on it.
• Finally, this is more for the mobile tech but it'd probably involve drilling holes to screw the holder for the dish, some access to power and ethernet cable, etc. Can this be done safely without compromising the roof?

Alternate install on a pole: There seems to be an option to have the disk be attached to a pole. The document I linked shows this option. My concern about the need is to raise a 30-lbs+ disc into the sky on the pole. It seems like a challenging task in itself that'd need to be repeated each time.

F150 roof: This was what I was hoping for first, but seems too complicated. While we have the power available through the truck, it seems to involve more complications.


Any thoughts / advice?

[gklott]

Originally Posted by kavm

Has anyone installed the Starlink Flat High Performance dish with their Escape?
Fixed Install on the camper roof: This would be my preferred route...

• We already have a Houghton AC and 2 solar panels installed on our 5.0TA. Not sure if there is enough roof?
• Can the fiberglass roof support a durable installation? I suppose there will be some wind forces on it.
• Finally, this is more for the mobile tech but it'd probably involve drilling holes to screw the holder for the dish, some access to power and ethernet cable, etc. Can this be done safely without compromising the roof?

We do not have room atop our E19 for the large StarLink antenna. We have a Houghton AC3400, MaxxFan, and two solar panels.

We considered subscribing to the MOBILE PRIORITY 1TB, but that is $1000/month. Combined with the $2500 dish price, it is too much. We’ve routinely use 200-400 GB/month of mobile data when traveling, so the 50GB entry at $250/month doesn’t work for us.

High-Performance dish has a 140 degree field of view as opposed to the Standard dish's 100 degrees. The high performance MODEM power draw is about 125-150W vs 50-75W for standard.

Recommend consulting ETI on the roof mount. I would not mount anything that large roof top without mechanical anchor into a structure capable of holding it under wind loads at 70+ mph.


73/gus

[kavm]

Thank you so much!

[Rockhead]

I’ve seen several rvers using telescoping poles for their starlink n ton using one for their tv antenna

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by kavm

..
Alternate install on a pole: There seems to be an option to have the disk be attached to a pole. The document I linked shows this option. My concern about the need is to raise a 30-lbs+ disc into the sky on the pole. It seems like a challenging task in itself that'd need to be repeated each time.
...

is the Starlink antenna actually 30 lbs ? thats pretty darn heavy for anything on a pole, and likely would require guy cables.

[kavm]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

is the Starlink antenna actually 30 lbs ? thats pretty darn heavy for anything on a pole, and likely would require guy cables.

I am not entirely sure of the weight. I forget where I got that number... The latest search seems to indicate that the flat high performance weighs over 16 pounds on the Starlink wedge mount with the pole adapter, plus the weight of the cable itself. The weight of the pole itself to get it over the camper roof would be extra as well.

Although Starlink is no longer offering it, I see that the regular (not flat) high performance dish is being sold by BestBuy etc. That one comes with a tripod stand. I am tempted to go in that direction.

[sofmerc]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

is the Starlink antenna actually 30 lbs ? thats pretty darn heavy for anything on a pole, and likely would require guy cables.

no where near 30 lbs.. a few pounds plus the mount of your choice..

[kavm]

Originally Posted by sofmerc

no where near 30 lbs.. a few pounds plus the mount of your choice..

Few pounds can mean a lot of things. Here are my numbers, directly from the references provided below:

• 13 lbs for the dish
• 15 lbs for dish with 25 ft cable. Now, of course, not all of the cable needs to be hoisted up.
• The wedge mount - the only one available for the flat high-performance dish - 4.4 lbs. This is attached to the dish and I presume would need to be hoisted up if on a pole/pipe.
• Pipe mount adapter - attaches to the wedge mount - 2.4 lbs.

So, I get 15 + 4.4 + 2.4 = 21.8 lbs. Let's drop it to 21 lbs, given that the entire cable does not need to raised up the camper roof. So, we have 21 lbs - without counting the weight of the pipe itself to raise it above the camper roof.

https://api.starlink.com/public-file...erformance.pdf

https://api.starlink.com/public-file...erformance.pdf

Please feel free to clarify where I have it wrong.