Starlink

Hi In answer to some of the questions on Starlink, we installed at our rural home in Upstate NY - it's amazing... it does have some small drop-off issues for brief times - minutes when it switches satellites but that only impacts upload video conferencing for us.

Rumor has it Elon is working on a portable version for trains, autos and RV's - can't wait.

We just put our deposit on a 21 NE - can't wait for that either!!!

Dennis and Maricelis

dennis@backyardbrands.com
 
brroberts said:
Where I live, I pay $40 a month for what is .4 up and about 2.5 down, but that’s only when it works which is about 75% of the time. I could pay $80 a month and have .4 up and about 5 down, but it would still only work about 3/4 of the time. The other options are Viasat or Hughesnet. Neither of those are worthwhile to me given their limitations. So while I don’t want to pay $99 a month, it’s far easier to get stuff done and it’s the only viable option here. Fiber is a mile away, but the provider has not done anything with it in two years. It’s just sitting in the ground doing nothing.
Click to expand...

Have you checked different cell carriers recently?

I know T-Mobile has been building out their 600 and 700 mhz bands. These lower frequency bands have better longer range coverage.

We use our cellphone hotspots exclusively for our internet about 6 months of the year. Our house has cable internet mostly to be able to stream security cameras.
 
TTMartin said:
Have you checked different cell carriers recently?

I know T-Mobile has been building out their 600 and 700 mhz bands. These lower frequency bands have better longer range coverage.

We use our cellphone hotspots exclusively for our internet about 6 months of the year. Our house has cable internet mostly to be able to stream security cameras.
Click to expand...

There is fixed cell internet like GoogleFi close, but not at my house. It cost more than StarLink here. As far as hotspots, it’s not any faster here, and has data caps and / or throttling. I’ve tried to switch to anything other than what I have. I have it because it’s the best of a very bad choice. If it’s not truly unlimited, it’s not helpful for me. Caps and throttling don’t work for my needs. We travel for 2-3 months at a time, and I don’t work then. So tethering my phone is fine for that. At home, where I work, I need more.
 
With 600 and 700 MHz bands, not to mention the Sprint merger, T-Mobile should be much better. Except that it is not in the real life. At least that’s our experience with it.

I am not particularly keen to switch away to Verizon (as we like the international usage options much better) but thinking of alternatives like adding a Verizon MIFI to supplement T-Mobile phones. But, as it is, the FordLink requires what amounts to an AT&T data subscription. So, these things are getting out out hand.

If Starlink were to get real for RV usage, we could get rid of some of that complexity and cost.
 
RangerMan said:
Boondocking and taking the world with you. A puzzlement!
Click to expand...

You hit the nail on the head! Most of this forum is about how much electricity can I stuff into my trailer so I can go boondocking.

I have a generator, but got a bigger one so I can run the air conditioner. Then I added a third that runs on propane just in case.

Solar panels? The roof is paved with them. Then I added tilting panels and now sliders to double up. And a pack of portables in case, heaven forbid, I end up boondocking under a tree.

I added a thick cable to run from alternators 2 and 3 in my truck back to the trailer to boost the charge. And I bought an old Tesla so I could tear up the trailer floor and lay in a wall to wall bank of batteries.

I added enough chargers, shunts, inverters, outlets, control panels, and backup systems to rival the space program. I had to upgrade my phone just to handle all the apps.

Now I’m looking at wind power, even if I only use it while I’m driving down the highway it should be worth it. And, of course, hydropower. You never know when you might boondock next to a nice little babbling brook.
 
kavm said:
With 600 and 700 MHz bands, not to mention the Sprint merger, T-Mobile should be much better. Except that it is not in the real life. At least that’s our experience with it.

I am not particularly keen to switch away to Verizon (as we like the international usage options much better) but thinking of alternatives like adding a Verizon MIFI to supplement T-Mobile phones. But, as it is, the FordLink requires what amounts to an AT&T data subscription. So, these things are getting out out hand.

If Starlink were to get real for RV usage, we could get rid of some of that complexity and cost.
Click to expand...

Last September we picked up our Escape in Sumas. While I do have a WeBoost in my Sprinter, we streamed music using T-Mobile on US 2 constantly from Washington to the Michigan UP with only about a total of 15 minutes of dead spots on the entire trip.

In 2018 we did a 2 month trip through the Michigan UP to Yellowstone and purchased a StraightTalk phone on the Verizon network to supplement our T-Mobile phones.

In 2019 we did a similar 2 month trip to Yosemite also starting up through the Michigan UP. Again we activated the StraightTalk Verizon network phone. After the first month we didn't renew it as we had as good or better coverage on our T-Mobile phones. This was especially true on Native American lands, not sure why.

Verizon and AT&T have actually filed official complaints with the FCC that T-Mobile has a competitive advantage over them due to T-Mobile having better 600 mhz coverage.

T-Mobile amassed “unprecedented concentration of spectrum,”
 
brroberts said:
There is fixed cell internet like GoogleFi close, but not at my house. It cost more than StarLink here. As far as hotspots, it’s not any faster here, and has data caps and / or throttling. I’ve tried to switch to anything other than what I have. I have it because it’s the best of a very bad choice. If it’s not truly unlimited, it’s not helpful for me. Caps and throttling don’t work for my needs. We travel for 2-3 months at a time, and I don’t work then. So tethering my phone is fine for that. At home, where I work, I need more.
Click to expand...

If there is a way to segregate your 'junk traffic' like video and music streaming from you business traffic, you might try having two lines and doing that. T-Mobile's standard data is fast enough for casual web browsing, as well as music and video streaming (at 480P). For tasks that require true high speed internet they offer 20 GB of highspeed data for $20. The problem is steaming video and the like suck right through that 20 GB and that's not why I got it. The solution was to set up two hotspots, one on my wife's phone for the all the 'junk traffic', and a second one on my phone that is only used when true highspeed internet is needed. I don't know if that helps you, but, it does work for us.
 
RangerMan said:
Boondocking and taking the world with you. A puzzlement!
Click to expand...

When you're taking months on the road it's hard to leave the world behind for that long. Not to mention with the Pandemic showing remote work is feasible, it opens up the ability to travel to those who wouldn't otherwise be able to.
 
RangerMan said:
Boondocking and taking the world with you. A puzzlement!
Click to expand...

I agree. Some folks live on the road, but if I did that, I would only boondock for a “vacation.” When I’m traveling, If I have cell fine; if not fine. I’ll be someplace in a week or two that has it.

At home I work, and really need better internet; some folks just work on the road. I travel in my job, but then I go back home. Others travel with their home. That, to me, is the difference.

I have no idea why some want so much electricity for boondocking. Two 6v batteries and no solar or generator, and 6 days in the summer is fine. Only a day or two when below freezing because of the furnace draw on batteries. I figure a solar panel or two, and I’ll be good until the tanks are an issue, and even until the propane runs out. Propane use also depends on the weather. the Fresh water and dumping are always the first limitations I reach, and that takes several days. If you plan ahead, you can deal with that.

I just remember all of the years we spent traveling in the 60’s-80’s with one group 24 12v battery in the trailer hanging out in national forests for weeks at a time in the summer. Electricity was never an issue.

We all know, each of us has different wants and priorities.

But the only way I can get better internet at home right now is StarLink.
 
TTMartin said:
If there is a way to segregate your 'junk traffic' like video and music streaming from you business traffic, you might try having two lines and doing that. T-Mobile's standard data is fast enough for casual web browsing, as well as music and video streaming (at 480P). For tasks that require true high speed internet they offer 20 GB of highspeed data for $20. The problem is steaming video and the like suck right through that 20 GB and that's not why I got it. The solution was to set up two hotspots, one on my wife's phone for the all the 'junk traffic', and a second one on my phone that is only used when true highspeed internet is needed. I don't know if that helps you, but, it does work for us.
Click to expand...

There’s not a great way to separate it, but we could accommodate it. We would have to do it with a device and not our phones to make it work for our current situation. I’ve looked at it before, but for that amount, I can just get StarLink. I don’t work full time anymore, so I try really hard to minimize my business costs now because I don’t make what I once did. That’s by choice. Time is more important to me than money. I am really frugal, and don’t feel like I need a lot. So, for me, I have plenty. Other than our homes, the E19 will be the most expensive thing we’ve ever bought.

I’ve explored multiple lines for other churches around here too, but the upload speeds are so bad that ultimately they just need a bigger pipe.
 
The veering off of posts like these responses is the most frustrating and unhelpful part of this forum. I get it if you don't want to do much when you're boondocking. It would be much better served to have your own thread to complain somewhere else on the forum.


Back to Starlink, I too got the invite after signing up for it and have not gone through with it. $100/month would be fantastic for mobile internet that fast. But there are two things I'm interested in finding that answer to:
1. How much data are you allowed to use?
2. How much power does the equipment require?

Sure would love to know if it can run without an inverter but we'll have to wait longer to find out. But it will certainly be a game-changer for working on the road.



brroberts said:
I agree. Some folks live on the road, but if I did that, I would only boondock for a “vacation.” When I’m traveling, If I have cell fine; if not fine. I’ll be someplace in a week or two that has it.

At home I work, and really need better internet; some folks just work on the road. I travel in my job, but then I go back home. Others travel with their home. That, to me, is the difference.

I have no idea why some want so much electricity for boondocking. Two 6v batteries and no solar or generator, and 6 days in the summer is fine. Only a day or two when below freezing because of the furnace draw on batteries. I figure a solar panel or two, and I’ll be good until the tanks are an issue, and even until the propane runs out. Propane use also depends on the weather. the Fresh water and dumping are always the first limitations I reach, and that takes several days. If you plan ahead, you can deal with that.

I just remember all of the years we spent traveling in the 60’s-80’s with one group 24 12v battery in the trailer hanging out in national forests for weeks at a time in the summer. Electricity was never an issue.

We all know, each of us has different wants and priorities.

But the only way I can get better internet at home right now is StarLink.
Click to expand...
 
At least for now, data is unlimited. As far as power draw, I could speculate, but I have no idea. Some folks have torn it apart to look inside, so maybe someone has measured power draw. It does work on a standard 15 amp outlet, so it’s likely less than 1500 watts, but could be 1800. The dish does get warm in use, so there is probably more than just a minuscule draw.

At this time it’s not mobile. Maybe in the future.
 
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TTMartin said:
Last September we picked up our Escape in Sumas. While I do have a WeBoost in my Sprinter, we streamed music using T-Mobile on US 2 constantly from Washington to the Michigan UP with only about a total of 15 minutes of dead spots on the entire trip.

In 2018 we did a 2 month trip through the Michigan UP to Yellowstone and purchased a StraightTalk phone on the Verizon network to supplement our T-Mobile phones.

In 2019 we did a similar 2 month trip to Yosemite also starting up through the Michigan UP. Again we activated the StraightTalk Verizon network phone. After the first month we didn't renew it as we had as good or better coverage on our T-Mobile phones. This was especially true on Native American lands, not sure why.

Verizon and AT&T have actually filed official complaints with the FCC that T-Mobile has a competitive advantage over them due to T-Mobile having better 600 mhz coverage.

T-Mobile amassed “unprecedented concentration of spectrum,”
Click to expand...

Thank you for this.

We will look into StraightTalk Verizon network phone. Streaming music, videos etc are not priority for us. Being able to read work emails a few times a day and attending a few important business calls (ideally on zoom etc. without video) can make a huge difference.

Our camping and driving pattern is largely off the interstate. After pickup from Sumas, WA - we plan to -
  • Camp a couple of nights camping in Fidalgo Island to try to figure how things work
  • Take the ferry to Port Townsend and camp 2 nights in Kalaloch campground - Western WA coast and Olympic NP
  • 2 nights in Hoh campground (Olympic NP - rainforest), assuming we can get a spot by getting there before 9 AM
  • Going down the Oregon coast some before turning East and heading home to Utah through Oregon.
All this is mostly state highways and largely off the interstate. It reflects our pattern of travel. That's why the high interest in Starlink, cell phone providers, signal boosters, and so on.

Any advice is welcome!
 
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kavm said:
All this is mostly state highways and largely off the interstate. It reflects our pattern of travel. That's why the high interest in Starlink, cell phone providers, signal boosters, and so on.
Click to expand...

We seldom drive on Interstates also. US 2 is NOT an Interstate.

Yes, getting the StraighTalk phone is a good way to find out if all the hype about Verizon is true. You can pick up a basic StraightTalk Android phone at Walmart, as well as an activation code.

An important thing to be aware of is StraightTalk has both Verizon and AT&T network phones. The Verizon network phones will have a red US map on them, and the AT&T network phones will have a blue US map on them. Be sure you buy the right one.
 
Digging around quickly, power numbers aren’t completely in agreement, but at full upload speeds with the snow / ice heater running the largest number I saw was 180 watts, so even a pretty small inverter should suffice.
 
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