Starlink

[Helmsman]

Before Starlink put the kibash in the terms of service for use while mobile, I setup the autopilot to do a 5 mile circle. The dish moved four times in three hours. Only at 180 degrees from North did it move. More importantly I never lost signal. At dock even while pitching, I have yet to see it adjust, except when I come aboard and turn it on.

Wow, That isn't bad at all. Really good to hear the practical experience with it. Not sure how it would handle the Tennessee River and the TomBigBee with all the switchbacks. But, it would probably put less stress on the motors than I imagined.

 

[bowball]

Who would get the new “RV” to turn service off for months not using the boat? I don’t see a negative to it?

 

[HTurner]

Who would get the new “RV” to turn service off for months not using the boat? I don’t see a negative to it?

RV service "turn on turn off" service is the advantage. The big disadvantage is the RV service is secondary priority to everyone else in any given Starlink cell. What the throughput is, being secondary, especially in some cells... is the question.

 

[bowball]

RV service "turn on turn off" service is the advantage. The big disadvantage is the RV service is secondary priority to everyone else in any given Starlink cell. What the throughput is, being secondary, especially in some cells... is the question.

I meant to say “wouldn’t” not “would.” The way I understand that is when roaming you are secondary as well if out of home base. I wonder how big those zones are in the PNW? If small, then it’s almost irrelevant.

 

[Pau Hana]

Up and operational- and blazing fast!

 

[Sababa]

You can connect the square dish to your router as a WAN, either using the optional Ethernet adaptor, or directly with a little bit of cable crimping and a POE adapter. Or so I’ve read and hope.

https://svrenaissance.com/musings-about-starlink/

 

[slowgoesit]

Finally got connected yesterday. Not at my service address. Haven't tried it "in motion" yet. Frankly most of my usage will be stationary, and we have portability enabled, so we'll see how it works as we head up to Alaska on the Inland Passage.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

so we'll see how it works as we head up to Alaska on the Inland Passage.

Please keep us updated on the good, bad and ugly

 

[Wild Blue]

We purchased our Starlink for a service address in California. It worked great. We then added the "portability" option.

Next, we brought it up to the boat moored in Vancouver BC. Starlink would not accept a service address outside the USA. Thinking that was odd, I asked Starlink Support which responded that although it works most places in North America, you can't yet change countries without signing up for that country's service!

So Vancouver BC is about 18 miles north of Point Roberts. We entered a valid Point Roberts service address and the unit worked just fine with 100-200 mbs download from False Creek Vancouver.

We started up the Inside Passage stopping in Pender Harbour the first night. Then it was on to Gorge Harbour the next day.

We left the unit on as we cruised in flat seas The unit worked non stop with 100+ mbs download for 85 miles up the Passage, almost to Gorge.

When we get 85 miles from the Alaska border, well enter Port Tongass Village, AK USA, just across the border, as the service address and see if we can get service.

Cheers, Alex on Wild Blue

 

[Sababa]

We purchased our Starlink for a service address in California. It worked great. We then added the "portability" option.

Next, we brought it up to the boat moored in Vancouver BC. Starlink would not accept a service address outside the USA. Thinking that was odd, I asked Starlink Support which responded that although it works most places in North America, you can't yet change countries without signing up for that country's service!

So Vancouver BC is about 18 miles north of Point Roberts. We entered a valid Point Roberts service address and the unit worked just fine with 100-200 mbs download from False Creek Vancouver.

We started up the Inside Passage stopping in Pender Harbour the first night. Then it was on to Gorge Harbour the next day.

We left the unit on as we cruised in flat seas The unit worked non stop with 100+ mbs download for 85 miles up the Passage, almost to Gorge.

When we get 85 miles from the Alaska border, well enter Port Tongass Village, AK USA, just across the border, as the service address and see if we can get service.

Cheers, Alex on Wild Blue

Good to know! I’m finishing up my DC install at the dock in Seattle and haven’t fires it up to test it out yet. When I bought my unit I entered a service address in a remote cell in Eastern Washington. I’m sure I would have been very confused and distraught if it had stopped working as soon as I crossed the border.

Separately, I asked support today if I could switch from the residential + mobility plan I originally ordered to the new RV plan, which is the same cost but allows switching on and off. Here was the response:

Hi Ian, unfortunately, we cannot transfer a residential account to a Starlink for RV account with out returning and purchasing new hardware at this time, but since you already have an active residential Starlink account, you have the option to add the portability feature. This will allow you to travel with your Starlink while portability is enabled just like the RV offering, but also turn it off when you return your registered service address for prioritized service and not pay the additional fee. Adding portability to your account will be equivalent in cost to Starlink for RVs as well as allow you to receive the same best effort service.

Hopefully this will change at some point before winter when we typically only cruise in Puget Sound where we have good cell coverage.

 

[ksanders]

I just ordered my Starlink RV.

My KVH satellite bill is over $2,000 a month when in remote areas.

That represents a HUGE incentive.

Whatever the installation challenges are, I'll figure them out.

I do not have access to a machine shop but I do have a excellent selection of power tools onboard along with a strong desire to figure it out.

Wonderful thread!!!!!

 

[Simi 60]

I just ordered my Starlink RV.

My KVH satellite bill is over $2,000 a month when in remote areas.

That represents a HUGE incentive.

For tv???

 

[tpbrady]

Wild Blue,

There's a Starlink gateway in Ketchikan near Walmart so you should have some service. The current constellation of satellites doesn't go as far north as Ketchikan so as you get farther north service will possibly become intermittent as most satellites are south of you while Starlink generally wants to look north so as not to interfere with geo satellites over the equator.

Tom

 

[ksanders]

Up and operational- and blazing fast!

That kind of result is fantastic!!!!

What a game changer!

 

[ksanders]

For tv???

No, I have KVH satellite internet, the 10 GB plan

 

[slowgoesit]

We're North of Nanaimo, in Hammond Bay. Great up and down. Service has been great from Port Townsend WA to here. Totally a game changer!

 

[Wild Blue]

Tom:

Thanks for the Ketchikan coverage info. Will report our results as we approach the northern US-Canada border estimated about June 16 or so.

Alex on Wild Blue

 

[Larry M]

I just receive this from a friend. (Steve Mann is in a sailboat)

STEPHAN MANN, IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, REPORTS HE LOST STARLINK SERVICE FOR FIVE DAYS ON THE BASH ONCE HE GOT 14 MILES NORTH OF CABO.

He’s currently 200 miles south of San Diego, about 100 miles offshore, getting “intermittent service”.

He defines that as “Mostly working, but sometimes dropping out for minutes at a time. We're banging northward in 20 knots true and lumpy seas, so there's quite a lot of motion, which is probably a significant factor.”

How he’s getting any service 100 miles offshore is a mystery to me. Let alone banging upwind in sloppy seas.

Update: Mann was just able to instantly Facebook back to me from 100 miles out some 200 miles south of San Diego in lumpy conditions. The Starlink future looks bright indeed.

 

[JD Ray]

MV Freedom just dropped their post-install Starlink review. The tldr; works great. They don’t use it underway (or say they don’t) due to the “rules” (I seriously doubt Starlink would cut off their service because of an FCC rule unless the FCC complained). Plenty of speed for streaming and working remote.
https://youtu.be/GHHCK6aARn0

 

[psneeld]

Anyone know where it says RV or any mobile application will be secondary priority?

Havent seen that before the prior post about it.

 

[HTurner]

Anyone know where it says RV or any mobile application will be secondary priority?

Havent seen that before the prior post about it.

From the Starlink RV web page:


Starlink for RVs is ideal for customers traveling to locations where connectivity has been unreliable or completely unavailable.


Users can expect high speed, low latency internet in areas marked "Available", and notably slower speeds during hours of peak usage in areas marked as "Waitlist" or during events with many collocated users.


Starlink for RVs is not designed for use while in motion.

 

[psneeld]

Ot sure that means when it is fully running or in areas not populated that RVs are secondary service isers.

 

[bowball]

Ot sure that means when it is fully running or in areas not populated that RVs are secondary service isers.

I think it’s mobility users too. Anyone out of their fixed home base so they can’t cut the line.

 

[Sababa]

Success with the straight DC install! Getting good speed despite best-effort service in waitlisted Seattle and partially obstructed sky backed halfway out from my covered slip. Can even access the app and stow the dish via the management interface over my Peplink router. Thanks to SV Renaissance for the detailed instructions!

 

[bowball]

Success with the straight DC install! Getting good speed despite best-effort service in waitlisted Seattle and partially obstructed sky backed halfway out from my covered slip. Can even access the app and stow the dish via the management interface over my Peplink router. Thanks to SV Renaissance for the detailed instructions!

Nice!

What’s the straight DC install?

 

[Sababa]

Nice!

What’s the straight DC install?

https://svrenaissance.com/musings-about-starlink/

 

[capngrumpy]

i just adapted the original install kit to mount it on my pilothouse.My dish is an early model round disk and its reaction speed is slow so i doubt it would work in a seaway however it seems to have no reaction to the boat rocking fairly well from wakes.
i have also added a voip module so i also have regular phone sevice, it all works better than the hard wired home internet i used to have

 

[PJHoffnet]

Dish demands SpaceX deactivate Starlink dishes used on moving boats and cars. The company urges the FCC to force SpaceX to crack down on the unauthorized Starlink use.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/dish-demands-spacex-deactivate-starlink-dishes-used-on-moving-boats-and

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Oh oh. You all that have mounted a starling antenna be careful, Dish is watching.

 

[tiltrider1]

Dish is scared to death of Starlink. Only, they are screwed. Elon will be motivated to push the FCC into approving for use in motion. He loves a good fight and he loves to win. What Dish needs to do is figure out how to repackage their content so I don’t feel the need for starlink.