Starlink Discussion - Jan 2024. Mounting, Use in CG and Moving, General Information, ETC.

[MJ.STIGER]

I did a search and did not see any post regarding Starlink. So i figured why not create one. 

Not looking to debate whats better Starlink.. Blah Blah and such. LOL 

Ok onto mounting. I do have Starlink and i currently have the Pole mount for the ladder and it works Great no issue. Nice that i can take it down when in tree cover and put i on the stand and move it out in the woods. LOL

So on to Roof mounting to use while in motion. I found a great youtube clip of someone doing a roof mount. Posted below. 
My plan is is currently working on this method. With a different mount since the one the video uses i could not find. So i elected to go with the Pivot Roof mount. 

My idea is using the pivot mount and disconnect the motor power to the starlink when its in the Stow Mode. Think will give me a low profile on the starlink sitting roughly 12 inches off the roof. My next thought is location and i plan to put it behind a roof vent. For a bit of protection from anything that might come in contact forbid that ever happens. I also plan on its location to be near the bath room vent since is to the side of the Coach. So i can use a ladder to get up to it and remove if i am in a stationary place with tree coverage. 

I am debating weither or not to use a pepwave mobile router so i can have back up cellular. Just a though and still need to do some research. 

Ok thats what i have for now. I will post some photos of how this turns out. But i would like to hear from others on what they have done if any thing remotely close to get some ideas. 

 

 

[JDCrow]

Have you seen the new dish? No motors, it’s almost flat on the ground. 
 

I was invited to beta it, but I have 3 dishes now and don’t need to upgrade……yet 

 

https://www.starlinkhardware.com/starlink-gen-3-dish-launched/

[Tom Cherry]

7 hours ago, MJ.STIGER said:

I did a search and did not see any post regarding Starlink. So i figured why not create one. 

Not looking to debate whats better Starlink.. Blah Blah and such. LOL 

Ok onto mounting. I do have Starlink and i currently have the Pole mount for the ladder and it works Great no issue. Nice that i can take it down when in tree cover and put i on the stand and move it out in the woods. LOL

So on to Roof mounting to use while in motion. I found a great youtube clip of someone doing a roof mount. Posted below. 
My plan is is currently working on this method. With a different mount since the one the video uses i could not find. So i elected to go with the Pivot Roof mount. 

My idea is using the pivot mount and disconnect the motor power to the starlink when its in the Stow Mode. Think will give me a low profile on the starlink sitting roughly 12 inches off the roof. My next thought is location and i plan to put it behind a roof vent. For a bit of protection from anything that might come in contact forbid that ever happens. I also plan on its location to be near the bath room vent since is to the side of the Coach. So i can use a ladder to get up to it and remove if i am in a stationary place with tree coverage. 

I am debating weither or not to use a pepwave mobile router so i can have back up cellular. Just a though and still need to do some research. 

Ok thats what i have for now. I will post some photos of how this turns out. But i would like to hear from others on what they have done if any thing remotely close to get some ideas. 

 

 

Suggest you try the search again.  There are 7 pages of posts....or a total of 163 "POSTS" that have the word STARLINK in them.  

https://www.monacoers.org/search/?q=STARLINK&quick=1&type=forums_topic

I just scrolled down the first two pages.  There are probably 3 specific "Topic Titles" in the first two pages that are Starlink specific and are focused on Starlink and how to mount and use and experiences and such.

I used STARLINK and then left the data base or where to look in the "EVERYWHERE".  That should give you  every single "data base" or section where the word "starlink" is used.  That goes back to day ONE in the data base of ALL POSTS....

The title of the post has been edited so that it is a general discussion.  The past "Starlink Specific" topics are several months old and since technology and such changes rapidly.

Therefore, this NEW Topic will NOT be merged into past ones.

What the site rules suggest is to narrow the search field to TOPICS....that way a new topic is NOT created if there is one that is a few months or maybe even a year old. As an experiment, I did use "TOPIC" instead of EVERYWHERE....the results were the same....

So, in the future, please experiment with the SEARCH... but also limit it to TOPIC....

BUT....this one will remain and anyone that wants information can click on the link above and then scroll back and easily decide what to read.

[cbr046]

In the past Starlink was weak in SE US until they got more satellites up in space.  They wouldn't authorize our location (NE GA) but now it looks like they cover the full US.  We're limited by trees anyway.

https://www.starlink.com/map?view=availability

With Dish Network we can add $7 to our monthly bill (for recording) and add a 2nd receiver, for glamping.  So $7 vs $120+ per month is a no brainer for my cost conscious DW even though we're stuck with nothing worthwhile to watch (Dish) and no streaming (limited cell plan).  Such is life.  

For full timing Starlink is the way to go.  Starlink for 2 households (stick & brick + coach) gets cost prohibitive for us. 

- bob

[Bill R]

@MJ.STIGER I don't have Starlink, but I didn't realize it could be used "in-motion".  That is good to know.  Looking forward to how your project turns out and how the "in-motion" performs.

[birdshill123]

The worst part of Starlink is dealing with the business practices of Musk. He raises or lowers prices at will. Changes the technology without giving you the opportunity of upgrading. There is no customer service toll free #. I am told they do not respond to emails.  I have to wonder if things will change when Amazon enters the market. Despite my whining we are considering buying a unit. Amazing technology.

Edited January 6 by birdshill123

[JDCrow]

11 minutes ago, birdshill123 said:

The worst part of Starlink is dealing with the business practices of Musk. He raises or lowers prices at will. Changes the technology without giving you the opportunity of upgrading. There is no customer service toll free #. I am told they do not respond to emails.  I have to wonder if things will change when Amazon enters the market. Despite my whining we are considering buying a unit. Amazing technology.

He owns the biz, he can do what he wants. If it’s a great product, people will buy it. Personally I don’t own a Tesla, but the no salesman/dealership model is awesome. The no stores for Starlink is awesome. His products speak (and sell) for themselves. 

I’ve taken some of what he does and incorporated it into my biz. I have a phone number, but don’t answer it. I have a lobby, but we don’t man it. I have a website, but don’t answer emails from it until the potential customer reads the canned response and follows the directions to get in touch with us. 
 

To Much time wasted on people who want me and my biz to conform to them. I’m successful because I’ve honed my craft and don’t not need new clients all the time. I know not every biz can run this way, but it’s been said, if you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one 

way off topic. I’m sure Tom had missed me. 
 

Anyway, I have a a few starlinks for home and travel. Love them 

[MJ.STIGER]

@Tom Cherry Thanks. Its possible i was searching in the wrong place. 

 

@Bill R i have not used it in motion yet. But heard that it can be done. Might have lower priority. But worth a try. We have a trip coming up and the wife needs to work as we roll down the road. So going to give it a shot. I will post some photos of my install when i get it completed. 

[96 EVO]

11 hours ago, cbr046 said:

 

With Dish Network we can add $7 to our monthly bill (for recording) and add a 2nd receiver, for glamping.  So $7 vs $120+ per month is a no brainer for my cost conscious DW even though we're stuck with nothing worthwhile to watch (Dish) and no streaming (limited cell plan).  Such is life.  

 

Kinda apples and oranges Bob.

Your comparing TV signal to internet!

[cbr046]

Sources of entertainment / streaming, occupying time.

- bob

[Jeff H]

Hello all

I flat-mounted the original dish to the roof using an after-market case by Star-Mount Systems: https://star-mountsystems.com/.  They aren't cheap but they are well made and quite waterproof.  Star Mount Systems was started by a guy who wanted to livestream his Baja racing. There are lots of DIY videos online on how to modify the dish to flat-mount.  I removed the satellite dish (that we never used) and used the cable as a pull wire to run the Starlink cable.

We used it on a trip from Canada to Texas and had reception everywhere as long as the panel could see the sky.  Speeds did vary depending on how many other dishes were looking for a connection nearby.  I forgot to turn it off when traveling a few times.  Once on arrival, it had to be reset; it continued to work the other times.  

[Steve P]

Please share what Gen of Starlink "dish" you have and what service/price plan you subscribe to.  That wil help prevent responses that don't apply to you and your situation. 

I have the Gen 2 router and dish ($599 plus shipping), and my service plan is Mobile-Regional (Roam) at $150/month. 

At the very least, it looks like the Flat High Performance Starlink panel and the addition of Mobile Priority service (billed per Gbyte of data usage would be needed to have data connectivity while on the roll.  And the service plan mentions speeds less than 10mph.  If that's true, Mobile Priority service hardly seems worth the bother. 

Does anyone use Starlink in Motion that can advise?  What dish/panel?  What plan(s)?

[amphi_sc]

On 1/6/2024 at 6:37 AM, cbr046 said:

Please ignore my 200% agreement with Bob 

 

Edited January 7 by amphi_sc
Decided it strayed from OP's stated purpose

[Jeff H]

7 hours ago, Steve P said:

Please share what Gen of Starlink "dish" you have and what service/price plan you subscribe to.  That wil help prevent responses that don't apply to you and your situation. 

I have the Gen 2 router and dish ($599 plus shipping), and my service plan is Mobile-Regional (Roam) at $150/month. 

At the very least, it looks like the Flat High Performance Starlink panel and the addition of Mobile Priority service (billed per Gbyte of data usage would be needed to have data connectivity while on the roll.  And the service plan mentions speeds less than 10mph.  If that's true, Mobile Priority service hardly seems worth the bother. 

Does anyone use Starlink in Motion that can advise?  What dish/panel?  What plan(s)?

I have a 2nd Gen router and dish with the Roam service plan.

Here is a video with a Gen 1 dish at 80 MPH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PDVURcvWeg&ab_channel=MikeOnSpace,  He mentions in the video, and it makes a lot of sense, that it would work in motion because the satellites are moving far faster than a vehicle is even capable of.  The 10MPH is most likely a regulatory limit rather than a physical/technological one

[MJ.STIGER]

I also have the Roaming Gen 2 Dish. with the 150 a month service. Have not mounted it yet we had some weather come in so i need to wait until it warms up. 

But here are some photos of on my mounting setup so far. 

[Rocketman3]

I have the gen2 dish.  $145/month (Grandfatherd resident plan + mobility - basically the same as Roaming plan).

it is usually on a ladder pole mount. 

I think the in-motion plan requires a much more expensive plan.  

I have been using it for a while - as long as we are not under a lot of trees - it works great!

[MJ.STIGER]

Ok finally got some better weather to get my Starlink mounted. Trip planned in March taking me across a couple of states going to see how this works out. I have to tidy up the wiring. But the unit can be disconnected and placed in other locations if need be. 

[Ivan K]

Looks good, have you disabled the motors or will it be searching as you go? No complaining about not being vertical?

[MJ.STIGER]

I disabled the motors. Drilled a 1 inch hold and uplugged the cable. Put a plug on the hole incase i need to reconnect. From what i have see it should not complain about the motors since the power to the motor is disconnected. Will let you know how it goes when i get it on the move. 

 

[cbr046]

Tree limbs happen! 

Pretty remote possibility but if you brush under a low lying tree limb will it ride over the vent cover then get under antenna and snatch it off?  Reversing the mount could have the limb migrating to the mount base and maybe be strong enough to pull through. 

- bob

[MJ.STIGER]

Its possible a tree limb could catch. Good Point. 

I can lower the mount at more of an angle. and still get the unit to sit flat. or possible angle to keep that from happening. I will give it a once over before i hit the road. Might be a risk i take. I was thinking behind the vent would keep things from snagging against the mount.