Any Starlink Users Out There?

[Sooery]

Camp in cell dead zones often and can't get Verizon service.
Looking for real info on Starlink (startup costs, monthly subscription, reliability, etc.
Thanks in advance!
Robert

 

[P and D]

We installed about 1.5 years ago and love it. We did the in-motion antenna on roof, cost more, but its great for daughter to watch tv on the road. 99 percent of campsites we have had signal unless a heavy band of trees covering the front of motorhome and blocks signal, we have been surprised how small of an area clear to the sky it needs to still get a signal.
Cost was 2500.00 for antenna kit that has everything you need and service is 150.00 for roam service. You are not guaranteed any speed but we have always had enough bandwidth to stream TV. The only hiccup we had was our dish antenna was up front also, and the Starlink antenna does interfere with DISH signal, so moved Dish antenna to rear of motorhome and fixed that, and then cancelled DISH since Starlink did so well.

 

[Sooery]

Mind asking the model of the in motion antenna kit. Would it be possible to easily detach from MH roof so as to use at home when not traveling?

 

[P and D]

It should be FHPKIT2. If you got a second cable there are 4 screws that hold it on the roof bracket you could do that.
You can also buy the home version antenna for 599.00 and put on same account. The nice part, when not traveling you can pause your Starlink service. If you do the home antenna at fixed location, its only 120.00 per month instead of Roam that is 150.00 per month

 

[Sierradave-WO]

I have the gen 3 standard dish with the separate router and power supply. It cost me a one-time fee of $599 thru Best Buy. I set up my service with the Starlink phone app. I have the Roam plan which costs $150/mo, but I can pause the service and avoid additional monthly fees when I'm not using it. I use an 8ft Flagpole Buddy Starlink gen 3 pole ($210 from Amazon) mounted to my motorhome's rear ladder. The pole is easy to mount and remove from the ground. I routed the dish cable thru my electrical (shore power) compartment and into my rig's bedroom (via a drilled 3/4" hole) where the router and power supply are located. I have 200+mbps dowload and 15+mbps upload speeds (very good speeds). The signal is strong for a 75ft radius of the router. The Flag Buddy pole gets the dish above most obstacles (except thick trees). If needed, I have about 40ft of dish cable for moving the dish to a tree-free spot. But I need to use the ground-level "kickstand" (comes with the dish). I'm extremely happy with the service, bandwidth and speed. It's pricey but if you're in a cell or wifi-excluded area it's worth the price. I use it even when a park wifi is available because of the signal strength, reliabilty and privacy. Elon Musk says this is a beta-plan - no contract and no guarantee against future changes. Starlink is constantly upgrading the hardware and service plans. They just came out with a gen 3 mini dish and optional limited 50 GB service plan for about $50/mo. But I haven't checked the latest reviews about it. There's lots of youtube videos to explain the latest changes plus "how-to" set-ups.

 

[Richs5122]

We have the gen 3 portable disg with roaming service. Only issue is with shaded camp sites. You will need to be mindful of tree cover and try to select with a clear view of the sky over a 100 degree arc above the dish. Service works well when you have open sky above the dish.

 

[FredL]

Trying to find if i buy the hardware for the standard and use it on roam for 2 mos, can i then use the same hardware and put it on a residential plan. Realize i can start and stop monthly mobile that i cant do with residential, but seems that the hardware is the same?

 

[creativepart]

Yes, the hardware is the same, for all plans but the $5,000 per month in-motion at sea plan.

However, I believe there are some Starlink restrictions about moving plans between residential and roaming multiple times. I don’t use Starlink, and their plans change all the time it seems. There are something like 4 Starlink “dishes” and routers but I’m pretty sure they all work for all plans. I’ve never heard that certain hardware only works with certain plans.

Check with Starlink about these, or check on www.rvmobileinternet.com. They track Starlink terms and conditions, as well as all other mobile internet sources on a regular basis.

 

[Sierradave-WO]

At this time, the Mini dish plan is the only one offering the $50/mo fee. It's cannot be paused and isn't available with other dishes. It's limited to 50 gigs/mo (then $1 per gig of overage). There's a YouTube video library for newbies: Starlink Hardware. Lots of info there and updates about this ever-evolving technology.

 

[FredL]

Thanks all.

 

[Itwildo]

Class b here. I have a starlink mini that I can use just placing it on my windshield. If I park north west it works fairly well. Can't be under trees or narrow canyon

 

[bcoldpro]

Camp in cell dead zones often and can't get Verizon service.
Looking for real info on Starlink (startup costs, monthly subscription, reliability, etc.
Thanks in advance!
Robert

One of my camping buddies has Starlink for remote work while traveling in Wyoming for a couple of months'
Worked perfect for him. He's brought it when we have done desert camping and shared the network with a couple of the guys in camp. He says he has rented his Starlink out occasionally. I have seen it showing at Home Depot. Tesla site says you can check your zip code and place a $25 deposit

 

[HiBanky]

We have been using Starlink gen 3 for a couple of years and find it to be a near perfect solution. Yes, it is a bit pricey, but it is fast, easy to set up, and it works everywhere. The only concern is ossicles. My solution that was to buy a 25' extendable pole from Weboost.
weBoost Telescoping RV Pole 24 ft- 900071
It comes with brackets that attach to your rig so that you can set up without climbing up the ladder. If you are under the trees, you can stake it down with straps out in the open. It does need a small modification to prevent the clamp screw on the antenna mount from squashing the tube. I used part of an old brass pressure regulator and a pop rivet.

 

[Janet H]

Another Starlink user here - I recently switched to a mini and aside from issues with trees, have found it is a good solution to relatively stable internet.