Share your Starlink RV install and experiences

[Neal]

Thank you for the reports, and I hope everyone will keep them coming. Do you mind if I ask the cost - initial outlay for the equipment, and monthly for RV service.

Thank you, Ed

Hardware $599, then $135/mo which you can start/stop as desired.

Starlink | Roam

Stay connected on the go, starting at $50/mo. Starlink Mini is now available for $599.

www.starlink.com

 

[jbasshawk1]

I originally bought the home version. I used it in two dwellings about a half-mile apart and it worked fine. Since then, we've gone on the road in an RV and I changed my plan to include portability (not the RV version), and it has worked fine. So far, we've traveled from northern to southern AZ, NM, southern CO, and have had no problems.

 

[Scotttkd2]

My understanding of what I have read is portability does not guarantee you service in an over crowded cell outside of your "home" cell, where RV service does guarantee you service, just potentially slower than if cell was your home cell....is that your understanding??

 

[jbasshawk1]

My understanding of what I have read is portability does not guarantee you service in an over crowded cell outside of your "home" cell, where RV service does guarantee you service, just potentially slower than if cell was your home cell....is that your understanding??

Here’s an explanation:

There are some differences between the "portability" option available to residential Starlink users that have a registered service address. Portability, which launched earlier this month, costs an extra $25 a month on top of the $110 standard fee, and might be subject to service degradation if it's used in congested areas.

Network resources for Starlink for RV, on the other hand, are "always de-prioritized" compared to other Starlink services, "resulting in degraded service and slower speeds in congested areas and during peak hours," Starlink notes in a support page.

"Stated speeds and uninterrupted use of the service are not guaranteed. Service degradation will be most extreme in "Waitlist" areas on the Starlink Availability Map during peak hours. See Starlink Specification for expected performance here."

 

[Neal]

I came across this PDF for Starlink mounting accessories.

https://api.starlink.com/public-files/Accessories_Guide.pdf

 

[Neal]

I'm really hoping stealing Starlink antennas does not become a thing but it's a concern on my mind.

 

[lemondrop9344]

I am looking for some rather specific information from forum members east of the Mississippi who are using Starlink with either roaming enabled or the RV option. What sort of success/failure have you experienced?
I am presently in a location that is identified as 'Expanding in 2023'. My son, approximately 15 miles away, has had his Starlink device several months & we recently attempted to use it at my location without success (see post on this thread). We were not successful. Trying to ascertain if it there was some sort of operator error, or something we could have tired differently.
Starlink coverage/availability east of the Mississippi (based on their map) seems to strategically avoid the majority of the more densely populated areas. The wording associated with roaming or the RV option talks about the deprioritization, degradation & availability of the signal when one is in certain areas not presently available on their coverage map.
Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Neal]

I figured I'd take the stuff out of the box to start figuring out where and how I'm going to install this. I expected and hope to just see an ethernet cable connecting devices. Nope. Looks like some unique cabling. Going to be interesting figuring this one out when July comes.

 

[Scotttkd2]

Hi Neal, Yay, new toys! The cable is a standard Cat5 with proprietary connectors. The router supplies power via POE, but their POE scheme is also somewhat proprietary. Many are using the Starlink cable for the end connections, and then cutting and installing shielded RJ45's in order to expand the cable length and or have some additional flexibility with connections and cable routing. As much as I hate Fakebook, they have some very good Starlink user groups to get really good and often snarky information from. Many, many hacks detailed there as well.

 

[ehochuli85]

Thank you all for the good info, and please keep it coming! I'm a simpleton on most subjects, including this one, (most of your jargon goes right over my head), but we travel the country pretty much full-time and we're always looking for the best TV streaming options. I've had an eye on Starlink from the outset, and I'm ready to jump as soon as it becomes the best answer.

Right now, we have Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile hotspots, for which I pay a total of $150 a month, (plus the cost of the hotspots), but there are locations in which none of them are good. I am concerned about the amount of "wait listed" areas in the East. Does anyone have any idea how long it's going to be before Starlink "fills out the map"?

Also, as to the antenna/dish. I assume the way to go for an RV is simply to set up the dish on the ground in an area that has a clear sight to the sky . . . but does it have to be "aimed" like a DTV dish has to be aimed at the satellites? If so, how precise, and does the antenna do it, or do you need to dial it in? In short, how does the antenna set up work each time you set up camp?

Thank you!! Ed