Bucket2
Senior Member
I am curious about the use of starlink for internet at home and Rv travel…are they more dependable than dish wally which I have not done well with
Starlink
- Thread starter Bucket2
- Start date
Jayhawk 29
roadway boater
In general you first will need a clear sky without trees for the equipment. While I cannot give you specifics on how it works for both the home and travel using the same plans, I do know there are some differences from what I have read in the past. So I would start by looking at that aspect first in your research.
AZDIESELPIG
Glamper Elite
Dish Wally is not Internet.
I have a Gen 3 Starlink for the RV and I have a Gen 2 for the house and it works great. You will have to do the Roam Unlimited Plan most likely for $165 per month. There is a $50 plan that give you 50gb per month.
We live in an area where there are no cable providers like COX or Infinity so we have to have all wireless internet. Wit the Starlink we generally have speeds sufficient to stream and have the grand kids to do online gaming.
I have a Gen 3 Starlink for the RV and I have a Gen 2 for the house and it works great. You will have to do the Roam Unlimited Plan most likely for $165 per month. There is a $50 plan that give you 50gb per month.
We live in an area where there are no cable providers like COX or Infinity so we have to have all wireless internet. Wit the Starlink we generally have speeds sufficient to stream and have the grand kids to do online gaming.
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2019
- Posts
- 187
I have Starlink and have been very happy with it. I thought if there were any trees at all, I would not get a signal, but I have been pleasantly surprised with the performance with the limited clear sky.
craigav
Senior Member
One thing to note that you may not be aware of, Satellite TV antennas require precise aiming and while the nicer Dish antennas can do that for you automatically, Starlink doesn't require such precision. Just set it out in an open sky (or as open as possible) and it will pick up whatever satellites are visible to it. (they are constantly on the move). ~CA
Last edited:
AZDIESELPIG
Glamper Elite
This is partially true, the GEN 3 does have to be positioned in a certain orientation, the APP will tell you which way to face it during setup to get the best satellite acquisition.
The GEN 2 dish will move on its own to acquire the satellites.
I'm curious how you're all powering your Starlink. My partner and I have a new mini, and have just started using it.
The mini accepts 12-48v DC. The included AC adapter outputs 30V DC. Our solution was to build a DC-DC converter. I built a connecter to permanently connect to the 12v house battery. There is an outdoor weatherproof connector that connected to the 12v side of the DC converter. I attached another to the 48v side. I then picked up a BezosMart Starlink cable, removed one end and wired it to the other side of a weatherproof connector. The converter is inside a weather resistant project box.
The entire system is powered off of the house batter and doesn't require us to place anything through the slide seals.
The total cost of the project was just under $100 compared to the other options I've seen that were $400+
As a site note, the 12v Interstate 64Ah that was included with the trailer wasn't keeping up with much, so I replaced it with a 100Ah LiFePO4 connected to the Overlander I solar.
The mini accepts 12-48v DC. The included AC adapter outputs 30V DC. Our solution was to build a DC-DC converter. I built a connecter to permanently connect to the 12v house battery. There is an outdoor weatherproof connector that connected to the 12v side of the DC converter. I attached another to the 48v side. I then picked up a BezosMart Starlink cable, removed one end and wired it to the other side of a weatherproof connector. The converter is inside a weather resistant project box.
The entire system is powered off of the house batter and doesn't require us to place anything through the slide seals.
The total cost of the project was just under $100 compared to the other options I've seen that were $400+
As a site note, the 12v Interstate 64Ah that was included with the trailer wasn't keeping up with much, so I replaced it with a 100Ah LiFePO4 connected to the Overlander I solar.
AZDIESELPIG
Glamper Elite
Where are you placing the router? We have a compartment on the living room slide that has a TV in it, so we ran the router cable thru the same access point they used for the TV power cable. Then we just close the compartment door to where it rests on the cable...
Can't speak to powering it while boon docking.
The new mini is entirely self contained. The router is built into it. We're placing it on a speaker stand outside of the camper wherever the app tells us it had a clear view of the sky. I built the converter so we could run the mini if we're on shore power, generator or solar/battery only.
craigav
Senior Member
The Gen 2 (which is what I have) does have a motor in it to optimally aim the antenna in a northward direction. With the Gen 3 antenna you can purchase a vehicle "mobility mount" (their name) so the antenna can lay flat on your vehicle (or RV) and as long as there is not any significant obstructions above you can receive the starlink signal regardless of the direction you are facing (or driving). While having the Gen3 facing northward may be optimal, it isn't required. I also remember reading that to have the service work while in motion requires a specific service plan (or that you are supposed to have a specific plan). ~CA
Last edited:
AZDIESELPIG
Glamper Elite
Yes you have to have the Roam Plan. Not sure people are getting the best results with the gen 3 vs the mini while "in motion".
The Starlink App will have you face the unit away from the equator, will vary depending on your location, if you are not mobile.
jimmoore13
Senior Member
I have a Starlink Gen 3.
We used it every day last summer to "work from camp."
At all but one site, we had a peek-a-boo view through gaps in the trees.
100 Mbps down
15 to 20 Mbps up
Ping about 40
Jitter <5
We did lots of Zoom, lots of remote server access (QuickBooks Online for example), and we had zero cell signal, so we used Wi-Fi calling. All worked extremely well.
On one site, I placed the dishy (yes, that's what they call it) on a picnic table. Otherwise the dishy lived on the roof of my slide. The Gen 3 dishy has a hoop-style kickstand, so I used a small sandbag to anchor the dishy against the wind. Colorado is very windy at times...with 60+ MPH gusts a kind of normal thing. The dishy stayed put.
We boondock 100% of the time, so powering the thing was the only real challenge. A Gen 3 can pull as much as 8 amps at 12 volts...especially through an inverter. We have 400 watts of solar on the roof (in sunny Colorado) and I bought a 200 watt solar suitcase to augment. We have a pair of GC-2s on the tongue good for 115 AH usable. Hypothetically, the solar and battery bank should be able to handle a 50 to 80 amp hour drain over the course of a work day, but we ran the genny a bunch to make sure to not over-drain the batteries.
This summer, I'm adding a straight DC power supply...A "Mean Well" brand DDR 120a-48 that will connect directly to the battery bank and feed the router power input directly...with none of the shenanigans of a "power injector" or other nonsense. This will save the inefficiencies of the inverter...perhaps saving about 20% or more on 12 volt power. The only thing this needs is a short output cable with a proper connector that fits the input of the Starlink power supply (possibly harvested from an old laptop power supply). I will double-check the specs on this power supply, but it came highly recommended from another RV Starlink user.
Starlink is "real" internet...no nonsense with cell signal or dish TV.
The Gen 3 is ideally designed to use at home and on the road. Since I have wired internet at home, I use Starlink on the road only. I use the "roam" plan because it works anywhere in the US and you can turn it off when you don't use it. But many people use Starlink at home and on the road. The only trick with a residential connection is that you must notify Starlink of your "change of address" to use the residential plan on the road.
There are whole threads and groups on Starlink. It's a significant investment, but it's by far the best option for mobile internet...especially when you're in the boonies in an RV. Do your homework before you buy so you truly understand how it works. You might even get away with a Mini and a limited roam plan. It all depends how you use it.
But "peek-a-boo" views of the sky work in many places...certainly just fine here in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
We used it every day last summer to "work from camp."
At all but one site, we had a peek-a-boo view through gaps in the trees.
100 Mbps down
15 to 20 Mbps up
Ping about 40
Jitter <5
We did lots of Zoom, lots of remote server access (QuickBooks Online for example), and we had zero cell signal, so we used Wi-Fi calling. All worked extremely well.
On one site, I placed the dishy (yes, that's what they call it) on a picnic table. Otherwise the dishy lived on the roof of my slide. The Gen 3 dishy has a hoop-style kickstand, so I used a small sandbag to anchor the dishy against the wind. Colorado is very windy at times...with 60+ MPH gusts a kind of normal thing. The dishy stayed put.
We boondock 100% of the time, so powering the thing was the only real challenge. A Gen 3 can pull as much as 8 amps at 12 volts...especially through an inverter. We have 400 watts of solar on the roof (in sunny Colorado) and I bought a 200 watt solar suitcase to augment. We have a pair of GC-2s on the tongue good for 115 AH usable. Hypothetically, the solar and battery bank should be able to handle a 50 to 80 amp hour drain over the course of a work day, but we ran the genny a bunch to make sure to not over-drain the batteries.
This summer, I'm adding a straight DC power supply...A "Mean Well" brand DDR 120a-48 that will connect directly to the battery bank and feed the router power input directly...with none of the shenanigans of a "power injector" or other nonsense. This will save the inefficiencies of the inverter...perhaps saving about 20% or more on 12 volt power. The only thing this needs is a short output cable with a proper connector that fits the input of the Starlink power supply (possibly harvested from an old laptop power supply). I will double-check the specs on this power supply, but it came highly recommended from another RV Starlink user.
Starlink is "real" internet...no nonsense with cell signal or dish TV.
The Gen 3 is ideally designed to use at home and on the road. Since I have wired internet at home, I use Starlink on the road only. I use the "roam" plan because it works anywhere in the US and you can turn it off when you don't use it. But many people use Starlink at home and on the road. The only trick with a residential connection is that you must notify Starlink of your "change of address" to use the residential plan on the road.
There are whole threads and groups on Starlink. It's a significant investment, but it's by far the best option for mobile internet...especially when you're in the boonies in an RV. Do your homework before you buy so you truly understand how it works. You might even get away with a Mini and a limited roam plan. It all depends how you use it.
But "peek-a-boo" views of the sky work in many places...certainly just fine here in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
gypsmjim
Senior Member
My son works from home, yet travels frequently to the sites he is responsible for. Thus he needs a phone and internet strong connection.
Our camp is located on the side of a mountain. Cell service is spotty. Most of the time we can make a phone call, but sometimes we may have to walk a 100 yards up the side of the mountain. Even at best, our signal is not good enough to send pictures to the family, or conduct business.
We thought about a Dish for TV, but the location was not feasible considering the trees.
He installed Starlink and the cable was long enough that he could face it where he needed it to be. Our camp is heavily wooded.
Now he can work while camping. The RV's TV can stream all the stuff he did at home. It surely was a game changer. Now, when he does not need to head to the airport, he can go to camp and work while still watching the deer and turkey out the RV's window.
Our camp is located on the side of a mountain. Cell service is spotty. Most of the time we can make a phone call, but sometimes we may have to walk a 100 yards up the side of the mountain. Even at best, our signal is not good enough to send pictures to the family, or conduct business.
We thought about a Dish for TV, but the location was not feasible considering the trees.
He installed Starlink and the cable was long enough that he could face it where he needed it to be. Our camp is heavily wooded.
Now he can work while camping. The RV's TV can stream all the stuff he did at home. It surely was a game changer. Now, when he does not need to head to the airport, he can go to camp and work while still watching the deer and turkey out the RV's window.
AZDIESELPIG
Glamper Elite
I bought this tripod mount for my Gen 3. Will see how it works in March for our first trip of the year. Our Gen 2 is mounted to the roof of the house.
Baunsfam
New Member
greetings! We are new RVers and moving into ours full time this week. I ordered a Starlink but I’m not sure where to mount it, or just set it up? don’t I need to run the cable inside for the router? I am doing searches and trying to figure it out, but our 2018 Precept doesn’t have a ladder for mounting and I’m wary to have cables run through slide out seals because of our rain situation (western Washington). Do you have any recommendations? TIA!
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2019
- Posts
- 187
My motorhome has an outlet where my power cable is, so leave my router in the outside bay and run the cable through the hole that my power cable runs through. You could leave it on it's factory stand and put it on the ground or a table.
The biggest question is which Starlink did you order. We're also new RVers, and we picked up the mini. I built a converter to run it from the 12V using a 12-48V converter. The unit is movable thanks to the long cables afforded us by running the 48V converter. Our dray is 22-23W most of the time which is less than 1A draw according to the charge controller. The 200W solar keeps our new 100Ah LiFePO working just fine with the fridge running also.
Two of us working with fairly heavy Internet use and it seems to do just fine. We're going to be on a trip soon where we'll both be working for a week our of the trailer. We're both looking forward to it and are confident it'll server us well. Where we're going, the cell towers (our backup) are always overloaded so even phone calls are difficult. The Starlink is likely to be our only connection.
Baunsfam
New Member
I think I bought a regular Starlink. I don’t remember there being a “mini” option.
Similar threads
Try RV LIFE Pro Free for 7 Days
- Ad-Free experience on this RV LIFE Community.
- Plan the best RV Safe travel with RV LIFE Trip Wizard.
- Navigate with our RV Safe GPS mobile app.
- and much more...
