Starlink Power

[lustyd]

Hi all, I just ordered a Starlink on the £99 deal - apparently Reading is "rural UK"!

Just curious, does anyone have one installed on board with a 12-48V step up? Just looking for any experience or tips over and above the various posts around the web on the topic which aren't boat specific.

Any real world power usage figures? I'm not planning to use their router on board due to the 240v requirement

 

[Trident]

There is a very good starling on boats facebook group which has all the information you need to hack the controller to use 12v

You have to do a bit of custom cable splicing etc to get them to work on 12v though obviously your warranty is shot - though at £99 probably not a bog deal . I got mine a year ago at £420 on a deal and as my son lives near Reading have just asked him to order me a £99 set as a back up!

I run my on 240v through the inverter but the newer dishy that you will have is very much less power hungry than the original - I think mine uses maybe 3-4 amps at 12v including the inverter losses so its not a big deal (the old dish was 9-12 amps) . I have it on from 7 am to 11pm normally and then set sleep mode overnight and the daily draw is (with my solar and battery set up) so negligible that I don't really factor it in.

Other than that its flipping amazing - remote anchorages with 200 mbps download speeds, no more worries about mobile signal and works up to about 20 miles off shore on the normal roam package and then when offshore properly £2 per GIGABYTE. The FB group has reports from mid Atlantic, mid Pacific etc as well as everywhere costal in the world - even places that say they won't have service for a year (because the satellites are there just no legal agreements in place with the country s they can't sell it there but it does work) and Cuba which is supposed under US law to be blocked. Oh and despite the new rules from SL saying it won't work in motion unless you pay for a different service it does so fine up to about 10 knots

 

[lustyd]

Awesome info thanks very much. I'll take a look at the FB group didn't even think to look for a sailing specific one. The £2/GB is interesting, I'd not seen that quoted anywhere so just assumed I'd not use it at all off shore, but for weather etc. that's an absolute bargain! 3-4A seems quite reasonable and as you say in the day with the sunshine on solar shouldn't be an issue at all.

 

[Trident]

Starlink On Boats | Facebook

 

[Zing]

I measured about 50W to 60W through an inverter. The standard dish, 9 mths old.

 

[Storm Free]

How much is the monthly subscription?

 

[lustyd]

How much is the monthly subscription?

I'm sure that will be the subject of PHD dissertations!

Short answer seems to be about £80 for home use, £90 if you want to change location, and more if you want to use it on the move or at sea. This is constantly changing as they work out how to charge for the service fairly, and I think they're doing OK at that. As Trident said they are charging by the GB for use at sea (as in properly offshore) so already ahead of mobile which doesn't work offshore and charges by the MB for some reason still in 2023. The main contracts seem to be unlimited data of you're not offshore.

The offshore thing is justified since they have to bounce the signal back to land via other satelites so doesn't seem unreasonable to me and at £2/GB is not expensive when viewed against land based services.

None of them are contracts beyond 30 days so swapping and changing looks easy and instant. I'm sure I've missed something and now owe someone my first born child but that's how I read it!

 

[Storm Free]

I'm sure that will be the subject of PHD dissertations!

Short answer seems to be about £80 for home use, £90 if you want to change location, and more if you want to use it on the move or at sea. This is constantly changing as they work out how to charge for the service fairly, and I think they're doing OK at that. As Trident said they are charging by the GB for use at sea (as in properly offshore) so already ahead of mobile which doesn't work offshore and charges by the MB for some reason still in 2023. The main contracts seem to be unlimited data of you're not offshore.

The offshore thing is justified since they have to bounce the signal back to land via other satelites so doesn't seem unreasonable to me and at £2/GB is not expensive when viewed against land based services.

None of them are contracts beyond 30 days so swapping and changing looks easy and instant. I'm sure I've missed something and now owe someone my first born child but that's how I read it!

Thanks!!

 

[st599]

Does using it at sea require the high-performance beam-steering antenna?

I had a look, but I'm not rural enough to get the deal.

 

[lustyd]

Does using it at sea require the high-performance beam-steering antenna?

I had a look, but I'm not rural enough to get the deal.

No, just using it while moving. Apparently the limit is 10mph so mid channel on a yacht should be OK. I couldn't see a way to buy the other dish in the UK and given the price difference £99 vs £2k I figured worth a punt

 

[st599]

Was going to take a punt, but you need a rural post code to get the deal.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I have read a few articles that they are going to disable anyone using them in a maritime environment unless they are the very expensive ones designed for the purpose as it would be in breach of their agreement / contract.

It does seem an excellent system but has been launched on the basis of let's see how many we can get signed up and then we will gradually increase the cost.

 

[Trident]

The T&Cs change daily but when people have queried tech help at SL the official reply seems to be that those with a normal dishy will be able to use it at sea (for extra cost) and this will of course mean in motion. Its possible the new high cost high power flat dish for in motion will become compulsory but given its only for sale in a few territories and they are selling existing standard dishes with the roam and at sea option still I doubt they will make so many redundant for quite a while (years) if at all.

There was a lot of panic amongst owners when emails went to all about unauthorised use at sea or in motion but the solution offered of a £2 per gig toggle on and off at sea option that is still 1000x cheaper than Iridium date and still at high broadband speeds seems to be very popular.

I have the roam package at £85 a month and this has now been "split" to same continent roam and global roam with slightly higher cost. However, SL say that when I reach the Americas I can simply cancel my Europe package and take out an Americas one with them on the same equipment but I will be billed on my Visa in US$ each month. When I move again I can do the same again to a new continent ...

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I suppose it depends on what you want or need, if you want to watch Netflix whilst at sea then it's the one to go for at the moment but if you just want phone, limited data speed down load for e mails watsapp and weather then the Iridium Go Exec looks to offer better value.

 

[Trident]

I suppose it depends on what you want or need, if you want to watch Netflix whilst at sea then it's the one to go for at the moment but if you just want phone, limited data speed down load for e mails watsapp and weather then the Iridium Go Exec looks to offer better value.

The Iridium package is more to buy and the data time limited and in many cases the sim card once cancelled (if you don't use it for several months over winter say) has to be replaced at cost too. Then the speeds with Iridium are so slow for data that it can take quite a long time to download weather data etc.

If you're getting the SL kit for £99 or even the £420 I paid, and even with some mid ocean use paying under £100 a month with the ability to pause whenever you like (by the month) and getting unlimited data close to shore and cheap data mid ocean - still at high speed - I think the SL package will end up much cheaper than Iridium Go over a year. High latitudes (polar) coverage still favour Iridium and Imarsat for now though and we have yet to see long term how the SL kit fares at sea...

 

[Fr J Hackett]

The Iridium package is more to buy and the data time limited and in many cases the sim card once cancelled (if you don't use it for several months over winter say) has to be replaced at cost too. Then the speeds with Iridium are so slow for data that it can take quite a long time to download weather data etc.

If you're getting the SL kit for £99 or even the £420 I paid, and even with some mid ocean use paying under £100 a month with the ability to pause whenever you like (by the month) and getting unlimited data close to shore and cheap data mid ocean - still at high speed - I think the SL package will end up much cheaper than Iridium Go over a year. High latitudes (polar) coverage still favour Iridium and Imarsat for now though and we have yet to see long term how the SL kit fares at sea...

You need to look at the Iridium Go Exec as opposed to the original Iridium GO.

 

[Koeketiene]

I have read a few articles that they are going to disable anyone using them in a maritime environment unless they are the very expensive ones designed for the purpose as it would be in breach of their agreement / contract.

It does seem an excellent system but has been launched on the basis of let's see how many we can get signed up and then we will gradually increase the cost.

Sometimes they even drop the price to gain market share.
We live in deepest rural Brittany and it would seem we won't get access to fibre before 2026.
As my better half works from home, reliable high-speed internet is a must.
Starlink became available in France just over 2 years ago and we were one of the first subscribers. Since the wife's employers pay half of the Starlink subscription, 100 euro pcm didn't break the bank.
At the moment, there are only about 6,000 Starlink subscribers in France.
About 7 months ago, we got an email that they were lowering their monthly subscription to 50 euro pcm.
An absolute bargain.
As long as they keep that price, I don't think I'll be switching to fibre when it becomes available.

 

[lustyd]

Was going to take a punt, but you need a rural post code to get the deal.

My postcode is Reading, we have 2 FTTH options on my street. Did you try your postcode on the home non roam version?

 

[lustyd]

You need to look at the Iridium Go Exec as opposed to the original Iridium GO.

Can you show your workings here? I just looked and the Iridium Go Exec looks like a terrible deal by comparison. The hardware is 15x what I just paid, the speeds not even comparable, the Ts&Cs seem worse in every way, and the monthly cost is 1.5x what I am paying.

What am I missing?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Can you show your workings here? I just looked and the Iridium Go Exec looks like a terrible deal by comparison. The hardware is 15x what I just paid, the speeds not even comparable, the Ts&Cs seem worse in every way, and the monthly cost is 1.5x what I am paying.

What am I missing?

That it is designed for use in a mobile environment and you can expect the price and conditions of use to remain the same. I did say when I first mentioned it that it wasn't for streaming and watching Netflix mid ocean.

I don't have the need for it but thought I might which is why I looked at both and of course I have a total distrust and aversion to Musk and his business ethos.