Starlink Mini Roam $50.00 a month

[Patriot]

Here -https://www.starlink.com/us/roam?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3VXVoA8Gb9hdnLaMWqBcXsa1BfRBdqm_l2iKkNW-Va5r6RJiPc2u8PpD0_aem_DeHBx7JMI-i_vIWAYBg03Q

[rideandfly]

David,

You have me looking at this, too. If you buy one, want to see how your system works!

Edited July 24 by rideandfly

[SeaDawg]

I've looked at a number of conversations on the mini, on Reddit and other spots. Sweet. Runs on 12v, with mods to the cord.

50gb limit is fine if you just surf the web, do email, etc. Don't count on several movies a night. Download ahead of time.

Nice addition to the starlink stable.

 

[Boudicca908]

20 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Nice addition to the starlink stable.

 

I'm assuming (looking briefly at the website) that it requires a different hardware purchase, but the benefit being $50/mo in lieu of $150/mo -- am I reading that correctly? That would make a huge difference for me, as I don't stream very much at all. 

[Patriot]

On 7/24/2024 at 1:21 PM, rideandfly said:

David,

You have me looking at this, too. If you buy one, want to see how your system works!

For sure Bill. I am thinking it over and have not pulled the trigger yet. Lots of strong reviews in the tuber world. I maaaay let the dust settle and see if the price drops after this initial roll out. 

 

 

Edited July 26 by Patriot

[Patriot]

On 7/24/2024 at 3:15 PM, SeaDawg said:

I've looked at a number of conversations on the mini, on Reddit and other spots. Sweet. Runs on 12v, with mods to the cord.

50gb limit is fine if you just surf the web, do email, etc. Don't count on several movies a night. Download ahead of time.

Nice addition to the starlink stable.

 

You are right @SeaDawg 50gb will deplete quickly streaming.
I really like the compact and portability and you can pay to add more gb. Decisions, decisions.

[CRM]

On 7/24/2024 at 3:15 PM, SeaDawg said:

50gb limit is fine if you just surf the web, do email, etc. Don't count on several movies a night. Download ahead of time.

 

I always download movies to my phone before we leave on a trip, but still haven't found a way to stream them to our smart TV without a high speed internet connection. I've tried Wi-Fi direct to the TV, screen mirroring through a Chromecast dongle, and using a USB to HDMI cable from the phone to the TV but all I ever get is a black screen with sound only. Seems like Netflix and Amazon Prime have all those methods locked down. If anyone has a work around I'd love to hear about it!

[SeaDawg]

@CRM, I do this with my mom's smart TV,  as she is visually impaired, and can't see videos and photos on my phone screen, or even a laptop.

Have you tried a different adaptor and cable? (I'm sure you have set the input for the TV on the proper hdmi input, right?)

We had an issue on one Alaska delivery trip with an odd brand TV. We stopped at a best buy in Canada, and bought a different cable and adaptor, and finally had success. Some devices just don't play well with each other, apparently. 

Try doing all the connections first, then turn on the TV, then switch thru inputs til you see your phone screen before you start the playback, maybe. Give the devices time to "boot up" and shake hands.

Edited July 26 by SeaDawg

[CRM]

15 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

@CRM, I do this with my mom's smart TV,  as she is visually impaired, and can't see videos and photos on my phone screen, or even a laptop.

Have you tried a different adaptor and cable? (I'm sure you have set the input for the TV on the proper hdmi input, right?)

We had an issue on one Alaska delivery trip with an odd brand TV. We stopped at a best buy in Canada, and bought a different cable and adaptor, and finally had success. Some devices just don't play well with each other, apparently. 

Try doing all the connections first, then turn on the TV, then switch thru inputs til you see your phone screen before you start the playback, maybe. Give the devices time to "boot up" and shake hands.

Ive tried all those things and still no go.. I can get the screen to cast to the TV but the second I try and use downloaded Netflix or Prime movies the screen just goes black and I only have sound. Also, each work fine as long as I have a good internet connection.

[Patriot]

Today we pulled the trigger on the Starlink “mini”and I also ordered a custom fabricated aluminum protective Striker mount case made by a small family owned company in Florida 🇺🇸 called Strikerfab.com. I will post up thoughts on connectivity, speed and use once we receive it and get some camping and travel time in with it. 

https://www.starlink.com/us/roam?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3VXVoA8Gb9hdnLaMWqBcXsa1BfRBdqm_l2iKkNW-Va5r6RJiPc2u8PpD0_aem_DeHBx7JMI-i_vIWAYBg03Q

https://www.strikerfab.com/

 

 

Edited July 27 by Patriot

[mossemi]

On 7/26/2024 at 1:15 PM, CRM said:

Also, each work fine as long as I have a good internet connection.

I have had similar results while trying to watch downloaded video without an internet connection.  I have not tried using my phone as a hotspot, connecting my iPad with the downloaded video to my phone and then trying to watch it.

Mossey

[jd1923]

We stream most nights, but when there is no cell reception for the Pepwave we can always play a Blu-ray! Downloading movies reminds me of when I used to have to fly for business. Want to keep that a distant memory.

[Patriot]

Our SL mini arrived today. Very impressed with the ease of a 10 minute set up including PW and latest updates. I think this will do the trick for us as far as comm goes. It even fits down in my Osprey Day Lite pack. Waiting on the Stiker protective case which is scheduled for delivery this sat. I will post up more user info once we get back on the road and put this tech to use. 

SpaceX we have a Starlink lift off!! 😊

 

Front yard initial set up.

 

 

The mini fits easily in my Osprey Daylite plus pack.

 

Edited August 1 by Patriot

[Patriot]

Lots of creative ideas for transportation and storage of the SL mini. This tuber did a nice job with his emergency back up kit.
I already have a hard case for our mini and will likely also buy the Anker power bank for remote use when needed.

 

Edited August 2 by Patriot

[Patriot]

My Stiker protective case arrived this morning and I have to say I am impressed  with the high quality, fit and finish. Striker crafts a nice product. I think this will serve us well. Decisions on were to mount and deploy the mini will likely depend on our base camp location. I really like how compact this dish is.

I am considering 4 of the Seasucker marine grade mounts. But may just roll with the flag pole mount. 🇺🇸

https://www.strikerfab.com/

 

The case allows use of both the standard mount and the flagpole mount. You just swap out the mount below.

Edited August 4 by Patriot

[Patriot]

I picked up this hard case from HF awhile back and decided it was now going to be storage for the Mini while we are wheels up in the bed of the beast.

If nothing else it keeps it all organized.

 

 

 

[Tom and Doreen]

On 7/26/2024 at 1:15 PM, CRM said:

Ive tried all those things and still no go.. I can get the screen to cast to the TV but the second I try and use downloaded Netflix or Prime movies the screen just goes black and I only have sound. Also, each work fine as long as I have a good internet connection.

This is likely due to DRM encoding ( Digital Rights Management ) which is to prevent copyright infringement. 

[Zodd]

The first use of the mini out in the wild. I was surprised it worked pretty well given the tree cover we had. 

The setup is super easy and does not seem to care much about how it is pointed. Pull it out, plug it in, open the app, and follow the instructions. The app does all the work to align and celebrate based on where it is pointed. 

You can see in the images below how it was set up and how many trees we had creating obstruction. The screenshot shows based on that setup how it performed over 60 mins. 2 mins of no single and 7 mins of obstructions. For streaming and video calls not great but for web surfing and some slack messaging it worked great!

 

[Zodd]

Also, we are currently on the 50 GB plan. We watched an Olympic Volleyball match (so about 2 hours) and went through 8GB of data. So not ideal for a lot of streaming as people have mentioned. However, you can buy more data (not cost-effective) or use the standard data unlimited plan ($150 a month) with the mini. 

[Patriot]

27 minutes ago, Zodd said:

The first use of the mini out in the wild. I was surprised it worked pretty well given the tree cover we had. 

The setup is super easy and does not seem to care much about how it is pointed. Pull it out, plug it in, open the app, and follow the instructions. The app does all the work to align and celebrate based on where it is pointed. 

You can see in the images below how it was set up and how many trees we had creating obstruction. The screenshot shows based on that setup how it performed over 60 mins. 2 mins of no single and 7 mins of obstructions. For streaming and video calls not great but for web surfing and some slack messaging it worked great!

 

 

@Zodd great report and thanks for weighing in! 👍🏻

We look forward to getting some seat time with the mini. We are headed west very soon and will also post up on our use of the mini. We usually don’t stream a lot so likely the 50GB will serve us well. The compact mini being as small as it is sure will be easy to deploy and stow as needed. I look forward to any further feedback as you use your mini. Nice TV by the way!

Edited August 14 by Patriot

[Zodd]

It would be easier to not what to stream if we could just cast or view downloaded content via HDMI connection but that is another thread. It is nice how small it is. Packs up easily. I may need to invest in your packing solution. Right now I just put it back in the box it came in. 

[Patriot]

12 minutes ago, Zodd said:

It would be easier to not what to stream if we could just cast or view downloaded content via HDMI connection but that is another thread. It is nice how small it is. Packs up easily. I may need to invest in your packing solution. Right now I just put it back in the box it came in. 

As new as the mini is there are a few other protective case options out there and more to come. I just wanted something a fairly robust with a handle on it and the option to add the sea sucker suction cups for a possible roof mount. Still thinking this through..We’ll see how it works out. 

[Zodd]

One more update on this front. We got out on another trip for a week and needed Starlink for the internet for work and other things. We were camping in a state park with many trees so I had to make my way 10 mins out to a trail head parking lot with more sky. I had to run Starlink and my laptop off my Bluetti AC200 and it worked great. I had about 15 hours of run time over 4 days I needed to power Starlink and recharge/power my laptop. At the end of the week, my Bluetti had about 13% charge left. Overall, I am very happy. I ran it from two locations (a parking lot at the trailhead and a side spur, sorry forgot to grab a picture of these. But both were good skies but by no means a fully clear sky with no obstructions. A few pine trees in front are less than 10 yards away and pine trees block the horizon). Both had a pretty open sky straight up but still had pine trees blocking areas, but I still get speeds over 100 Mbps. Here are my stays. 99% connection uptime and pretty consistent < 30W draw from the mini. At one point we had two video calls going at the same time with no issue. 

 

[jd1923]

2 hours ago, Zodd said:

I had to run Starlink and my laptop off my Bluetti AC200 and it worked great.

Trying to understand... I'm guessing you took your Starlink (not permanently Oliver roof mounted) and a Bluetti power station in your truck, drove to open skies, and setup the Starlink to connect. Am I thinking correctly? (if so) Pretty cool!

Given this is true, it's the same reason I have our 5G Pepwave router with Parsec Husky antenna installed in our truck. The Oliver sitting at the campsite would have no signal.

Out here, trees are hardly the issue. We camp in canyons and normally all I have to do is drive the truck 5-10 minutes to higher elevation to get cell signal. Also out here in the SW, no need to move with Starlink. 

Edited August 31 by jd1923

[Zodd]

39 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

Am I thinking correctly?

You are correct.