G'day! This article (and video) is about the Starlink RV internet service that is specifically designed for being able to take to different locations and set up and use on the move. It's perfect for four wheel drive touring and camping - especially in remote locations.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/NQO5RgSL6yw
They've got other services for using at a fixed location, like a home or a business, and they've got another one for Marine. They've got some other innovations coming, but this is about Starlink RV.
So I purchased my Starlink RV couple of months ago, probably three months ago now. This is the third time I've used it. The first two times I used it, I used it out at Windorah and I also used it at Connondale at one of the campsite there. Now, the first two times it there were too many trees around, and I had the standard cord that comes with it that goes from the modem to the satellite dish, which is 75 foot long, and I couldn't get the dish far enough out into an open area for it to be able to see enough of the sky to be able to work.
So the first two times no go. So then before I came on this camping trip, I ordered the 150 foot cable that Starlink sells knowing that that would give me the option to really, as far as possible, get the, the dish away from the trees. Now we do like camping around the tree areas, it's a bit cooler, et cetera, so that totally makes sense from a locating a camper perspective. But, as I say, the satellite dish can't work through branches and leaves and things like that. It's got to have open sky. So the 150 foot cable worked out really well, and I'll just sort of pace out here along the cable, so I've been able to get it a fair way away from the, the camper. So that might be something to look at if, you know you're going to be camping or staying in areas with a lot of trees and you can't get the satellite dish up onto a pole up high above the tree line, but maybe look at getting that longer cable.
So that's been really good for this particular camp. Now, from an operational perspective, it's actually been really good. It's worked. I've been able to get it out into that clear area, and I've been able to get a good stable internet. I've run a few speed tests over the course of the week that we've been staying here and my kids have been here.
And of course the first thing they did was run a speed test and it was something I think we were getting up to around 150 megabits per second, which is a really, really good speed. You can do anything you want at that kind of speed in terms of what normal people do. So great speed.
The thing that really surprised me was how good the range on the wifi modem that comes with it is. I've seen conversations about upgraded antennas for the wifi and whatever else, but just the built-in one that's in the provided modem. I would say we are getting in the order of 50, 60 meters of range wifi range around the base. So for any sort of normal camping situation, that's gotta be pretty good. Now, of course if you've got another situation where you've got a couple of locations or lots of campers around or whatever else, and you need further range, then by all means look at external wifi antennas and things like that. We've had a group camp here with four different campers set up and everybody's been able to access it no trouble at all. It certainly handles multiple devices, no problem. So thumbs up from that perspective.
Now in terms of carrying it, there's lots of different bags and cases and things out on the market now.
I've gone with two options. I've bought Starlink's hard case. And the reason I bought that one is that it is truly over-engineered. It's really a really strong case. Deep padding on the inside, custom molded to the satellite dish and the modem and the cables. I bought that one for when I do my remote outback stuff, when I know the roads are going to be really corrugated and bumpy and rough. I know I want this satellite equipment protected really well on the trip. So I've got that one for that. My second bag that I use most of the time is the Drifta bag. The Drifta bag is more compact, and it has a nice padded sleeve for the satellite dish. It's way they've designed it, the dish sits in face down, and then the legs go over the top. They've got pockets for the cables: the power cable and the cable that goes between the modem and the satellite dish. So they really thought through design, and it is a lot more compact and a lot lighter. So when you're trying to pack a bit of gear, such as for a base camp, it is a great option. So I've got the two the two cases depending on how I'm going to travel.
Now, the next thing. The setup was really, really simple. The whole system. There's a satellite dish, there's a modem, there's a power cable, and there's a cable that goes from the modem to the satellite dish. It's really, really simple to setup. You put an app on your phone, so you have to make sure you do that before you travel - make sure you try it at home. Before you go out and use it for the first time, unbox it at home, set it all up, put the app on your phone so that you've got everything working before you travel.
When you fire the system up, you can turn the app on and you can watch the satellite connecting and you'll know when you have an internet connection and your wifi connection's good to go. So really simple setup.
The next key thing is, from a remote perspective, is powering it and out of the box it requires 240 volts. Now in my situation, I've got 240 volts in a couple different ways. I've got an inverter in my Landcruiser, and I've got an inverter in my camper so I can run it off either one of them. And I have been doing that, particularly during the day when the sun's out and keeping the batteries charged via solar. I'm generating so much power into the battery that the power that Starlink uses is negligible compared to what I'm collecting. I'm finding it uses four to five amps when it's running, actually it's about the same as what my fridge in the camper uses. So during the day, no drama. However, I wouldn't leave it running overnight. I've got a 200 amp hour lithium battery, so I've got plenty of battery, but with fridge and lights and other devices and whatever else, I wouldn't leave the satellite on 24/7. We have been just turning it off when we don't need it. It takes two or three minutes to boot up when you turn it back on. Overall, no drama, not too bad on power. Also noting that part of that power consumption is actually caused by the 240 volt inverter. The 2000 watt inverter in the camper uses two amps just when it's turned on. So part of that power usage is coming from the the inverter.
As another option, I did use a portable batter battery pack. I've got a little 25 amp hour battery pack from iTechWorld and it has a 300 watt 240v inverter built into it - it's not super high power, but it's actually enough to power the Starlink. So if you didn't have an inverter in your camper or vehicle, then one of these little lithium power boxes could work for you as well. Now this little guy, the 25 amp hour, only ran it for about four or five hours before it went flat, so if you are going to use a portable battery box, you'd want to take into account. That is, how are you going to recharge that battery box if you're going to use it over a long period, say a week long camping trip. Now you might recharge your battery box off solar or car or whatever it is, but you're going to need to factor that in. That said, if you only need the internet for 10 or 15 minutes; you're checking the news, you're checking the weather, you're just contacting folks back at home, things like that. Then if the Starlink only needs to be turned on 15 or 30 minutes at a time, then obviously the life in that battery pack is going to be extended greatly, and you might easily keep it charged. You just need to factor that in. Again, if you had a portable battery pack, you certainly wouldn't be able to leave it on 24/7, but if you want a truly portable option, a lithium battery pack with the Starlink is something that will work as long as your lithium battery pack has a 240 volt inverter built it.
I have run the Starlink RV system off the iTechWorld, 25 amp hour lithium battery pack with the 300 wat AC inverter in it. It booted up in about two and a half minutes and with a few extra minutes to allow it to stabilise the signal with the satellites I was able to do a speed test of 112 megabits per second for download speed and 10 megabits per second for upload.
So one other thing I've still got to try. As I said, the first couple of times I used the system, the trees got in the road. I have a telescopic pole now and I ordered the Starlink pole adapter. So I've got another project ahead of me now to try out the telescopic pole and see how it goes in terms of getting the satellite dish up above a tree line.
Products
Starlink RV
Starlink 150 foot cable
Starlink Hardcase
Drifta Starlink Carry Case
iTechWorld 25ah lithium portable battery pack with 300 watt 240v inverter
Conclusion
So in conclusion, I am very happy with the Starlink system. I did have to go through that learning curve about the trees. So now that I've got that sorted out with the longer cable, it gives me some options and as a separate activity, I will be going ahead and testing that telescopic pole set up.
Absolutely it works - great quality connection, plenty of capacity. You can watch video if that's what you're into, but you can certainly connect to all the services you need to connect to. From my perspective, it now gives me another communication mechanism back to base. Another option for emergency communications. It allows me to check in on weather patterns and things like that. When you're truly remote out in the desert, even simple things like doing a little bit of research on the area that you're in, or you've found something and you want to learn a little bit more about it. Being able to jump back onto the Internet is a really cool thing.
So from my perspective, two thumbs up Starlink.
Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/NQO5RgSL6yw
Cheers everyone,
Brett
See you out there...