Starlink - Global internet

[Lightning]

If this can be installed in a campervan it will be brilliant. The beta kits are being sent out now in the UK.

Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service has been approved in the UK, and people are already receiving their beta kits

After receiving approval in the UK, SpaceX sent Starlink kits for its public beta test to users in the country.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[johnyboy]

£85 a month - pretty big satellite

 

[kurienp]

If this can be installed in a campervan it will be brilliant. The beta kits are being sent out now in the UK.

Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service has been approved in the UK, and people are already receiving their beta kits

After receiving approval in the UK, SpaceX sent Starlink kits for its public beta test to users in the country.

www.businessinsider.com

That's good news. Did sign up for the beta way back in (I think) June 2020, but not heard back from them yet. Hopefully soon, if I get selected. you can register interest on the starlink website.

 

[Lightning]

£85 a month - pretty big satellite

Cheaper than the new £6/day roaming charges most networks now charge after more than 2 months in Europe.

 

[Lightning]

That's good news. Did sign up for the beta way back in (I think) June 2020, but not heard back from them yet. Hopefully soon, if I get selected. you can register interest on the starlink website.

Yes, I have registered to.

 

[willwander]

£85 a month - pretty big satellite

Your home broadband probably costs £50 a month, so not as bad as it sounds.

 

[willwander]

Had satellite internet at work many years ago, it was sketchy, depending on rain and the weather, hopefully things have moved on since then.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

If this can be installed in a campervan it will be brilliant. The beta kits are being sent out now in the UK.

Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service has been approved in the UK, and people are already receiving their beta kits

After receiving approval in the UK, SpaceX sent Starlink kits for its public beta test to users in the country.

www.businessinsider.com

Apparently the sheer number of these low orbit satellites is causing real problems for astronomers.

 

[Lightning]

Apparently the sheer number of these low orbit satellites is causing real problems for astronomers.

I read today that they are putting shields on them now to reduce the visible light, they still screw up their data though I think.

 

[johnyboy]

Currently only targetted for specific lattitudes - you won't get it in the highlands and the islands for example. The price is fine if you have no connection but I am paying a third for 3x faster right now. A great rural play but won't rush in

 

[brodieolson]

Starlink for RVs is now available! From the website:

• Starlink for RVs, Work and Play at remote locations.
• Starlink for RVs is ideal for customers travelling to locations where connectivity has been unreliable or completely unavailable.
• Starlink for RVs is not designed for use while in motion.
• Starlink for RVs provides the ability to pause and un-pause service at any time and is billed in one-month increments, allowing users to customize their service to their individual travel needs.
• Starlink requires a clear view of the sky to connect.
• No data caps.
• Prices for Italy today: Hardware €644.00, Shipping & Handling €75.00, Service €124.00 /mo.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

Musk is not a good person. I'll pass!

 

[cuponthefloor]

Could I power Starlink RV from my 2019 Cali if I was off grid?

 

[Ting Tong]

Could I power Starlink RV from my 2019 Cali if I was off grid?

No. It’s the same as the home kit with a 100w mains power supply. The only difference is roaming is allowed for up to 2 months in one place.

 

[Mehdime]

The Hacker News discussion on the new RV Starlink product (for anything geeky, Hacker News tends to have some good insights): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31486083

I've not gone through it all because I don't have the need for this but a few points worth noting:

- This isn't cheap. The one-off price for the hardware isn't far off what you'd need to spend on a 5G mobile wifi router so it's not actually that much relatively speaking. But the monthly subscription is pretty chunky.
- The hardware is chunky and not designed to fold nearly for storage if the HN discussion is to be believed. It doesn't seem to have actually been designed with RV / campers in mind.
- It's very power hungry. You'll need to cover your van in solar panels to keep this going.

 

[brodieolson]

And - another major flaw for RVs - "it's useless in heavy tree cover". Hands-on video review here

 

[brodieolson]

Another detailed review: the biggest problem is... trees!

 

[brodieolson]

Could I power Starlink RV from my 2019 Cali if I was off grid?

100 W used to be the case, however the new dish along with recent firmware updates, brings the power usage down to around 50 W on average. External battery + 1 solar panel might be enough, it all comes down to your use case: how many hours per day you'll need to use Starlink for?

 

[Nand0]

And - another major flaw for RVs - "it's useless in heavy tree cover". Hands-on video review here

Well, if you need solar to feed it's insatiable appetite for electrons you can't be under trees anyway

 

[ThomasHJ]

Musk is not a good person. I'll pass!

Find it hard to judge the person Musk from my couch, allthough he does come across as crazy sometimes, but with he amount of Tesla's driving around here in NL and the competitors all having been forced to start building electric cars, I feel Tesla Motors under Musk has done more to battle global warming then any PM we ever had.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

So here’a thought. Driving home from Oxford yesterday it was clear that >50% of vehicles had day running lights.
Question is, how much energy is consumed globally by adding this feature to the millions of new vehicles?
Aren’t we supposed to be reducing energy consumption and are these lights essential on a beautifully clear blue sky day.

The touch paper is lit and my hard hat is on

 

[ThomasHJ]

Not an expert, but I believe the amount of energy an average car expells in waste heat is at least a 1000 times bigger then the energy that is 'wasted' by modern LED daytime running lights, which add to safety on the road for you and others. I think your question is a valid one. I think the answer is that the solution to global warming must be found in other areas then LED daytime running lights.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Not an expert, but I believe the amount of energy an average car expells in waste heat is at least a 1000 times bigger then the energy that is 'wasted' by modern LED daytime running lights, which add to safety on the road for you and others. I think your question is a valid one. I think the answer is that the solution to global warming must be found in other areas then LED daytime running lights.

Agree with you @ThomasHJ
However, with the environment in mind designers should perhaps be looking at reducing the number of electrical consumers in vehicles. Just look at the number of electric motors in many modern vehicles.
Yes, I know. I did tick the electric door option on my Cali

 

[zeratul]

So has anyone successfully mounted a Starlink Roam to his California?

Starlink

High-speed internet. Available almost anywhere on Earth.

www.starlink.com

This would be just brilliant, reception in areas without cover like iceland or lapland, the areas where a california shines.

 

[WelshGas]

So has anyone successfully mounted a Starlink Roam to his California?

Starlink

High-speed internet. Available almost anywhere on Earth.

www.starlink.com

This would be just brilliant, reception in areas without cover like iceland or lapland, the areas where a california shines.

Never had a problem in Northern Scandinavia with internet via cell phone.
4 &5G 4/5 bar service everywhere.