Starlink

[ponytug]

Interesting, the ground truth ten months ago didn't align with those hexagons. I worked it down to about 100yds. On the other hand random addresses in the cells near me that show open went right through to a full price orders.

We had a burst of outages today; no rain. The Starlink.com page had a banner saying your area is experiencing outages and we are investigating.

Anyone have a key to the times in the outages page? Mine appear to be random times, and not from the last 12 hours.

All the best,

Peter

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I haven’t decided to spring for the RV deal yet. I guess once I get regular service here I could switch to the non RV plan?

 

[TheMan419]

I haven’t decided to spring for the RV deal yet. I guess once I get regular service here I could switch to the non RV plan?

That is the exact question I have. We are getting 10-20 Mbs over the cell plan we have. So I would need to know about a better speed than that. The current estimate is "late 2022" for availability here. If I cannot switch to "regular" service when available I do not want the RV service I don't think.

 

[sodamo]

That is the exact question I have. We are getting 10-20 Mbs over the cell plan we have. So I would need to know about a better speed than that. The current estimate is "late 2022" for availability here. If I cannot switch to "regular" service when available I do not want the RV service I don't think.

Similar situation here, but I left my Residential reservation in place and figure worst case I have 30 days to return/cancel the RV setup. I did think (hope) that sending the email invite to people that live on an island in middle of the Pacific was done knowing we don’t RV. Pretty sure our entire island is covered by same cell.

 

[cjoffutt]

Perhaps not the most accurate coverage map but it’s all I’ve seen. The nearest active or available cell is probably 12 miles from me as the crow flies.

Starlink | Availability Map

View availability, coverage, speeds and latency for Starlink service.

www.starlink.com

Same situation for me. Cell about 10 miles away is 'available now' where my account states mid-2022 for my order from last July. Curious as to what would happen if I changed my service address to the open cell just to receive the unit. Would they eventually catch on? Go un-noticed and work just fine?

 

[plowhog]

If I had confidence I could use a "RV" account and then switch it to residential when my "slot" came up, I'd sign up now. But Starlink is so poor at communicating that I don't want to risk getting stuck having to pay "full fare" again for equipment when my residential slot opens up. I don't trust going down that road without some sort of communication or assurance.

There are so many intangibles. Not long ago, the delays in fulfilling orders and meeting original shipment dates was a "backlog and chip shortage" causing inability of product. But now, pay "premium price" for RV service, and product is plenty. While existing "deposit" customers continue to wait.

My CA residence is still on the wait list 15 months later. But all my neighbors could sign up for RV service and be up and running asap. They have to agree to maybe accept a speed reduction. But since my speed is zero with no service it doesn't really seem like a reduction to me.

On the bright side, my order in NV was fulfilled. I pay the $25 portability fee and drag the equipment back and forth as I travel between the properties. It's the only way I can stream TV as nothing else is fast enough.

 

[dmccarty]

People are already using Starlink on boats, not just at anchor or tied to a dock. It is not supported but it works.

The physical antennae is not trying to adjust it's orientation as long as the boat is maintaining its heading. The reports are that the antennae does not move unless there is a drastic course change. Just the usual course movements are not causing Dishy to move, the arrays are handling the boat movement just fine. Starlink has been planning to have support for planes, boats, trains, and vehicles. I would have thought that Dishy would need a gimbal mount for boats but that is not what users are reporting.

Just read today some more reports from people using StarLink on boats. The report was of four boats in Mexico that were using Starlink. Some people, and I think these include people on boats and RV, are just mounting Dishy flat on a surface facing up and it works.

 

[newbury]

Similar situation here, but I left my Residential reservation in place and figure worst case I have 30 days to return/cancel the RV setup. I did think (hope) that sending the email invite to people that live on an island in middle of the Pacific was done knowing we don’t RV. Pretty sure our entire island is covered by same cell.

Has anyone found a link to the contract?
In their online ad they promote that you can turn the service on and off.

 

[cqaigy2]

I thought the "RV" version was an additional cost to your Starlink account.

 

[plowhog]

yes it says an rv account can be turned on/off.

But when your residential slot opens, will you be required to purchase all new equipment for that new/separate account. Not quite the $64,000 question-- more like $600.

 

[Zippo1]

Starlink says:

Can I change my current Starlink to a Starlink for RVs, or my Starlink for RVs to Starlink?
At this time we do not support users to change either their Starlink or Starlink for RVs subscription to one or the other. If you are interested in an additional Starlink or Starlink for RVs, you are able to add a new Starlink subscription for an additional location to your existing account.

Starlink Help Center

support.starlink.com

I've been waitlisted since Feb 2021...

 

[3Ts]

I just got the RV email today. The previous email said mid 2022 for my setup, however I looked at the Starlink map and it's showing 2023. I don't see that anywhere around me has service. I'd have to drive 2 hours to get to the nearest cell so that RV configuration doesn't seem to be a solution for me.

 

[BigBlue1]

I just got the RV email today. The previous email said mid 2022 for my setup, however I looked at the Starlink map and it's showing 2023. I don't see that anywhere around me has service. I'd have to drive 2 hours to get to the nearest cell so that RV configuration doesn't seem to be a solution for me.

The RV plan specifically says it can be used anywhere, even in a 'full' cell. It's just that your service on an RV plan is subject to being throttled if 'regular' users' traffic takes up the capacity of the cell you're in at the time. It says you can order it from a service address in a cell that does not currently have availability for the standard offering.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Chinese researchers say China's military must be able to destroy Elon Musk's Starlink satellites in a war

China have shot down one of their birds a few years ago as proof of concept. To clear space of all Starlink birds would be a chore and take time. I am glad it's first use is in corporation with USA military.

 

[plowhog]

I am glad it's first use is in corporation with USA military.

I'm wondering when SpaceX will expand from a comms provider to a more robust service provider?

Suppose SpaceX had an orbiting email server (or several) along with lots of onboard data storage. Starlink users in all nations could have email accounts and access without ever going through a single node of their host nation's ground based internet infrastructure. Everything would be aloft and self contained inside the SpaceX equipment. The consumer revenue potential for such add-on services is huge, and it could expand far beyond just email.

Not just the Chinese, but every host government could become nervous about that. NSA, FBI, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and more have become used to snooping on ground based internet traffic. SpaceX could entirely upend that.

Maybe it's already in place-- but we just don't know about it yet?

 

[dmccarty]

I'm wondering when SpaceX will expand from a comms provider to a more robust service provider?

Suppose SpaceX had an orbiting email server (or several) along with lots of onboard data storage. Starlink users in all nations could have email accounts and access without ever going through a single node of their host nation's ground based internet infrastructure. Everything would be aloft and self contained inside the SpaceX equipment. The consumer revenue potential for such add-on services is huge, and it could expand far beyond just email.

Not just the Chinese, but every host government could become nervous about that. NSA, FBI, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and more have become used to snooping on ground based internet traffic. SpaceX could entirely upend that.

Maybe it's already in place-- but we just don't know about it yet?

With the laser link capability that is in the latest StarLink satellites, the ability to get the traffic to earth where Starlink wants/needs too is part of the plan. Will this be used to provide secure communication in totalitarian states? I sure do not know. One problem would be getting Dishy into those countries. I have read that had access to non Iranian TV sources is illegal yet, plenty of people have satellite dishes hidden on the roof.

Flip side, I read a report early in Putin's War that most of the top 10 cell phone applications provide secure communication like VPN and secure text. Apparently, two Russian brothers created a secure text application and had to leave Russia years ago because the powers that be did not like the application. So, there is at least some methods to get banned information into totalitarian states.

 

[TheMan419]

With the laser link capability that is in the latest StarLink satellites, the ability to get the traffic to earth where Starlink wants/needs too is part of the plan. Will this be used to provide secure communication in totalitarian states? I sure do not know. One problem would be getting Dishy into those countries. I have read that had access to non Iranian TV sources is illegal yet, plenty of people have satellite dishes hidden on the roof.

Flip side, I read a report early in Putin's War that most of the top 10 cell phone applications provide secure communication like VPN and secure text. Apparently, two Russian brothers created a secure text application and had to leave Russia years ago because the powers that be did not like the application. So, there is at least some methods to get banned information into totalitarian states.

In any totalitarian regime there will be ways that information gets in and those willing to take the risk.

Heck in Korea people in the South often launch simple helium balloons at the boarder carrying thumb drives loaded with information into the North.

 

[plowhog]

Had an oddity last weekend that I suspect might be related to Starlink. Not positive though, it is puzzling.

I took some drone photos of the neighbor property. I sent the photos to him using yahoo email. He never received them. However, it appeared normal when I sent it, and the "sent" email is in my sent folder.

I looked at a nearby property for sale. Later, I received an email link to the "showing service" site. I clicked the link, got onto the showing service site, and it asked for feedback and impressions about the showing. I wrote a few paragraphs, clicked Done, and closed it up. Today, the broker on the other end said she never got any feedback from me.

Finally, a vendor sent me a proposal via gmail. I replied with some questions-- same thing, he never got my reply.

Three different software applications, but three instances of something like delivery failure. All happening last weekend. (I was using Starlink.) I'm not sure what to make of it-- never had anything even close to this happen before.

 

[3Ts]

I have Hughes net and have had similar occurrences happen, although not as frequently as you experienced. With Verizon, I had a neighbor send me a text message and 3 days later I was visiting with them when I received the txt. I'm curious as to where these are going too, but will probably never know. If it's important, I'll verify with a phone call.

 

[Alan W.]

One of my sons friends has the rv starlink. He is in an area, a couple of miles west of Danville KY, that shows unavailable.
He sent my son this speed test.

Its about time for the gonna be another year before we get to ya email.

The map does show progress so we wait and hope.