Starlink

[ponytug]

I use a password manager, and for some reason when it auto populated the username/password fields, the login would fail with a message about INVALID CREDENTIALS. Typing the username/password on either the laptop or iPhone solved the problem.

I had the same problem and the same solution with the app. I have encountered it with a few other websites/portals, but not frequently. I suspect that not hitting "return" doesn't cause the field to be updated when the field has been automatically filled. (Bad coding in my view, but not something a user can change...)

All the best,

Peter

 

[Citydude]

Starlink sent me an e-mail concerning Dish. Has anyone else got this?

 

[ponytug]

Yes, it is a long and ongoing squabble between Starlink and DISH. There are other 5G bands that don't conflict with Starlink, but the DISH frequencies will interfere according to Starlink.

If you view Starlink as being more important than potentially speeding up some data speeds on some phone plans/networks, write and support Starlink's position.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Citydude]

Yes, it is a long and ongoing squabble between Starlink and DISH. There are other 5G bands that don't conflict with Starlink, but the DISH frequencies will interfere according to Starlink.

If you view Starlink as being more important than potentially speeding up some data speeds on some phone plans/networks, write and support Starlink's position.

All the best,

Peter

Thank you. I have no cell phone service in the area where my Starlink unit is so yes, I'll be sending a note to my representatives.

 

[ponytug]

While it is still worth responding to the Starlink message above, the FCC just ruled that mobile use of the 12GHz band was permitted for Starlink and Kepler, and against DISH's use of the relevant spectrum.

The FCC authorizes SpaceX’s Starlink system to be used on vehicles in motion

It’s a long-awaited authorization for SpaceX.

www.theverge.com

The ruling makes it more probable that the base use of Starlink will continue to be allowed as FCC argued that the approval was in the public interest.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Gale Hawkins]

As a kid there was a saying what goes up must come down..

Wild solar flares are causing satellites to plummet back to Earth, experts claim

THE Sun ejects solar flares on a fairly regular basis and they can play havoc with our tech. Scientists are now concerned that recent wild solar activity is causing satellites to fall to Earth. The…

www.the-sun.com

 

[ponytug]

As a kid there was a saying what goes up must come down..

Wild solar flares are causing satellites to plummet back to Earth, experts claim

THE Sun ejects solar flares on a fairly regular basis and they can play havoc with our tech. Scientists are now concerned that recent wild solar activity is causing satellites to fall to Earth. The…

www.the-sun.com

The Sun headline does paint kind of an extreme picture; the article is a little more reasonable.

Yes solar flares cause problems with satellites,
yes, Starlink tried to launch 50+ satellites into the worst solar flare in a decade, and
yes most of those came down due to the added drag of the higher altitude of the earth's atmosphere during a flare.

As a general rule, the vast majority of solar flares don't cause problems with satellites. Why? Most solar flares aren't aimed at earth. That said we are currently approaching a solar flare maximum within the current solar flare cycle. So, far the flares have been more energetic than normal which may or may not bode well for earth, the power grid, electronics, and yes, satellites.

Large flares aimed at earth can cause huge waves of magnetic fields on and around earth. Large ones are called Carrington events, also known as a type of EMP event, and probably have the ability to fry large parts of the utility electrical power grid on the side of earth facing the sun when it hits. Yes, many satellites probably won't survive, and the ones that do, will have to contend with the earth's atmosphere being higher, causing more drag on the space craft. On the other hand, satellite operators do go to a great deal of effort to protect satellites from flares by design, by turning them off during forecasted flare events, and by moving them to higher orbits before a flare is forecasted to hit earth. Since the last big Carrington type event happened before microelectronics were common, there are lots of predictions on how damaging an event would be, and most of the forecasts will be wrong. The question for all of us is which forecasts are right?

A Perfect Solar Superstorm: The 1859 Carrington Event | HISTORY

In 1859 a massive solar flare spewed electrified gas and subatomic particles toward Earth, wreaking havoc on telegrap...

www.history.com

Carrington Event - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If you have some concerns, I would suggest subscribing to NOAA's space weather forecasts. If you have big concerns, there are lots of prepper sites out there for more advice.

One more reason why having a whole house surge protector can be useful.

All the best,

Peter

 

[bdhsfz6]

Starlink sent me an e-mail concerning Dish. Has anyone else got this?


View attachment 752274

Yes, I got the same email.

I'm glad to see the FCC has taken steps to prevent Dish from interfering with Starlink.

 

[Citydude]

That's a relief. Starlink was my last option.

 

[JethroB]

I’ve had StarLink for 4 months now. Very pleased. I called Windstream yesterday to cancel the all-in $105/month decent 12 Mbps DSL service. Windstream customer retention lady offered me a year at $55 including fees/taxes a month to stay with them. Pizzed me off. I‘ve run into this cr@p before with insurance carriers, SirusXM, and others. A way to save some $$$ if you want to play their game.

 

[K5lwq]

My first post using Starlink! It is night and day from what I had. I was able to clear most of the trees putting it on the pole. It is about 35’ in the air. I did add guy wire to keep it from moving in the wind. So far I am very pleased with the results. Had as high as 135 Mbps download speed so far.

 

[stephenh]

I just this hour got my Starlink going with antenna in temporary location. In fact, posting this via SL.

There is zero info included in the pkg except the three drawings on the cardboard protector in the box. Where can one find out more info.....such as, what are the 3 LEDs on the router for, and do any of them come on and why. Ours have not come on so far, and likely it does not matter. But I am a guy who likes to know what something is for. [Or, are they really lights or just look like it]

I've gone out on YouTube and checked some videos, nothing so far that explains these sorts of things. My wife, a computer pro' cannot find anything like this on the web site or thru the app'.

 

[K5lwq]

I just this hour got my Starlink going with antenna in temporary location. In fact, posting this via SL.

There is zero info included in the pkg except the three drawings on the cardboard protector in the box. Where can one find out more info.....such as, what are the 3 LEDs on the router for, and do any of them come on and why. Ours have not come on so far, and likely it does not matter. But I am a guy who likes to know what something is for. [Or, are they really lights or just look like it]

I've gone out on YouTube and checked some videos, nothing so far that explains these sorts of things. My wife, a computer pro' cannot find anything like this on the web site or thru the app'.

Those are not really LEDs. It is there for looks. I guess it is showing something in orbit?

 

[stephenh]

Those are not really LEDs. It is there for looks. I guess it is showing something in orbit?

Thanks, my wife also just found they are not lights.

Another thing is, she can use the app to do all the stuff but on the other phone and devices the app only comes up as a set-up page. Can only one device use the app at a time or something?

 

[K5lwq]

Thanks, my wife also just found they are not lights.

Another thing is, she can use the app to do all the stuff but on the other phone and devices the app only comes up as a set-up page. Can only one device use the app at a time or something?

I think it only allows one but not sure. I have not tried more.

 

[ponytug]

@plowhog has written about this issue farther back: TL;DR yes, just the original phone.

 

[metalheart]

In March when there was a bunch of snow on the roof, a fellow installed dish in the location shown in the attached image. There is a large oak tree with some branches that hand out in the path of the dish. Since the tree has leafed out we have experienced some buffering with YouTube TV that we did not experience prior to the leafing out. At this point I don't want to cut down the oak and the plan is to relocate the dish to the gable area on the upper roof indicated by the arrow in the image. I think it will clear the branches and give a better field of view.

The fellow who did the original install used a Direct-TV mount that penetrated the roof, not what I anticipated. When I asked him about relocating the dish and mounting it with a Starlink short wall mount or some other kind of gable mount with a pole, he was reluctant. His point is that he knows how to do the DTV mount and it has confidence in that so.....

I would prefer an installation with no roof penetration, but I have to find someone to make the climb onto the roof and do the mechanical part. What are some options for mounting the dish on the roof gable in the image? Seems like the short wall mount might not allow the dish to clear the roofline given the direction the dish has to point.

View attachment 749432

I ordered the SL short wall mount to relocate the dish to a higher point and more to the left only to discover that the fascia boards are aluminum and that does not seem feasible for an install. So, I am back to a roof mount. The non penetrating roof mounts concern me since we have occasional high winds, the highest this year 60+ MPH. The Commdeck mount might work but it does not seem to offer more advantages that the SL Flashing roof penetrating mount, although I'm just making that comment without knowing all the details. I'll mount it probably near one of the roof peaks and run the cable down the front on the house and enter near where the hose reel currently sits. Looking into the attic space and probing around it does not seem there is a feasible way to get the cable into the second story attic space and then down an inside wall to the computer closet, approximately where the interior light is visible between the two font pillars in the above image.

I have been stumped by the SL search for obstructions app. I follow the sparse directions and "scan the sky" and the app never reads more than about 91% when I hold it for what seems like many minutes. Anyway, I'm locating the dish where I think I get the best unobstructed view of the North sky.

Seem reasonable?

Edit: Is it possible in this situation to only use the SL Pivot Mount rather than the Flashing plate plus the pivot mount?

 

[GSVette]

Follow up-set up system temporarily ( as none of the mounting options I pre- purchased would give me ‘adequate’ view of the sky)-system linked up fairly quickly and is giving me reliable 100+mbps download and 20ish mbps upload. Waaaaay better than HughesNet-actually could stream Prime Video with no buffer interrupts.

Once I get the sloped roof mount that I just ordered, I’ll permanently install the dish and cancel Hughesnet ( hopefully forever).

 

[plowhog]

she can use the app to do all the stuff but on the other phone and devices the app only comes up as a set-up page

I found using a phone w/SL app to setup and manage a single SL system worked reliably. '

But also learned inexplicable problems occur if you later use a different device to try to make any configuration changes.

My .02 cents is to stick with the same phone that did the original setup.

 

[newbury]

Has anyone tried Vinyl siding hooks (linky) for mounting things on the side of the house? Such as an antenna base plate.
I mount my Wyze cams on them but I've also mounted a metal strap that holds up the window cover for my basement window (plastic). I use 4 for the window cover. They are supposed to hold 18 pounds apiece.