Let’s Talk STARLINK

All your questions can be answered on the FB page "starlink for boats.

1. Can you turn service on/off as needed? Our season is short and the boat sits on the hard in a building for 6 months of the year with no service required. Yes, get the RV version. It can be used on a monthly basis
2. Do these systems do OK with power shifts from shore to gen and back causing short power outage? Do you have to reset every time power shifts? It is dependent on A-C power, plug it into a UPS
3. How big is the cabling and cable ends from antenna to base? If I put the antenna on top of my hardtop I’ve got to run a cable into the bridge area. Cabling is about the size of a coax cable, maybe a little bigger. The ends are quite large though
4. If I put the router in the flybridge console will it provide Wi-Fi coverage throughout my 54’ without an extender? More than likely
5. If I get the option to move it around in locations maybe I can get coverage at my Marina and when anchored in bays and inlets when out on multi-day trips? It will have service in the marina and at anchorage. When at anchorage it will have periods of short disconnect, as the antenna is moving while it re-acquires satellites. There is a hack to put it in a flat position and disable motors. This seems to help on a moving boat.
6. What else am I missing here that I need to consider? Read through the FB group. Lots are using it on boats, moving, anchored and underway.

I have one running for the past month in the marina, if you are planning on hooking it up to another router/pepwave etc., make sure you get the ethernet adaptor.

I have heard of reports of it working sporadically in the Bahamas, which is supposed to come online in Q3 of this year. Coverage seems to be getting better by the day.

It seems to shut off at 20 miles offshore and come back on at 40.

This is going to be a game changer once they get the approval for use on boats, small cell companies in foreign countries are going to lose a lot of business. And the VSAT providers are going hurt really bad. We have KVH and are installing a Viasat unit. If KVH does not change their pricing model, they will gone, that is why we put Viasat on.

This should be fun to watch!

So we're getting starlink on new boat. New marine dish is better at following satellites but starlink isn't licensed for use while moving and Charlie (dish) is suing to stop it's use as such. My pilot has it on his boat and he's very pleased with it's performance.

Wait and get the marine antenna coming out shortly.

Check their website, I believe in about a month. Sailnet reported mid 2022 release.

Track better while moving. Rv unit will follow while going slow and straight but loses it after that.
Don't know anyone with installation yet but will report back when I do.

Good information on this thread so far. The only thing I would add is that it's possible to get rid of the Starlink router and run the dish directly off DC. For our boat, I followed the directions from Ilker aboard SV Renaissance (google "Musings About Internet & Starlink"). I added the POE injector he lists plus a 24-to-48VDC converter, then connected Starlink's Ethernet directly into my existing on-board router. This would address any concerns about using AC power.

I'll also add that I have the RV plan and that it's not great when in a congested cell. We're currently in the SF Bay and performance is pretty unacceptable -- browsing is nearly impossible, video streaming definitely impossible, streaming music is okay. As you've likely read so far, users with the RV plan are 3rd on the list of priority for bandwidth. That being said, I'm assuming that performance will return to stellar levels once we head up the coast and get out of this very crowded cell.

Yes that's my understanding, each satellite is only able to move so much data, more users cuts your speed. You could upgrade to the $500 per month plan and skip everyone in line.
With the new wifi booster the system can allow calls and data on cellphone from pretty far distance from boat.

Correct. Starlink is very open about the performance of the RV plan in crowded areas.

And as we all know, they are busy launching new satellites, 60 or so at a time. It's still early days of the program and will only improve over time as their ~2500 current constellation becomes 10,000+.

Do any of you know the significance of dish's efforts to block starlink from using the service while moving. Will it stick in a court of law or are they desperately trying to keep what little market share they have left?