Recent or current experience with Starlink

[Dr Gil]

I see that most recent post about Starlink is 9 months ago.

Can anyone give me any recent feedback or opinion about their experience with Starlink?
What kind of problems did you have with it? Does the VOip sound clear like a cell phone,
or dose the audio sound distant or spotty?

I would be using it mostly for the phone service, but when not on the phone, I'd be using the
internet, but I don't need high speed or do any streaming.

 

[coleAK]

I see that most recent post about Starlink is 9 months ago.

Can anyone give me any recent feedback or opinion about their experience with Starlink?
What kind of problems did you have with it? Does the VOip sound clear like a cell phone,
or dose the audio sound distant or spotty?

I would be using it mostly for the phone service, but when not on the phone, I'd be using the
internet, but I don't need high speed or do any streaming.

I guess you are asking about WiFi calling? Not as clear as a phone, if this is your main use I would not do it. Another thing to consider is You also need close to a 100% clear view of the sky and almost a 360° direction to have uninterrupted service. If you were going to use it as a land line (not in motion) it could work ok as long as you are in a completely unobstructed area.

All that said it does work pretty amazing for Internet and streaming but again, as long as it’s view of the sky is completely unobstructed in a very large field of view

 

[FrazzledHunter]

I see that most recent post about Starlink is 9 months ago.

Can anyone give me any recent feedback or opinion about their experience with Starlink?
What kind of problems did you have with it? Does the VOip sound clear like a cell phone,
or dose the audio sound distant or spotty?

I would be using it mostly for the phone service, but when not on the phone, I'd be using the
internet, but I don't need high speed or do any streaming.

My experience is limited as I've only had a mini for about a week. Stationary tests with optimum pointing and no obstructions on our rear north facing patio yielded excellent results with approx 170+ Mbps down and 20-30 Mbps up. My guess is WiFi calling would work fine in that scenario.

A similar static test on another property looking through trees with light leaf cover had similar results as my patio test. We'll see how well it does once the leaves fill out.

But moving on the roof of a vehicle is another story. I tested it on the roof of my LC driving around the neighborhood. We have lots of cul-de-sacs so I thought it would be a great test to see how it handled driving in a circle listening to a radio station. The results were not shocking - it dropped out every so often but recovered. The speed I was traveling was about 30 Mph. So you might be OK with a radio station dropping out every so often but I would think a call being dropped would result in an end of the call.

The use-cases we're interested in is out camping at a stationary site and traveling on an interstate at 70Mph. We're particularly interested in how it will work on I-70 going to and from the Yellowstone area from MD this summer in more or less the same orientation of E->W then W-E. Story at 11.

Static tests were rock-solid so WiFi calling would work. Moving on the road I'd echo @coleAK's no-go.

 

[Dr Gil]

My experience is limited as I've only had a mini for about a week. Stationary tests with optimum pointing and no obstructions on our rear north facing patio yielded excellent results with approx 170+ Mbps down and 20-30 Mbps up. My guess is WiFi calling would work fine in that scenario.

A similar static test on another property looking through trees with light leaf cover had similar results as my patio test. We'll see how well it does once the leaves fill out.

But moving on the roof of a vehicle is another story. I tested it on the roof of my LC driving around the neighborhood. We have lots of cul-de-sacs so I thought it would be a great test to see how it handled driving in a circle listening to a radio station. The results were not shocking - it dropped out every so often but recovered. The speed I was traveling was about 30 Mph. So you might be OK with a radio station dropping out every so often but I would think a call being dropped would result in an end of the call.

The use-cases we're interested in is out camping at a stationary site and traveling on an interstate at 70Mph. We're particularly interested in how it will work on I-70 going to and from the Yellowstone area from MD this summer in more or less the same orientation of E->W then W-E. Story at 11.

Static tests were rock-solid so WiFi calling would work. Moving on the road I'd echo @coleAK's no-go.

That was very helpful feedback thank you. My plan is to only use ecstatic out when I’m camping so that will solve a lot of the issue you just discussed.

 

[coleAK]

That was very helpful feedback thank you. My plan is to only use ecstatic out when I’m camping so that will solve a lot of the issue you just discussed.

set up while camping with a clear view of the sky. It should work just fine.

 

[1911]

Can anyone give me any recent feedback or opinion about their experience with Starlink?
What kind of problems did you have with it? Does the VOip sound clear like a cell phone,
or dose the audio sound distant or spotty?

I would be using it mostly for the phone service, but when not on the phone, I'd be using the
internet, but I don't need high speed or do any streaming.

I’ve had Starlink exclusively as my only wifi and phone service for some time now 2-3 years. Works great for me; really happy with it. 100x better than the HughesNet it replaced. I used to use Wilson brand cell phone boosters, but the calling over WiFi is vastly superior to that and way more reliable. I’m not noticing any lag or latency with phone calls. Or degradation of voice quality. I’m totally sold on it.

Not much bad to say about it - every morning early (3-4:00 am) my ubiquiti UniFi will report high latency and/or a restart of the modem, but honestly these have never affected me and I’m 100% thrilled with my Starlink standard home (fixed location) service. Use it for my home-based business/work also.

 

[peesalot]

I got the roam with a fixed anntena, the articulating one was a bit pricey & others have said the fixed worked fine. I use a 400w inverter and it has been great. all fits in 1 box, deploys quickly, hooks up all by itself. It will put a connection guide on your phone if it needs to be turned/aligned. it gives you a dotted line and you turn anntena until they line up, easy. We use mine when camping in the 40. I have found it to be great at connecting even in compromised skies. Others have hard mounted the fixed anntena and have signal while in motion. One caution, turn the freeze protection off while you have acces to your computer. The units will auto activate the freeze protection when its like 60 deg and overload the 400w inverter, use large inverter or turn off freeze protection before you leave home. You can get the starlink router & antenna to run off 12v so you can just leave it on but that requires a modification outside manuf. warranty.
I like it, throw it out, boom, wifi at camp, all self contained in 1 box. I am deciding wether or not to ditch the Inreach mini ?

 

[coleAK]

Since this thread may be going down the storage road. It took me a while and I ordered a lot of cases for my Starlink V2, that I sent back, multiple pelicans and condition 1. This is what fit the best, it is the vault (by pelican) takedown rifle V700 case. I use the Starlink mostly with our camper (which has 600w solar with a 2k inverter, and 5kwh battery bank), sometimes my daughter uses it with her Colorado ZR2 (she owns a catering/guide business), and I airtravel with the Starlink. This case works great!

 

[bajaphile]

I've had the Starlink mini for close to a year now, and its been pretty amazing. Most all places my wife and I end up going have no service, and its just nice piece of mind. In January I did a solo trip through most of Baja and was using it a lot talking to friends and family as I was driving and 95% of the time it sounded like I was just on a normal cell phone call. There were a few locations where the connection was spotty, but that is anticipated with satellite. I had been renting sat phones since the 90s, most of the time they just sucked and dropped calls, so this is a 100% upgrade for me.

 

[coleAK]

For those of you that have Starlink or anyone considering it. Just be aware that they change your plans to a higher dollar one from time to time and every time I remember it happening my account is on hold. I’ll get an email that says something on the lines of congratulations we’ve upgraded your plan.


example I got this email today switching my plan. The part about it that I think is shady is that my star link is currently paused. Which it is nice that you can do this just sort of turn it on and off as needed. However, back to my point every time they’ve switched my plan it has been at a time when my service is paused. What that would mean for me if I didn’t pay attention to this now next month when I start camping a bunch if I went into my app and toggled my service from paused to active, I would’ve jumped from a $50 a month plan to $165 a month plan Without realizing it until I get billed for the first mont I just used. Also when I swapped plans it auto turned on my service and I got billed $9.60 for one day.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m fully aware that places increase their rates for subscription services all the time. But in my experience witbstar link (and Tesla which I own 2 of them) do it and some of the least transparent ways possible.