Offgrid Boondocking with Starlink - Let's go 12 volts!

[@johnathanasiou9284]

Great, super useful video there TO & you'd be surprised just how many out there find it useful especially those in remote areas of Australia where NBN/mobile coverage is poor & Starlink is a realistic option. Had shared your last Starlink video to many people who also loved it. Hope you & all the family are keeping well!

[@livingforalivingRV]

Hey Johnathan, Thanks for the help, I sure need it. This is an easier solution than the last one, but I like to tinker and learn things.

[@ramonbennett8416]

Awesome job Steve 🇺🇸🫡❤️

[@livingforalivingRV]

Thanks Ramon!

[@HamRadioDX]

Great tutorial Steve! Next step for me is to buy the RV now

[@livingforalivingRV]

Cheaper than a house! I can just see you in the outback now

[@KS0JD]

Oh my God! He'll be an engineer! Further Dilbert reference. Great video Steve! 73

[@livingforalivingRV]

Thanks Jeff!

[@GreggK6EGG]

I just picked up a starlink mini!

[@livingforalivingRV]

Sweet. You'll like it Gregg!

[@ymbmom]

Good information 😊

[@livingforalivingRV]

Thanks!

[@WECB640]

Excellent job Steve. You got "The Knack" (Dilbert reference). 👍

[@livingforalivingRV]

Thanks Hollywood!

[@jeffb-jbq]

I turn mine off at night using the equipment from your previous video (thank you for the parts list). Now I need a remote switch so I can turn it on in the morning without having to go out if it is raining.

[@livingforalivingRV]

Hey Jeff - That's a good idea. I haven't tried it, but this looks like a winner: amzn.to/3MKZG6g

[@mikesmithg0rfd356]

thank you

[@livingforalivingRV]

You're welcome

[@robertmeyer4744]

Nice improvement over your older one. I do not have starlink myself but a few RV I worked on do have . Some just do it with 12V to 120V inverter but takes more power that way . Some of them 48V converters make RFI noise on AM and SW radio, Ferrite chokes on 12V line and 48V line like them type 31 snap cores work. You have to use a bunch but does help. closest to the 48V converter works the best. Some use CB also . just a few hams in RV. Love how that new one came with power poles ! Lots of RV parks and campsites loose mains power. The US power grid is failing . depends where you are.

[@livingforalivingRV]

I've noticed that, thanks for watching.

[@Recovering_Californian]

Starlink Mini is what you want now. I power my mini off a power bank.

[@livingforalivingRV]

I need more speed than the mini can provide. I like the idea, but needs must.

[@Frank_K4FMH]

Nice video! My close ham friend uses Starlink for his farm residence...I'll share as I'm on fiber here at home. Check your time zone: video shows you left it in China!

[@livingforalivingRV]

Probably from the router - good tip!

[@ShooterReadyStandBy]

Nice small package. Some report their T-mobile home plan is getting changed to a more expensive roaming plan since the home plan was designed for a specific address. Your probably moved on from MO, but if not I'll be camping/pota/rallying down there end of the month.

[@livingforalivingRV]

Hey Dave! I did, I'll be at the Enid hamfest on Saturday in OK. Yeah, T-Mobile is going to change the home plan to an "away" plan and charge $160... which is too rich for my blood. I switch over to my Mint Mobile (same network, $15/mo) - Let me know if you want a link for Mint.

[@JamieStuff]

FYI, the letter "X" in some (most?) other languages has a "sh" sound, so it's pronounced "Shtarlink". Also, it's good to see that the Powerpoles are in the "standard" (ARRL/Ham Radio) configuration.

[@livingforalivingRV]

Shtarlink sounds like a lisp ;-) - I was really happy to see powerpoles, one less thing for me to do!

[@tomKZ8TOM]

Do you have the “Roam” plan? If so what speed did you select? Does it meet your needs most if the time? (Like live streaming, TV, computers, etc. at the same time.)

[@livingforalivingRV]

I have the roam plan. No choice since I don't have a home address (and they can tell when you're not at home). I'm overall it's been fine. I like that I can pause it until I need it. I put a reminder in my calendar to pause it and if I don't need it. That's some big savings. I only use starlink when I can't use park WiFi or mint mobile Internet. On the road you need at least 2 choices. Especially if you're going to be boondocking.

[@LifeAtTerminalVelocity]

Have you had better luck getting StarLink to link in wooded areas? We are looking at getting StarLink for camping but have not pulled the trigger because where we like to go there area always trees.

[@livingforalivingRV]

Trees are a problem - you can do async stuff and watch streaming services, but something more realtime like zoom or live streaming TO youtube doesn't work. In some cases I have setup my battery system and put the dish on the roof of my truck out in the open --> kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZmVkGepqLJmj9U

[@mountainskyaerialphotograp3921]

Will this work with the new Gen 3 Starlink?

[@livingforalivingRV]

Yes, they have a gen3 kit on the website. Take a look: 👉 XTAR-Link EL3 Kit: xtar-link.com/discount/1GEYOUHKPR 👉 Discount Code: 1GEYOUHKPR

[@John-eq8cu]

Just get starlink mini. Done

[@livingforalivingRV]

Starlink mini doesn't provide as much bandwidth - and why throw away a faster dish that you've already paid for?

[@KU9L]

Gen3 vs Mini? I wish there was more kits for the Mini available. Mobile Internet Resources has shown that if you Bypass the internal router, the Mini has 95% of the speed of the Gen3 dish with only 22-25 watts of running power. We camp host in a canyon in CO with worse than 1/2 bar of Verizon cell service, good for texting without photos. The Gen3 is $200 cheaper than the Mini, but the power consumption of the Gen3 is 2x the mini. We also have a lot of wind in that canyon from time to time, thus the Mini solution is desirable, however if I can get my power generation needs under control it might be a moot point. Whether I go with a tripod mount or a pole mount I had better make it a secure one in those winds. Cheers, Davey - KU9L

[@livingforalivingRV]

When they did the 95% test, did they show side by side speed comparisons? "95%" isn't slower enough to matter vs the size/ease of deployment!

[@nicoracien1924]

Make sure to turn off the heating element ...cause it draw so much current

[@livingforalivingRV]

Good tip!

[@TexasStormChaser]

That's a whole lotta work when you can just buy a mini and plug it in USB

[@livingforalivingRV]

The mini doesn't have the same internet speeds or ability to "see" as the Gen2. It would be a downgrade for some. Good that there is a solution for all the Gen2s and Gen3s out there.

[@TexasStormChaser]

@@livingforalivingRV The Mini has less phased array antenna modules at lower power which results in slower speeds (150/15 average) but it actually has better beam steering than a Gen 3 dish. It no longer needs to be pointed to the north or on an angle. As long as it's pointed to the sky at any direction, you'll have internet. I keep mine on my dashboard. Doesn't care. Most people just mount them flat on a roof rack. In an off grid off road situation is much better than a residential dish at getting internet without having to worry about alignment. It can virtually steer on all axis to near 180 degrees.

[@traveling.down.the.road56]

I hope you don't often leave your Starlink and 12 volt power system out unattended, where someone can easily pick up everything and drive away with it? You could be sitting in your RV and notice that your Internet connection just went down, and by the time you got outside, you would be just in time to see the thief driving away.

[@livingforalivingRV]

Thanks for looking out! I have a very good physical security setup. Nobody is getting away with anything on my watch.

[@MacKayz117]

I dont know why maybe i am parnoid but I would want to run a packet sniffer on that router and make sure its not phoning home to someone and sending data to them.

[@livingforalivingRV]

China sniffs it in hardware, US pays for it with tax dollars. Either way it's all been compromised long long ago. I gave up worrying about that stuff.

[@hazer72]

lol encruption

[@livingforalivingRV]

Right!