Starlink vs Iridium GO. E70

[@Rockingoodman]

I'm so glad starlink is working or without the huge cost of the marine accounts. Always good to see you two

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thank you! It’s always good to be seen (except during a Breaking and Entering event of course). 😳😀 Thanks Chris for all of the great comments!

[@Boody523]

Great info! Ordered a Starlink last just night, and I never miss the subtle humor, love it

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks and thanks! 😁

[@NM-ql9er]

I've heard the opposite when you leave the usa. Glad it is working for you.

[@rosskennedy4333]

I really appreciate all the information you pack into this video. You pretty much sold me on the system. I am super glad to see such a leap in technology in such a short period of time.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You are very welcome!

[@thomasmoran9114]

You are correct, Iridium is older technology, but the original intent of the system was for voice communications. The data was an afterthought and was never intended to be the equivalent to internet streaming. Iridium is in the process of upgrading it's system with new, higher capacity satellites. Monthly fees for voice can be as low as $40 per month with a few free minutes thrown in. Starlink is a completely different concept, the intent was to provide (relatively) high speed IP service via LEO satellites.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

👍

[@vasiovasio]

Great video! Just a note - the Biggest advantage of Every Iridium product is the Whole, Full, Real 100% Worldwide Coverage! No other provider offers something like this. It is a completely different topic do you really travel to the Poles or in the middle of Nowhere - Tristan da Cunha! :)

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks for the comment! And yes we agree that there are certain advantages for Iridium GO but… they don’t really pertain to our needs at the moment😊. And with the new Starlink plans, Starlink is even more functional and dependable now. Thanks again

[@gregboon]

Love the pause with elevator music and the retakes with the movie board. Thanks for the Starlink review. Sounds awesome. I will have to get that on my boat. You guys are my inspiration!

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks Gregg. You’re the only one who commented on Adrienne’s awesome editing ideas. Sometimes I allow her to be funny too. 😛

[@PeterLawton]

@@SailingWindTherapy I noticed, too, and I love those brief moments. Well done.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks @@PeterLawton! And you read the comments too! That’s impressive. 😊

[@JakeRichardsong]

Thank you for making an informative video that does not use a constant editing and motion. Your video is not irritating like so many other KZbin videos.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks, I usually shoot for “not irritating”. 😁 That’s actually how I got Adrienne to marry me, because I wasn’t too irritating.

[@stephenburnage7687]

I have had Inreach for several years but it has failed me several times, so was thinking of switching to Iridium Go. However, i have seen several comments on YT, where people have complained about the reliability of Iridium Go. One cruiser told me that the only solution is to have both, but that is expensive.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

I don’t think Iridium Go is unreliable, it’s just very, very slow and the phone part is not at all conducive to having any real conversation. If you are using it with Predict Wind it allows you to slowly download grib files so eventually you’ll get a decent weather report when offshore. I think until Starlink came into play it was necessary. But with Starlink, it’s completely unnecessary. I’ve been paying the lowest subscription rate for InReach for years but am ok with that since it’s my backup and we always throw that in our ditch bag when sailing offshore. So the cruiser was right “Before” Starlink became available. Hope this helps!

[@JibeTalking]

Thanks guys for the information, excellent... We have been pricing Star Link and thought it might be out of our price range but I have seen several people use the RV version on a boat and have been happy with the results. Thanks again, Be safe guys!

[@SailingWindTherapy]

The RV version is perfect for the boat which is what are using. Of course things could change but for now it’s exactly what we need.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks! The RV version is perfect for the boat which is what are using. Of course things could change but for now it’s exactly what we need.

[@tonyfromaus7855]

Awesome! AIS on iPad, AUTOMATIC POLARS!!! This really is a fantastic upgrade to cruising sailboat. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You’re very welcome! Thanks for watching once again!

[@timothylindsay3244]

For the AIS crowd….an AIS box w/Wi-Fi (I use AMEC CyphoS with built in VHF antenna splitter) allows all AIS data displays on your mobile devices. The Starlink product looks great, thanks for a great video.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You’re very welcome! Thanks for the additional info

[@mikeb8688]

Thanks for sharing the info… great job 👍🙌

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You’re very welcome!

[@yourademshin3182]

Thank You very much for great video info!!!!!!

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You are very welcome!

[@kirkbowers4889]

nice honest review... Thank You!!

[@youngypaul]

What data package subscription did you have to get coverage so far out to sea? Their 'Roam' package costs $80 USD a month for 50GB of downloads, and cost $299 for the standard kit. BUT they say can not be used more than 12 nm off shore?

[@pearseemtp]

Great informative video. Thank you for sharing.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You’re very welcome. Elon just raised the monthly fee from $135 to $150 per month 😞. Maybe I shouldn’t have told anyone about this? 😊

[@pearseemtp]

@@SailingWindTherapy I live on my sailboat at the marina and enjoy my Starlink. I haven't tried it out in open water. And yes, my rates just increased also.

[@texasjohns]

Right on! 👊 great intel and enjoyed the vid.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks very much!

[@toddhurdon2016]

Starlink RV is a game changer for boat life. I wonder if there is going to be enough LEO space and endorsement to allow more sats and increased global coverage?

[@evgenyzak2035]

There is more than enough space on LEO, much more satellites are coming.

[@edc1569]

It's not the number of satellites that is the issue, they need to get the laser links working on them, so data can move around the planet further from ground stations.

[@hillbillyintheasia6122]

@@edc1569 that gen 2 sat start all gen now per launch

[@highoctanehome]

Great video guys! Thanks for the info.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks Brown! Hope you guys are doing great.

[@box420]

If you didn't know the iridium voice is not encrypted. Anyone can setup a sdr radio and Lband antenna and hear the voice calls

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Was not aware of that but… when we used the Iridium voice (which is cool that it’s over satellite but really has terrible reception with a lot of lag time which makes it very difficult to communicate) we aren’t really talking about bank numbers or anything where we care if anyone is listening in. But we do see your point. Thanks!

[@box420]

@Sailing Wind Therapy it's NOT easy to do in any way, but both iridium and inmarsat voice can bot be listened to look up tech minds he's got a good video on it. But can only hear the down link of the satellite. Inmarsat ecg and LES msg can both be picked up has well fairly easy.

[@whatsinaname6069]

Is the ability to use the RV version just a company oversight such that cruisers are getting the service without identifying what vehicle they use or does the company allow for private and smaller commercial use (KZbinrs, etc) of Starlink service by boaters while gearing the marine use packages for megayachts and cruise ships?

[@sivadfa]

Something that you might like to try doing if you're so inclined, would be to plug the Datahub directly to your satellite dish, and it should "just work" like that. Though I don't know the technology that's running in that box, so there might be some benefits to your current setup that I can't see as a random person on the Internet.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

The benefit to the Datahub is that if you plug it into the NMEA backbone you get a lot of extra data.

[@SlowBoatSailing]

Coverage has not started in south Pacific and Indian Ocean yet. Q1 2023.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thank you. Good to know!

[@SailingBoatingLLC]

Great video and extremely useful. I am puzzled as to why get the PW Datahub? The video states that in order to get rid of their Iridium GO they needed a tracker. Therefore they went with the PW Data hub which will send postion but needs Internet. This meant getting the SL internet adapter ($50 USD) and the Data Hub at $300 USD. Why not just buy a Zoleo for $200 USD which will send position and emails to your "friends" independently of the SL network. This allow you to not need to have SL running in Global Mobility Mode suring offshore sailing. One of the reasons to turn off the SL dish/router is that they consume 3-4 AH. The Datahub is a great product but a somewhat over priced and un-needed solution with SL and other devices, (e.g. Garmine Messenger)

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks for the comment. Not sure what you mean by a $50 SL internet adapter though. We’ve been keeping our SL on the standard mobile plan which has been working great in the Caribbean. We will also keep it running while we are offshore with the per GB plan so we’re not too worried about the small amount of data that it sends out for tracking. Now for tracking we have a link on our website that shows where we are, where we’ve been, how fast we were going at every moment, and how strong the winds were at each moment. We like that record. Our use case scenario works for us. It might not work for everyone though. We haven’t heard of Zoleo though so just looking at it now. Besides the $200 you also have to pay a monthly fee between $26 and $56 per month. With PW we are not paying anything extra per month. So $300 with no monthly fees is certainly better than $200 with $26/month

[@dudleybrown7030]

Wouldn't the GPS in an Iphone, using Find Friends (IOS devices), linked in through your Starlink, accomplish the same tracknig goal? I'm sure I'm missing something.

[@csranch2000]

Thank you for the great info. Sold me on the new Technology. We were just talking about whether to get an iridium go. Star link ahead. Question does your AIS transponder have built in wifi interface to send signals to tablet, etc or just MFD's I see the AIT 5000 transponder, I was interested in, has interface. If I get the module you speak of can I get a cheaper Transponder with only MFD displays and have it work like yours on a tablet as long as it is NMEA 2000?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Hi, thanks for the questions. We have the Raymarine ais700 transponder. This does not have a WiFi interface which is why we were only able to see it on the chartplotter. If you had an ais transponder with WiFi then you’d be able to also use it on your phone or iPad (via Navionics or Aquamaps). So YES to your question. 😊 Also if you are planning on doing larger, longer offshore sails then I would still consider Iridium GO as an emergency back up if you wanted to get frequent weather updates. But it’s a very expensive backup. For just emergency issues I would just get the Garmin InReach. Hope this helps!

[@peterdevos811]

Great video. Also, getting first hand (non commercial) information about the stability of the Star Link connection while under sails is extremely helpful. We sail a Catamaran as well and I assume that helps a lot with regards to stability of the Star Link antenna. We have an Axiom plotter with Lighthouse OS. It does allow the installation of a predict-wind app. Perhaps that replaces the need for a datahub device. Thanks! Peter.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Hi Peter, thanks for the comment. I’m 99% sure that the predict wind app for axiom provides all of the important weather info you need but will not replace the DataHub serviced like pinging your position. It’s really just like installing predict wind on your iPad or phone or computer. Axiom is just another place you can use predict wind. Hope that helps! And yes, I’m sure Starlink works much better on a cat, at least it probably searches less for satellites due to the motion which would use a lot less battery power.

[@peterdevos811]

@@SailingWindTherapy Thanks. That's clear. Of course a location ping is something you'd like to have 24/7. Even with the plotter switched off. Here in Europe there is a snag with the Starlink RV version. It only allows you to be outside of your country for 2 months. After that you need to reregister it to a new country. When cruising for half a year that may become an issue. We'll have to see about that. Perhaps it is just a formality. I assume the maritime version doesn't have that restriction, but that one is simply too expensive for poor sailers 🙂 Cheers, Peter.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

@@peterdevos811 I’d bet the reregister part is just a formality and won’t be enforced or at the very least it’s just a matter of a little paperwork. But we shall see. And in the meantime, using Starlink is a fantastic option.

[@enzocattin5499]

Interesting video thanks for sharing

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Our pleasure. Hope you got something from it. 😊

[@joaomendes7048]

I believe Starlink only works in the Continent where you purchased it from. The Roaming option allows to change Countries in the same Continent, but not when you move to another Continent, for example, when/if you ever sail to Europe, it is unlikely to work (I've read it works for some weeks, then stops). It seems that, when you get to Europe you'd need to buy Starlink hardware/antenna again. Not sure if this is a regulatory issue, or Elon's idea that you should not roam the world with the same hardware at the price of the RV offer. Iridium GO still great option - connection works anywhere even if slow.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks for the info. Luckily, the Caribbean is considered North America so we’re good for a few years. But others should consider your info.

[@dancrooks3740]

Great walk through, thanks for the info!

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You’re very welcome!

[@ffarag]

Many thanks for this great information bud, you are always the best, cheers from Zürich

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thank you! We may be passing through Zurich in September for a Viking river cruise. You have such a beautiful country.

[@ffarag]

@@SailingWindTherapy I will be more than happy to show around Switzerland , please let me know, i mean it . cheers u 2

[@FatherTech]

What is the base with the set screws that you used to attach the starlink pole to the fishing rod holder. Such a simple but brilliant solution to mounting the starlink antenna. Been thinking about how to mount mine, and this is the best solution I have seen, thanks for the great idea

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Starlink sells a pipe adapter kit for around $40. It was easy. For the first few weeks since we weren’t sailing in big seas we simply had it resting in the fishing rod holder. A bit scary but it’s pretty heavy so we weren’t too concerned that it would fall out. 😎

[@dom_xi-dzopa720]

thanks for this contribution.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You’re very welcome! There have been a few changes to the service since then but it’s all good if not better and I feel even more confident in the system.

[@timlolxP]

Thx for the Video. I thought from the beginning of Starlink about this use case. How stable is the connection from Starlink in motion? So sea-state and being underway. When its stable, then this is a game changer, not just for yachts but also for commercial shipping. I wouldn't mind to pay as a crew 150$ for fast internet, I think most of my colleagues wouldn't mind either and for companies these are pennies even if they have to pay a commercial price. I work on container ships and we have very limited Internet access, which is slow and expensive. You cant video chat with your loved ones or watch something which isn't on your hard drive.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

I think for more than a few users and being out at sea a lot maybe is the case for the maritime service. But even still that should work if crew is sharing some of the costs. The service by the way was great even during high seas and lots of rolling.

[@donewithit1984]

As a mildly overweight, pasty landlubber... this guy is my aspiration. I've just got to figure out the Pilot version of this man's life... 'cause I get seasick.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Errrrrr….. thanks?

[@laurentmagnard1417]

Thanks. Well done. Informative. Still question: What about emergency plan? If you have to jump in the liferaft, you can t take starlink with you. Iridiumgo: you can. Do you consider keeping iridiumgo for such emergency, in your grapbag for example, or do you plan to take an iridiumgo abo just for transatlantic, for example, or emergency plan is: i can send emergency signal from boat with starlink before getting in liferaft, and after i just bet on VHF? How do you see it?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Great question! We keep our Garmin InReach activated and it’s always fully charged in the ditch bag when we go offshore. We also have an EPIRB for the boat and personal EPIRBS on our life jackets. We also have a sail plan filed and people tracking our position in case we have an issue. However if we do a transatlantic or pacific trip we will definitely turn our Iridium Go back on for emergencies and for when we assume we will eventually lose Starlink coverage. Hope that answers your question.

[@mattybravo9104]

Cool video! Very Helpful! Subscribed. 🙂

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Cool!

[@petikpetik9209]

How is it work on open sea ? I thought starlink has maritime subscription for boats that costs $5000/month and starlink for RVs is geolocked for land only. Also how is it working in heavy waves ?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We had 8 footers on our passage between Hampton, VIrginia and BVI, 1500 nautical miles, and besides a few very temporary outages we had service the whole time. I believe the maritime service is fir mega yachts crossing oceans and with a lot of people on board sharing the WiFi.

[@GabrielDiaz-bq6rr]

Great Video ... My Very Best Wishes from the south of Chile .... the million dollar question ... can you use Starlink when you are sailing?? or just at your anchor location? Thk Uuu

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Officially the docs say that it’s not to be used while in motion. We just sailed 1500 miles and during it I finished two seasons of a TV show, FaceTimed our kids every day, and downloaded weather reports every few hours. So… yes! 😃

[@HopeOfJoe]

Thanks guys. This is a keeper so I can set mine up. 🎉✨🌊⛵️🏝👙🌞✨

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You’re very welcome! Glad it was helpful.

[@dropshot1967]

for your login to your datahub, I would change the user account from admin to a name you make up and I would use longer password, for instance first and last letter of all words in a sentence, songtext, or whatever is easy to remember. Admin is such a standard username that half your security against hackers is gone by using it.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thank you Jelle! We agree and had done that already.

[@GroovyVideo2]

been using starlink for a year in rv mode- itsAwesome

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We totally agree!

[@SVHears2Us-li9oq]

Thanks for this video and explaintion. Are you still able to use your starlink while at sea on RV mode with unlimited data. A few months ago, we got the nastygram from Elon that we will have to opt into mobile premium data while at sea. We are planning to do the ARC Europe next summer and need internet connectivity for weather and check ins. I am concerned about the price of the data while at sea being a bit cost prohibitive. Thoughts? Thanks.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

So I think you should be totally fine for the ARC and here’s why. You will have connectivity while out at sea. And it’s fast and reliable. But you do have to pay a small amount per Gig for data. The thing is you’re not going to be streaming movies, you’re going to use it for grib files and Check ins which should not be overly data intensive. But you will have it available in case of emergency or if you need to FaceTime call your family. And the cost is extremely reasonable. Keep in mind while also while sailing closer to shore you go back to the regular plan so then you can start getting fast, unlimited data again for $150/month. I think this service is incredible

[@WillN2Go1]

Good video. Thank you. I'm heading to Vietnam to join a boat and sail to Japan and then back across the North Pacific. I have Starlink on my boat in Southern California - works great. I'm just wondering if in two months it'll be working in the western Pacific and then in the north Pacific. Right now the thinking of the boat owner is Starlink won't work. If it were my decision I'd get it just in case it works, but also so once I'm back in North America I know it will work.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We think it may be a bit of a gamble but for a yacht owner to bet $500 on a technology that would be a game changer to us is a no brainer. Have a great sail by the way! That’s a lot of miles!

[@WillN2Go1]

@@SailingWindTherapy I think your point is that it's really not much of a gamble (especially on a half million dollar yacht). I was just thinking that instead of hauling my Starlink to Vietnam, I'd offer to front the cost for the boat owner hoping that he pay me back once he fully utilizes it. (I'm on my boat right now on the internet and watching Prime Video HD with mine.) Be nice to have internet instead of 30 minute downloads of raw weather data.

[@dopo8333]

Very interesting. You don't have problems with boat roll? Does it work even while navigating?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We are a catamaran so our boat role is not as significant as a monohull. However even monohulls are getting great service. And yes it works while navigating

[@Bill_N_ATX]

The satellite that your boat is communicating with is moving at thousands of miles an hour. Your boat’s movement, even if it’s moving at 20 knots, is trivial to the process of tracking the signals. The other good news is that it’s not using a physical dish to send signals. It’s using a phased array that’s electronically moved. It can do this very fast. It’s how the tracking radar on large military ships works. It’s rocket science at work.

[@dopo8333]

@@Bill_N_ATX Ok, your answer begs for a few physics explanations. Even if Starlink satellites are not geostationary, their angular speed w.r.t. an observer on Earth is less than 1 degree per second (regardless of their actual speed in space). This allows establishing communications between the observer and the satelite. At the same time, roll can be much higher (tens of degrees). Imagine staying flat on your back on the deck of your monohull and looking straight ahead. Due to roll, the position of one satelite is constantly move with variable speed and direction. Whereas, if you do this on land, a satelite will move steadily and slowly across your field of view. Maintaining a link in a small boat on sea is therefore much more difficult than on land. Kudos to Elon and to his engineers.

[@Bill_N_ATX]

@@dopo8333 I spent a moment googling how fast a boat can roll from side to side. I didn’t know it, but how fast it rolls is a function of beam, not the size of the roll. I started down the path of the equations and decided it wasn’t a matter that I had time to work on right now. What I did figure out was that a roll that was faster than what the phased array could respond to would probably keep you from watching the screen to begin with. The downlink is not the issue. The satellite is sending its signal to a large area than even a speeding airplane is not going to outrun. The uplink is the one in question. How large a cone of RF is the uplink sending? Short answer is I have no idea. Phased arrays can be pretty tight but I don’t know how tight these will be. And of course, environmental conditions would also be a factor. If it was a squall line that was causing the roll, you wouldn’t be able to send and receive through the water in the air anyway. But to your point, indeed it would be a good physics paper to see what performance envelope the signal will work in. But unless you knew great details about the array properties, the signal power, any array gain, the required signal strength required at the satellite, and a few other values that SpaceX is never going to tell you, it’s a mute point. It will work till it won’t.

[@dopo8333]

@@Bill_N_ATX Ok, so if you're scientifically literate, why did you write that scientifically illiterate comment? Just to vent some inner anger?

[@Sirena_Edonismo]

Hi guys, Hope all is well. Good information, but be careful about putting all of your eggs in the Starlink basket. The RV coverage rules and agreements are constantly changing and the RV package is being cracked down on. Basically there are going to be restrictions on how long you can be away from home base and how many days you are moving. A lot of the user groups I follow have seen their service severely reduced and is some cases shut off completely. If you are in a high use area your data can be restricted to dial up speeds. The RV plan is not really supposed to be used for boats even though a lot of people are using it that way. There may be a time on the short horizon where water based users may be out of luck and shut off. For some reason the actual Maritime plans are ridiculously expensive. Hopefully things will get sorted out and a reasonable plan available for everyone. Until then, buyer beware. 🤷🏻‍♂

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We shall see. Elon doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who likes to restrict things or follow other people’s rules. I think he wants everyone to have internet access especially where there is spotty cellular networks. I also don’t think he cares about nickel and diming customers but that of course is just my opinion. Technology changes all of the time and if we have to throw this dish out to get something in the future than so be it. In the meantime for a year or two or three we are loving this product.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Oh also… if I were crossing an ocean I would most certainly not depend on my current Starlink service. We were amazed that we had it the entire 1500 mile sail to BVI.

[@Sirena_Edonismo]

@@SailingWindTherapy I don't have those problems. I never move my boat. 🤦🏻‍♂️😂

[@charliehicks2635]

6

[@troubleMakesThree]

We determined that as long as we weren't doing crossing, then Starlink would be a more versatile solution. We have had times it dropped out, usually 20-50 nm out on the Pacific side of Baja in rougher weather.

[@tracyoliver550]

Jeff, It’s Tracy and Kim from GypSea. What route are you taking in regards to the new Starlink plans/terms? We hope to get by with our original dishy with Mobile Regional (Roam) with Priority Data switched on when offshore. We keep getting nasty grams from SL urging us to upgrade to the HP dish and Mobile Global.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We are doing the same. Staying with our original Roam since when in the Caribbean we will mostly be in the island zones based on their map with just small gaps between islands. We are on the hard in Grenada at the moment. But at least our friends are not having any issues with original Roam too. Next season I’m not going to mess switching to priority data when sailing between islands though and we’ll take the chance that it still works in between (since those gaps are very small). But I will rethink it all next May when we sail up North to Bermuda and New England.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Hope you guys are doing great and loving the Caribbean. We had to leave earlier than originally planned since our daughter is about to have a baby (literally at any moment).

[@tracyoliver550]

Congratulations! We also had to suddenly turn around and head back to the Chesapeake. Our beloved dog Fanny suddenly took ill. Unfortunately, we lost her😢, but managed to get her home where she was comfortable for a few days.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

So sorry to hear 🥺. So are you up North for the summer? We’re flying to Annapolis for the boat show in Oct and then heading back to Grenada to work our way back up to New England for next summer

[@LouisVillemaire]

I heard that starlink forbidens on the sea because it is only for rural and they will charge over excessive payment...?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We’re in the Caribbean at yet moment. If you look at the map of the Caribbean you’ll see that the coverage areas extend pass the islands so their might be some gaps between the islands but I doubt it’s s that accurate. Elon wants people using his satellites.

[@SailingNoRegrets]

We have Starlink on our yacht in Australia and its working very well here especially now its been upgraded to full coverage..... BUT...officially the coverage is only 15nm offshore so at some point Starlink "could" disable the offshore coverage. i am PRAYING they actually do the opposite and give us full ocean coverage but it is completely subjective at the present time. Unfortunately we are still stuck with the 1/16 speed of dial up iridium go with over inflated pricing! At this stage I feel if you are following island chains or coastal then it's a definite better replacement, but if you are crossing an ocean then we are still STUCK with iridium... unless Starlink will enable the access. You can also get rid of the Starlin router. The Starlink cable is basically a standard ethernet cable and there is 48V POE (Power Over Ethernet) supplied through the cable to power dishy. There's lots of videos describing how to modify this and then it can plug into your existing network.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks for the comment and the additional info. I’m thinking Elon is not going to disable any coverage. I believe he wants total coverage for as many people as possible. And I don’t mind having the router since we need one anyway. But maybe I’m missing something?

[@SailingNoRegrets]

@@SailingWindTherapy our existing router has ethernet ports which Starlink is missing. When you have to transfer those movie files to the NAS drive wifi is too sloooow. Pretty good summary though and I hope you are correct, the iridium is so frustratingly slow and expensive, hopefully Starlink will give us what we need

[@tvguide4khv]

@@SailingNoRegrets SL have an ethernet port as option

[@SailingNoRegrets]

@@tvguide4khv Yes I've seen that and was considering it, but I'd still need a Ethernet switch (or use old router) as it only has the single Ethernet port. I have a couple of laptops and NAS drive so it is kinda strange that none were included in the Starlink router. I will go the PoE modification and half it's power use, beneficial on a yacht

[@geezenslaw]

Enjoyed the informative vid... you didn't mention which PW account you are still paying for...? You get off using Datahub for the cost of the hardware gadget only...?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks for the comment. For the Predict Wind app which is by far our favorite weather app there are a few different subscription options. If you use the free one then I don’t think it will be able to utilize the Datahub. The other subscription options are Standard which is around $250/ year and the Professional which is around $400/year. With those you get all of the Datahub features. We splurged and got the professional version when there was a sale on it. It gives us ocean current data which is critical especially when crossing the Gulf Stream and better weather routing and passage planning. But to answer your question, yes if you have a paid subscription, you get to use Datahub for just the cost of the hardware gadget. Hope this answers your question.

[@timthorson52]

Have they upgraded starmax to be available on the move?

[@bill2292]

One more question Jeff, do you know anyone with the in motion dish? Is it better? It's difficult for me to only spend $599 on something boat related.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Sorry, I do not know anyone who set the in motion dish up yet. It should be pretty cool though

[@sgtwrench69]

Love my RV Starlink

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Us too!

[@marktaylor484]

Excellent tute.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks!

[@novoburgo]

Thanks for sharing this! We are looking seriously at upgrading to Starlink. Can I ask which antenna you are using and also how much power you think it consumes?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We have the regular dish that I think people call Dishy. The rv version is the same dish as the home ones but gives you more portability for coverage. It’s $135/ month. The power consumption may be the biggest drawback. I think we’re averaging around 40-50 watts which adds up over the course of a day. We’re fortunate to have a good battery bank but it still puts a dent in it.

[@tvguide4khv]

@@SailingWindTherapy turn off heater)) and SL app now have a night sleep timer to save power

[@danielegstedt4223]

Great too see starlink on a boat ! Do you think it will work on a monohull as well ( thinking a monohull moves around more at sea ) does the giro adjust the antenna all the time ? How mush power does it take out at sea thank you for great video !

[@Mar-vu9nx]

That is exactly the same question I want to make! I have an 43 Catch

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Yes it will work on a monohull as well. Check out the Facebook page Starlink for Boats and you’ll get all sorts of good info for your situation. We have friends with Starlink on their monohull and it’s working just fine though. Our dish periodically resets itself but not that often. It does take quite a bit of power though. Like 30 watts. It’s a 110 AC plug but people have converted the plug to 12v which should save a few watts of inverter loss.

[@Mar-vu9nx]

@@SailingWindTherapy thank you for detailed & fast answer. I apreciate your support

[@earlboyd2616]

I would love to have Sterling I am currently sailing in the Marquesas about a quarter way through my circumnavigation the very unfortunate part is not available everywhere i wish it was

[@slo00]

Nice video buddy !

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks! Hope to see you guys soon!

[@brianstewart2032]

But what is Star Link's coverage area?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Well… they have a map on their web site but apparently it’s a bit more then they claim 😮

[@tonytomato100]

Have you guys had any experience with via sat?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

No we haven’t had any experience with them or really know much about it. Sorry

[@crowdfundcrew]

It seems boaters are using the rv version of starlink. Since SL has a marine version, what’s the benefit of the marine version for 5k per month?

[@scottmariner]

as far I heard is starlink supposed to be a global service too, is that right? and if it is global, is it faster at the Äquator than at the pole region ?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

I believe Starlink intends to be completely global but they don’t have all of the satellites 🛰 up yet. But they are going up fast! I’m trying to remember back to my science classes in school but I don’t think the service will be faster at the equator. The satellites should all be at the same altitude.

[@scottmariner]

one told me the starlink sats chain up around the äquator, so my guess was that it could behave like the cell network and rate the speed down by greater distances, but never mind. in comparison to the Iridium network even 10 mbps would be lightning fast

[@MiketakesaHike]

I can't attest to Iridium, because as soon as I was ready to get one, StarLink came out. And that was what I bought, best money I ever spent. SL is faster than my home internet. P.S. Iridium is running as fast as they can to bring out something faster, I don't think they will make it.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks for the the info!

[@xpatraitnaija2664]

Gud info,thanks

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You’re very welcome

[@JimOtton]

I just looked up the cost Global maritime coverage with up to 350 Mbps download while at sea. $5,000/mo with a one-time hardware cost of $5,000 for two high performance terminals. 60 K per year? that is a cut and past from their web page

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Most ocean going mega yachts would probably be happy to pay that when crossing an ocean. We’ll stick to the RV version for our island hopping 😊

[@Steve-qn8gn]

Nice shade for the solar panel too. 😂

[@Seabee2nd]

Very interesting. I had Tracvison on my motorhome but a ground vehicle is rather stable compared to our sailboat. A friend of ours has a Star Link they use while camping and they love it. So I looked into the marine version and after I regained consciousness after seeing the $10k/month price tag and checking our bank account, I wrote off this product. I was impressed how you made it work for you. So my question is, you said you used it during your trip down to the islands in somewhat rough weather. How did it perform? With the boat constantly moving, was the dish able to stay connected all the time? Paul & Linda S/V The Friendly Confines

[@SailingWindTherapy]

It performed remarkably. Every once in a while during huge seas it would cut out for a few seconds but that was not that often. We were very surprised how well it worked under those crazy conditions!

[@3tsedwards]

Are you still able to use it or did they cut you off?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

For now I believe we are fine with the same plan we had since we will be on the hard for the summer. But even after we leave Grenada after hurricane season we should still be good. We’ll find out on May 9

[@svjobeth6256]

Very interesting information. We have iridium Go at the moment and are very interested in Starlink. However, we're planning an Atlantic crossing this season and are getting conflicting info about how well Starlink is working in European waters. Any thoughts?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Unfortunately we haven’t done any European research yet. But there is a Facebook group called Starlink on Boats that will probably help you with the question. Good luck!

[@alieninstallation50]

thanks for the video

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You’re welcome. I hope you found it useful.

[@aaronocomedy3343]

Cool video 😎

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thanks very much!

[@mackan7086]

Hard to compare the two...wasn't the iridium satellites brought up like a couple of decades ago? I would be very surprised if starlink wasn't faster

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Yes I believe the Iridium satellites were launched a while ago. But we wanted to show that there are now better options. I was actually shocked last month when we got an email from Iridium saying that they were raising their monthly rates. I was thinking that they should be slashing their prices if they want to remain competitive in the marine satellite market.

[@tapsnag]

Starlink Special right now for Canadians is 350!

[@elrobo3568]

I also use Starlink to make phone calls through, just go to connections on your phone and select Wi-Fi calling. It works just like a regular phone over Starlink. Elon is my hero also, we got 1.6 meg with Frontier (owned by Verizon) and now get over 380 meg on Starlink. Clear sailing1

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Yes! It’s awesome!

[@emb6566]

Very informative!

[@geniexmay562]

Very cool!!

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thank you!

[@donjohnston3776]

Great to see you are having such success. KZbinrs MV Freedom report poor Starlink service. I suspect their installation method has something to do with it?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

I haven’t seen their video so I’m not really sure why. Could be dish positioning, a lot of external blocking, or just a bad coverage area maybe? I’ll try and watch their vid soon. Thanks for the comment!

[@dancrooks3740]

I think part of their issue is competition for bandwidth - they are in the Pacific Northwest where the usage population is much higher at certain times of day

[@donjohnston3776]

@@SailingWindTherapy kzbin.info?search_query=MV+freedom+starlink+installation link to their installation videos.

[@michiganengineer8621]

@@SailingWindTherapy They went with a fixed mount, disabling the tracking built into the dish. That's probably a large part of their issue since their dish is essentially pointed straight up.

[@Mar-vu9nx]

Thank you!

[@SailingWindTherapy]

You are very welcome!

[@samiam8114]

Starlink won't work more than about 500 hundred miles from a ground station, if that. So it's ok for coastal sailing but not something you can rely on for blue water sailing.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We had service for 1500 miles from Hampton, Va. to British Virgin Islands.

[@samiam8114]

​@@SailingWindTherapy You probably had service the whole way because you were within 500 miles of ground stations the whole way. I think you are covered in the Caribbean and around Panama but I don't think you will get signal in the open ocean more than 500 miles from land.

[@jeepsuc99]

How much does it cost for the dish?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

$599. for the dish

[@jeepsuc99]

@SailingWindTherapy can you make voice calls with this system? I need to pass a commercial saftey inspection and trying to pick the best option. I know the iridium go I can call out

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Yes As long as your phone can make WiFi calls. Plus we use WhatsApp and FaceTime. Anything you can do using wifi

[@jeepsuc99]

@SailingWindTherapy thank you for the info. So for starlink it's 599 plus monthly charge and that's it?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Yep that’s all for fast unlimited access. Its amazing!

[@daidavies6210]

I got STARLINK it’s Brilliant I Highly recommend it……

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We agree!

[@kwinzman]

Iridium speeds are actually even worse than you said. It's roughly 10 times slower than dialup.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Good to know. Thanks!

[@ajarnolaf9034]

does anyone have experience with one of these devices in places like the D.P.R.K.? (North Korea?)

[@samiam8114]

It sounds like Roam will no longer work anymore if you are not on land. Sounds like they want people to buy the marine package for that and may be shutting down roamers on the water soon.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Until then or if it ever happens, we will continue to enjoy amazing WiFi.

[@billhanna8838]

Iridium is a pain in the ars , Never worked good for our trip up to Fiji from NZ , Gave up on it .

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Yep.

[@sailingdev]

I'm surprised that you say starlink worked all the way, the coverage map does not show anything in the ocean, I want to get one for sailing the bahamas so I can keep working remotely

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We were surprised too. And we hear it’s working great in the Bahamas. The only thing I would caution is if you are using it for work and doing a lot of zoom calls. With some apps there is no buffering so if you lose service for a couple of seconds, then the call drops.

[@sailingdev]

@@SailingWindTherapy Thanks! will be getting one soon

[@-TruthHurts]

well done, i think it is safe to assume that Elon isn't done yet sending more SL satellites into orbit, hence the coverage and quality will likely/hopefully improve over time... what is concerning tho is that once he has this monopoly fully established, price gauging, data limits or bandwith throttling could occur.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

It might. But currently Iridium GO has the monopoly and they just raised their rates by around 20%.

[@joseruiz6847]

Thank you for the video, just wanted to bring to your attention, your right thumbnail is black, I assume from trauma, but as someone in the medical field, if that is not going away, please see a doctor, as there are cases of melanoma involving fingertips ..... Again, thank for the video, it was very informative

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Thank you very much Jose for the concern. When we were installing our new sails I got my finger pinched between a baton and the mast. I watched it closely as the underlying bruise worked its way up over the months. It was fun when it finally got to the top. All better now. I can finally start applying for the hand model job I’ve always wanted

[@michiganengineer8621]

Great information, I suspect that many cruisers will be ditching their Iridiums (or shifting to a monthly plan). Now if Elon would just get the rest of the constellations up for better deep water coverage . . . . That add-on from PredictWind is going to be SERIOUSLY useful for so many cruisers as well. Let's say you need to leave the boat in the BVI for a month while you fly back to the States for some reason. You'll still be able to monitor just about everything from wherever you are.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Yes! Plus we also have VictronConnect , so we can monitor our power (batteries, shore power, and solar). In fact that’s what we just did. We left the boat in the Bvi to go visit the family for a couple of weeks.

[@bill2292]

Hi Jeff, Great video! Does the Data Hub require a predict wind (or some other) subscription to show position over the internet? How about computing polars?

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Actually, yes it does and I should have mentioned that. I think the PredictWind subscription we have is a necessity. It’s the best weather app which keeps us safe and provides proper weather routing and passage planning.There are four different subscription levels but I think the tracker comes with the standard subscription which I believe is $250/year. Datahub I believe is calculating our polars now but I haven’t looked to see if it’s working yet and I’m also unsure what it does if we’re motoring. I have to call them and ask how that will work. Hope this helps.

[@tracyoliver550]

Hail Elon! We have both as well but not ready to cut the Iridium Go cord just yet. I also think Elon would appreciate the ingenuity of cruisers using the RV Starlink

[@helmsmatt]

You didn’t say how you had data hub ping your location!

[@SailingWindTherapy]

That’s what it does. One of the settings is how often you want it to ping your location. It uses the WiFi created from Starlink. For our position, it can use its own internal Gps but since it’s plugged into our nmea backbone, it uses the gps data from the boat. Hope that answers your question.

[@jaredwhite489]

Way better options like a Garmin Inreach

[@EEN63]

Yeah, what he said. (😳🤯🙃)

[@pepelapew-k5z]

Well with all the salt I would fear the longevity of the receiver. Looks as if there are small holes in the back of the receiver.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

So far so good and we haven’t heard of anyone’s dish falling

[@RickFuhrmann]

Outstanding information, but look at your tracking lines, sort of looks like you’re drunk😂 also the brief look at the phone doesn’t appear like you check your email very often with 265+ messages unread😂JK 😂😂😂😂

[@SailingWindTherapy]

We had just gotten new iPhones and it downloaded all of my emails and marked them as unread. 😇 And the drunk tracking lines just means we are sailing and following the wind 😊

[@terrykeever9422]

Great info. Had wondered how well Starlink was working. Elon is the man.

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Agreed!

[@mike57876]

Will you install mine? I’ll buy dinner 😊

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Hell yea! Do I have to go to Palm Coast though? That’ll be a deal breaker for me 😀

[@roncalderon3587]

He's promoting starlink seen him on other videos

[@SailingWindTherapy]

Not sure what you are implying. We have no arrangement or communications with Starlink other than the $150 that we send to them every month. Maybe you’re thinking of the video we did to show how we installed it.

[@successbuilder27]

🎉