STARLINK MINI Unboxing and First Use

We have the Starlink Mini. Three and a half years ago we got the "Better Than Nothing Beta" offer and it changed our lives because we lived out in the country and didn't have internet. Now we have fiber at the house so, I took our Starlink up to where we park our travel trailer. It is a pain to take with us when we go camping and changing the address is always scary because we might not get our trailer access when we change back.
Nine days ago we got the offer for the Starlink Mini and yesterday it arrived. I wish it could be powered by USB-C and the 50gb limit isn't great. You can pay $1/gb if you go over. The price was more than our original dishy. Also, don't know if I am going to like the router being attached to the dish if we go camping. I got a little over 100 feet of range from the wifi, outside with no obstructions. There is about 45 feet of power cord. At best, you can be around 150 feet from your power source and 100 feet from clear skies. That will be tough for some of the places we go camping but, it's better than a 45-minute drive to cell service to make a call. Our phones make wifi calls and we could also use Google Voice.
With all of that being said, I love this thing so far. Spaceman, if you are reading this, hurry up and put out the Starlink phone. TAKE MY MONEY!!!
Update: I have not confirmed myself about the USB-C cable yet but, someone told me that the barrel side was a 5521 and to get a cable that can push 100w. I did contact support about the mention of a cable on one of the spec sheets. Here is basically how that went.
Me: I just got the Starlink Mini. On your site, api.starlink.com/public-files... it says "100W, 20V/5A Minimum (with Starlink USB-C to Barrel Jack Cable Accessory)". Where can I buy this? It is not on the site for shop.starlink.com/?tag=PRD_TA...
Support: As of now the only options we have regarding power sourcing will be including what is available in-box at original purchase. This is still an extremely new device and situational scenarios are still underway to confirm if other alternatives are safe to apply to the device just yet. Please continue to check our Starlink website for new accessories/ equipment regarding the Starlink Mini as the device is still in its early release stages.
Me: You're telling me that Starlink put in the spec sheet that you can use a "100W, 20V/5A MINIMUM (WITH STARLINK USB-C TO BARREL JACK CABLE ACCESSORY)" but you haven't invented it yet and if it did exist, you don't know if it would work?
Support: As of now the mini is still in its early release period so everything is not going to be fully released yet until the full release has been initiated.
Then they closed the ticket.
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[@DIYGA769]

The actual video ‘review’ of starlink mini that we all needed. Not just some random dude sitting down talking bla bla bla without having any actual starlink mini kit in it.

[@L2Survive]

I know the kind of videos you are talking about. I spent 9 days watching those while waiting for my Starlink mini dish. There is a lot of wrong information out there too. One guy who got one plans on attaching it to his plane to use while flying. This isn't the right dish for that. Other videos talk about the cost being less and the speeds being more. Thank you for taking a chance on my video.

[@greatguy2003]

Thanks for the video; best one I've seen yet. FYI, you should get much better WiFi range if you put the dish on something above ground level. Maybe the top of your car or something.

[@L2Survive]

You are probably right. I was so excited about getting it set up, I didn't even think for that. Maybe in the next Starlink mini video I do I will try that.

[@STF68]

Nice test video. I would buy one immediately for our early retirement RV trips if data was unlimited…… I am pretty sure we would blow thru 50GB in just a few days.

[@L2Survive]

I think Starlink's Roam package would be better for you. www.starlink.com/roam The plan www.starlink.com/service-plans is $150/mo though but, it has unlimited data. When you think of it, unlimited data, ANYWHERE you stop is worth it. Especially when you can use Google voice or phone over WiFi for calls. It does have a lower priority than the people who live where you stop but, not many people live in the places you want to explore with an RV.

[@hdtravel1]

StarLink Mini Rocks - excellent product !!

[@L2Survive]

I like it so far.

[@iran803]

For the price charged, I think it will only get better when it is sold freely, without the obligation to already have a previous plan. I already have the Version 2 converted to 12V fixed in my RV and I will wait a little longer to see if there will be any changes in the Starlink mini plans. Congrats, Awesome unboxing and review!

[@L2Survive]

I really think this was just a way to get people to stop switching their service address every time they went camping. I do think they will eventually come out with the Starlink mini on the stand alone $150/mo roam plan.

[@Bang_Sunjawaelah]

Sangat bagus sekali.semoga segera tersedia di indonesia.agar saya bisa memiliki alat canggih ini...

[@L2Survive]

From my understanding, they are rolling it out to other countries as we speak. It should be available to areas where there are less people who use Starlink.

[@kbraun819]

What you want is a USB-C to 5521 adapter, and it does work. You'll want the power bank to be at least 100 watts and support USB-PD though according to their website

[@L2Survive]

Thanks for the info. I was trying to figure out what barrel plug I would need. I saw on one of the spec sheets that there was a Starlink cable but, I couldn't find it on the website. I contacted support which was no help. Check out what they said. Me: 6/29/24 I just got the Starlink Mini. On your site, api.starlink.com/public-files/specification_sheet_mini.pdf it says "100W, 20V/5A Minimum (with Starlink USB-C to Barrel Jack Cable Accessory)". Where can I buy this? It is not on the site for shop.starlink.com/?tag=PRD_TAG-MINI1 Support: As of now the only options we have regarding power sourcing will be including what is available in-box at original purchase. This is still an extremely new device and situational scenarios are still underway to confirm if other alternatives are safe to apply to the device just yet. Please continue to check our Starlink website for new accessories/ equipment regarding the Starlink Mini as the device is still in its early release stages. Me: You're telling me that Starlink put in the spec sheet that you can use a "100W, 20V/5A MINIMUM (WITH STARLINK USB-C TO BARREL JACK CABLE ACCESSORY)" but you haven't invented it yet and if it did exist, you don't know if it would work? Support: As of now the mini is still in its early release period so everything is not going to be fully released yet until the full release has been initiated. Then they closed the ticket.

[@CliffordVII]

Hey! How many watts does it use if you connect to a powerbank like Ecoflow or jackery

[@L2Survive]

Off the Starlink website, www.starlink.com/specifications?spec=5 it says Power Consumption Average: 25-40W Input Rating 12-48V 60W I only looked at the usage once in the video when I first turned it on. I think it said 47 watts. For a small solar battery set-up, I only have this Lion Trek. I have some bigger solar set-ups but, they would barely recognize 47 watts as a load. If Ecoflow or Jackery want to send me a unit to check, I would be up for that. 47 watts is 47 watts no matter what device it comes from and with the max being 60 watts, I think either would run it fine for a long time and longer if you add the solar.

[@user-hz1sh2fo1n]

Thx for the helpful review! Is it possible to use in moving vessel? I’m a sailor and really look forward to buy one if i can get proper internet from this.

[@Bleys1973]

Have you tested the power supply output? That's interesting if it's a constant 30 volts when the antenna is supposed to take 12 to 48 volts. Would take nothing to cut it down to 12, but to turn 30 to 48 would require an inverter into a transformer into a rectifier. Also, I want to thank you for showing the power supply output. That is one of the things I always wonder about with any electronic devices. I obsess way too much over it.

[@L2Survive]

I did not. I did find this if it helps. api.starlink.com/public-files/specification_sheet_mini.pdf it says "100W, 20V/5A Minimum (with Starlink USB-C to Barrel Jack Cable Accessory)".

[@patobrien1460]

Thanks!

[@L2Survive]

You didn't have to do that. Thank you. I hope you got some good info from this video. Let me know if you have any questions. I will do my best to answer them.

[@jh14ch21]

Absolutely the best mini dish video to date. Mine is on order now. Subscribed to your channel too. Thank you! Do you know if you were using the mini at the service address of your main dish if it would count towards the 50gb limit?

[@L2Survive]

I am not a Starlink expert. That being said, the app has two distinct tabs, addresses, and usage for each dish. I believe that it would be like having two cell phones on the same account next to each other. Since I was on the "Better Than Nothing Beta"", I still have the 1st Gen dish and it still works great.

[@jh14ch21]

Thank you.

[@alexan07]

What app are you using you using to make the Wi-Fi map?

[@L2Survive]

The Starlink app. Pick your dish > Network > Check WiFi Range at the bottom > Ready. Then just walk around. If your device is facing the dish, you will get better results.

[@rodneyshiver1525]

Can you tell me what size pipe the pole mount uses? Thanks for the demo…

[@L2Survive]

Page 8 of this Starlink link api.starlink.com/public-files/specification_sheet_mini.pdf says 1.25 to 2 inch.

[@rodneyshiver1525]

@@L2Survive Thank you

[@pt_yt7]

is it me or the tech we have today we should have 5x this speed for the price ?

[@L2Survive]

I think you need to have a bit of competition before the prices will come down. When I got my first cell phone, I was paying $1/min. Now you can get unlimited everything for $25/mo.

[@SleepingGaint]

How long do you think it would take to burn though the allowed 50 Gigs using it 8 hours a day? Thanks

[@L2Survive]

It depends. Are you streaming movies or sending emails? Here is the results from a quick Google search. File Size for 1 hour of video 1080p 1920 x 1080 1.2 - 1.4GB 2K 2048 x 1080 2.8 - 3GB 4K 3840 x 2160 20 - 22GB 8K 7680 x 4320 36 - 38GB Spam emails are usually around 5 KB

[@SleepingGaint]

Thanks for the reply, seeing how you’ve been a starlink customer for a while and I’m just looking into them, Dom you think the mini will be available to anyone in the near future? I’m tring to decide if I should wait for mini or just get the G3 for our camping trips this summer. Thanks again.

[@L2Survive]

I'm not a Starlink expert but, there is a lot of "Experts" on KZbin giving out information that even I know is wrong. From what I can gather, currently, the mini is only an add on for those who already have a Starlink dish/account. The Gen 3 is smaller and more portable than my Gen 1 dishy. When they came out with the roaming plan for the dishes, you could take your current, one location only plan, and move all over the country. You would end up paying $150/mo instead of the $120 and you would have lower priority than the people who lived in the area you were using your dish. Most of the time, you would be using it camping were there are less people so, it wouldn't really matter. If you were camping in Central Park, you might have a lot lower speeds. The plus for this is that with the roam plan, you can pause it. If you are only going to be camping during the summer, you would pay $150/mo for your trips, put it in the closet during the rest of the year and pause the service paying noting while it was in storage. If you currently have a dish/account and want to change it to the roaming plan so that you could use it anywhere, you could not change it back to the residential plan. When you were done camping, you would be able to use it at your house but, at the slower speed and higher price. The reason most people just change their service address if they want to take it camping or the like, is that you get to take it out camping, keep your residential service plan of $120/mo and have the high priority speeds. The negative was that when you returned home, you chanced not being able to use your home location again because you were now at the end of the line of people waiting for service in your area. This never happened to me but, I have heard the stories. I don't think many people were using the roaming plan because of this cheat code of changing your address. I think Starlink created the mini and the $30 bump was to get people to follow the rules and still be able to keep their home service. I do not think that they will make the mini available on it's own for a long time. There are a lot of people who haven't received the offer I have yet and they really want it. It took around two years before everyone is the U.S. was able to buy a Starlink without having to wait. When they do come out with a mini only option, I'm sure it will be at the $150/mo range. I remember when camping was just camping. There was no need for cell/internet service because they didn't exist. You really got to get back to the basics, enjoy nature and have face to face conversations with your friends and family. I also can appreciate having cell/internet service while camping because it rains sometimes and having the whole family sitting in a tent just looking at each other can get weird after a while. If you have cell/internet access while camping, a lot of people will just be logged in all day instead of doing the camping stuff. If you have the money to buy a dish just for camping, buy a dish just for camping. If not, camp closer to town or drive down the mountain everyday to download movies and check emails. I think Starlink or some other company, has a rental program. Try it out before you actually spend money on it. I don't know if the answer to your question is in there. These are just the things I thought of over the last few years of camping in the mountains with my family.

[@jasoncruz3506]

Could you do test in partial tree cover

[@L2Survive]

Well, I live in a desert so there are not that many trees. When I get home in a week, I'll try to find some trees for you.

[@hasiburrahman5152]

is it work on indoor?

[@L2Survive]

The Starlink mini needs to be outside with a view of the sky. If you are close enough to it, like it's on your roof, you should be able to get some signal from the WiFi router in Dishy.

[@kilzone17]

The antenna have RJ45 port?

[@L2Survive]

Here is something in the spec sheet about this port. api.starlink.com/public-files/specification_sheet_mini.pdf *Mini Starlink Cable not included. Available on shop.starlink.com. This product is no longer rated IP67 with a standard RJ45 cable. Basically if you use an RJ45 cable, it loses it's IP67 rating. So, I guess it is a RJ45 port.

[@mailman166]

In the video he shows it has one but you need a specific one to keep the IPX weather sealing

[@user-vk7dz6sp3t]

Olá amigo sera que ele funciona com uma Power bank 10.000 mAh ?

[@L2Survive]

I am not an electrician but, I think it might last about an hour. Most battery banks can be charged while being used. If you could find an adapter, you could have one battery powering the Starlink mini dish then use other batteries to charge the first one or use a vehicle to charge the battery then turn the car off and run on the battery for a while.

[@user-vk7dz6sp3t]

@@L2Survive precisa do adaptador né

[@L2Survive]

@@user-vk7dz6sp3t I found this on their site. api.starlink.com/public-files/specification_sheet_mini.pdf it says "100W, 20V/5A Minimum (with Starlink USB-C to Barrel Jack Cable Accessory)". I have a ticket in right now to find out where to buy it.

[@indratagana5534]

good

[@L2Survive]

Thanks

[@yunako-1857]

lol the size comparison was funny idk why

[@L2Survive]

You can tell I did a lot of pre planning for this video.

[@williamlekatompessy777]

i want one

[@L2Survive]

I didn't want one until I found out that they were only being offered to a limited amount of people. After I found that out, I had to have it. LOL

[@erickretana8141]

Can you do a speedtest with ethernet connection? I mean didn't know it included an ethernet port if you have a way to do so good video

[@L2Survive]

Yes but, it will be in about a week.

[@erickretana8141]

@@L2Survive sure thanks

[@Anne28ebchgc]

I really wonder how à Wi-Fi enabled divice will withstand wind sun and snow, from my opinion this device lacks ergonomy. We will see with time. I rather stick to Gen2.😢😢😢

[@L2Survive]

At 50gb/mo, I don't think the Starlink Mini is going to be left outside for long. This is more like, there is an opening in the tree cover ahead and I need to use the internet for 20 minutes to check email and make a call.

[@user-uf9jo1mp3r]

Eco flow power ;} yours device.

[@L2Survive]

Yes, an Eco Flow would power this device.

[@rizkyzeneos3773]

Elon musk mengguncang dunia

[@NajilaAyuhsa]

kapan masuk Indonesia yaa wkwk

[@vanessajao7872]

Who are you and why your calling my phone number🤨

[@silverismoney]

America only. Again. Thanks starlink, i sure love giving you $80 a month and still being second class.