Starlink

Do they really live up to the hype?

Introduction:

I purchased my first Starlink Mini a while ago, and it has paid for itself several times over in my opinion, and I've only used it personally for driving / car streams. I have a couple of friends who have used them on things like boats, RVs, their homes, etc., and they work great in situations like that. They're also really your only option in international water.

Plans:

Plans scale and are unique in situation to situation, but in the continental United States, I was doing perfectly fine on the $50/month non-unlimited Roam plan, and typically not hitting that because I was really using it for connection bonding on long driving streams. I'm actually currently getting by on the $5/month unlimited Standby Mode plan - really - just for $5/month. In Standby Mode, connection speeds are heavily throttled, like less than 1000 bitrate, but since I'm connection bonding, this really is just a backup for when the mobile data on my phone stutters or drops. For me personally, saving that extra $45/month is worth it right now, though I can see myself upgrading again in the future.

Powering in the Car:

Originally, I was using a power inverter plugged into my car auxiliary power outlet socket (cigarette lighter), but it was bulky and took up a lot of space. I now power off a USB cable plugged into a high power adapter. It's much smaller, neater, and more quiet. The specific items I use are:

• Dewalt Heavy Duty USB C Car Charger (120W) - So the truth is the Starlink typically runs around 30W or less when powered, but because it can spike up to 100W, most car chargers simply do not work, and if they do, the Starlink typically restarts when the power peaks. Not with this one, it works all the time for me flawlessly.

• Starlink Mini Type C Cable - This is the specific one I personally use and it works very well for me, while also maintaining the waterproof seal.

I also don't recommend the various mounts I've seen other people use. I actually have found the best results by using velcro tape, wrapping one piece on the Starlink stand, and the other directly on my dashboard. I find it is powerful enough to where the Starlink does stay in place.

More Accessories:

Above is all I have ever really used. I do know other people personally though who also use the Starlink Mini and what accessories they use.

• Starlink Mini Magnetic Car Mount - In some vehicles and in some situations, a strong magnetic mount may be much better than just some velcro tape. I've seen these used, they're tough and aren't going anywhere when stuck to something. Another quick tip is to use a towel between the magnets and the metal if you're worried about scratching the metal/paint at all.

• Starlink Battery Powered Backpack - I've yet to find a cheaper option for something like this, and to me it isn't worth it at this time, but you can get a very fancy and very nice backpack for using the Starlink Mini on the go for $799.95.

One Month of Free Starlink Service:

Through their referral program, if you click this link to sign up, we both get one free month of service after you activate the plan!