Starlink

Joint Custody

Joint Custody

Well-Known Member
Sep 20, 2017
1,254
Lake Powell Utah
Boat Info
2001 460 Sundancer
Engines
Twin Cummins 6CTA8
For you tech guys.

Just wondering your thoughts on Star Link for our boats.

My location is very remote with spotty cell service when out on the lake. I have used cell boosters but they kinda work and kinda don't.

I would like to connect my cell phone through Starlink and use it via WIFI for calls , text messages and email.

I have talked to about ten people that have put them on there houseboats but none of them have gone away from the dock yet to tell me if they work well on the lake.

Or is this the better option?
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai...JO3_-b3AhW1D0QIHX-2DSwQ9aACKAB6BAgBEGw&adurl=

Would love to get your thoughts on this.
 
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There’s a facebook group about starlink on boats and people report great service all over the place, including out in the open ocean. There’s a map that tells where where it’s available, so you need to make sure that you’ll be where it works.
 
Yea sea bits is the best review. It is still not marinitized yet with a dome and tracking but it will work it looks like. I think in another year we will have tracking set ups and then it will make more sense.
 
ocgrant said:
Yea sea bits is the best review. It is still not marinitized yet with a dome and tracking but it will work it looks like. I think in another year we will have tracking set ups and then it will make more sense.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the update, I had not read anything in several months.

Once it is out and becomes more common, definitely interested in moving to is.
 
Joint Custody said:
For you tech guys.

Just wondering your thoughts on Star Link for our boats.

My location is very remote with spotty cell service when out on the lake. I have used cell boosters but they kinda work and kinda don't.

I would like to connect my cell phone through Starlink and use it via WIFI for calls , text messages and email.

I have talked to about ten people that have put them on there houseboats but none of them have gone away from the dock yet to tell me if they work well on the lake.

Or is this the better option?
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai...JO3_-b3AhW1D0QIHX-2DSwQ9aACKAB6BAgBEGw&adurl=

Would love to get your thoughts on this.
Click to expand...
My slip neighbor and I went to Catalina this past weekend and were talking about Starlink. I did some research and found this video dated May 5, 2022. Here in So Cal, Starlink is not available yet unless you have desert address or you register it at Two Harbors on Catalina Island. The trick is you register it at one location where it is available and ship the unit to your home address. According to the video, if you move the Starlink say to your mountain cabin or other location on the same continent, Starlink will suffer from degraded speeds and you will need to pay an additional $25 per month. The video also claims the warranty is voided if the unit is used in motion. At Lake Powell, I wonder if you can register it in your marina and if you are in a cove on the lake will it consider you are roaming? For my use, Avalon Harbor is not in the available area so I'm guessing that I'll have to pay the $25 for the degraded speeds. I get great cell service in Avalon and Two Harbors, so I'm leaning against Starlink for now.
Here is the video:
 
Ordered one. Took two days to get to me.Works amazing in the slip. Been out on the lake for two days. 40 miles down lake. Pretty remote spot.
very weak cell service.
Put the dishy on the bow… fired it up and had full internet in about 8 minutes after it locked on to a satellite. We have had internet and WiFi calling and texting for the two days.
It has faded out and went off line for about five minutes each time then locks back on.

I havnt decided yet if I will hard wire it and make a mount for the hard top or put a rod holder on the bow rail with a extension pole that I could raise the dish about ten feet.

AFE90414-9A14-4D82-9D05-8F360BCD3E17.jpeg
 
Ours should arrive on Tuesday. Can’t wait to try it out.
 
Joint Custody said:
Ordered one. Took two days to get to me.Works amazing in the slip. Been out on the lake for two days. 40 miles down lake. Pretty remote spot.
very weak cell service.
Put the dishy on the bow… fired it up and had full internet in about 8 minutes after it locked on to a satellite. We have had internet and WiFi calling and texting for the two days.
It has faded out and went off line for about five minutes each time then locks back on.

I havnt decided yet if I will hard wire it and make a mount for the hard top or put a rod holder on the bow rail with a extension pole that I could raise the dish about ten feet.

View attachment 127635
Click to expand...
Very cool... How often is it dropping out? Is your boat lock in place or are you swinging?
 
My friend and slip neighbor got his Starlink and tried it out this weekend. He reported no “degraded” speeds (even though he was outside his “available” area) and said it worked fantastic. He was on the hook with both a bow and stern line holding him in place.
 
Fist pic is at the slip, Second pic is out on the lake third pic is where we camped.

On out lake the dish likes the north sky. When on the hook we were about 30 feet off of that huge wall behind us . So at times it would go offline then back online five minutes later. Moved the boat out about 100 feet and it had a clear view north and didn't have any interruptions at all.

Sunday we had four boats rafted up to us . Twenty people in all I had all of them connect and hit you Tube. Everyone could download a video.

The strange thing and it has to be some setting I missed. When it rebooted it knocked out my private setting and made it open air.
 
Here is my neighbor’s 51’ Riviera. He used Starlink’s pivot mount. No “degraded service” so far.
6AFE0C4E-C645-4947-8A52-93676501C1D3.jpeg
 
There is a Nordahvn on YouTube called MV Freedom. He converted his antenna to a fixed flat horizontal mount and reports that it still works great. Might be worth a look.
 
Here are two more pictures of the pivot mount:
5EC7B5D3-B3BF-4E31-93EE-DFAC214E78E1.jpeg
BC42699A-1753-4821-A1F2-5E29E80E3309.jpeg
 
Received ours and tested it out on a mooring ball in Block Island over the weekend. Noticed that the dish kept readjusting its position as we swung on the ball. Note we swung a bit more since we were only there for a few hours so i just moored off single cleat. Normally I would use the cleat by the windless which would swing less. No loss of service but wonder how it will do with movement on the hook. Speeds were fantastic btw. Definitely a game changer for working from the boat in remote locations. No need to rush back home on Sunday evenings.
dishy.jpg
speed.png
 
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