Update: I have my starlink roam and it has been working almostly flawlessly. I was having some uptime issues causing phone calls to drop, but I discovered mouting the device higher and off the ground fixed the issue. Still working on a POE solution since there doesn't seem to be one from starlink, but ive see tutorials of home made circuits. Will be trying them soon.
Ive worked on call for my job for 20 years, meaning i cant go out of cell phone coverage without risking my income, this changes everything, thanks for the breakdown, im ordering one now.. ✌️
Thank You !! This is without a doubt the best and most complete video yet and answered all my questions. I am 72 and simi retired with a staff to run our business. My wife and I have e mountain bikes, and a small travel trailer (Nash) set up for off road and off grid. We live in Southern Arizona but travel from deserts to mountains and most of the remote places we visit have no service at all. While it is nice to be remote it is essential for my wife to be able to log onto or business site and help staff with questions, help solve issue etc. From my standpoint it is also a safety plus to have the ability to have communication if there is any kid of accident or personal emergency as well as emergency reports like forest fires etc.
Thanks for creating this video and sharing your thoughts. I am a lucky person. In 2020, my firm let me work remotely and then let me work remotely permanently. This actually allowed me to work from anywhere. I'm dedicated to my job but there is also a world of adventure out there. Instead of re-inventing/re-discovering how to connect, this has been truly helpful.
When running it mobile, you did not have issues with the Wi-Fi signal penetrating the vehicle while being mounted? Have you tried setting the dish on your dashboard? Also, super curious if the new global plan will support offshore use on a sailboat
I run a business that I can't be disconnected from. This will work great for my short to weeklong camping trips to check in on things a few times a day. I especially like that I can buy data as needed.
Great Review, thank you! I am currently in the Cook Islands and our AirBnB recently installed Starlink, we fly here on Hawaiian Airlines, I am blown away at how great the coverage and quality of service is from Starlink. I am retired and we travel months at a time to remote places (Cook Islands, Africa, Eastern Europe, etc.) and internet connectivity is always an issue. I need to stay connected to pay bills, stay in touch with the children and grandchildren, etc. I am ordering this now for use when we travel. We do a lot of motorcycle trips and I love the form factor and small size, I can easlity take this on the motorcycle (we wil just need to pack less clothes). Thanks for taking the time to do all these tests.
This was extremely helpful and thorough review. I was literally one click away from buying but needed more info on it's capabilities. This was exactly what I needed. Ordered! Thanks!
Ok, I’ll probably surf too much while camping, but honestly this will free up places that I otherwise might not feel so safe. Also, on big road trips it sure is nice to be able to plot my travel online and research at night or in the morning while camped..not needing to drive into a town for service! I really want a cheaper unlimited package🙏🙏
I already have a StarLink Mini - as well as a regular StarLink at home. I live in rural New Mexico - and like you - I can only get really bad Internet services. So rooftop StarLink was a WONDERFUL thing. I'm a remote worker - and with this, I can work anywhere in the US (maybe in the world) - so rather than getting a couple of vacations a year when I can travel - suddenly, I can travel anywhere - all year round. That said - my phone uses GoogleFi - and I can use it's WiFi hotspot feature to get Internet access from anywhere there's cellphone coverage...which is does work - but there are high data costs and the bandwidth is pretty terrible...so this is a quality/cost improvement - but not a TOTAL game changer.
I’m very excited! Good for those times in the evening when you want to watch a movie! Not going to ruin anything. Not everybody wants to be off grid. We’ve been looking & trying different systems & this one seems the best for our situation! We like the pause clause that’s available!
I’m a mobile heavy equipment mechanic that does remote field work in forestry, mining and oil and gas industries all over western Canada, including northern regions. Lots of us have been bolting starlink dishes on our service trucks for a few years now, the performance is shocking. Connectivity in remote areas is a blessing for work, but the on highway performance is probably the most shocking. It’s good to see a more compact version might have performance potential for the same application.
Hey I'm also running in around Western Canada, owner operator hauling sand for frac. Trying to figure out about mounting this on my unit so my Question for you is, have you ran this thing while running up and down the highway while using Wi-Fi calling? How well does it work? And how are you powering the unit? Inverter?
I live full time in my minivan and am often in places with little to no internet. No room for big starlink setup, Very excited to learn about this. Now to save my pennies!
I bought one of these for my last roadtrip. I found it very useful for planning my trip in areas without cell coverage and I was really thankful for it when I needed to call for a tow after a breakdown. Setup is easy and it worked everywhere I tried it. Next, I will try a temporary roof attachment. I have 65w usb c outlets in my van and it works fine with those using a cord I got on Amazon that has usb c at one end and the Starlink barrel connector at the other. After struggling to make my WeeBoost work for years I have found a solution that works really well. A real game changer.
This will provide communication when remote for increased safety. To reach out to Authorities if needed, emergency services and track weather or wildfires is always important to personal safety. I am considering this as well as the Gen 3. Star Mount provides mounts for ALL starlink products including the mini.
I concur on everything you said about communicating and safety etc. Thx for info on Star Mounts. Interesting southern is a Gen 3. I juet watched this video and haven't gone to their website yet. Have to check that out. Video sold me with my rig going in for an Overlanding build and very long trips to come. After seeing Helene just devastate the NC Mtns was quite eye opening as well. Starlink is a game changer and possibly a life saver.
This is kind of a game changer. We've started setting up starlinks for some our our folks that work in remote areas (power line construction). These mini's will allow them to be on a right away and still have Internet. Added benefit is they can make a wifi call where there is usually no Cell service. Important for safety reasons and Satellite phones at the moment are still Very expensive. Good detailed video.
My sat phone cost is identical, phone is 500, service in 100/month.. problem is no internet, so starlink wins , plus you don't need a seperate phone with starlink
Just a warning to other Starlink users out there. Starlink has a program that lets you pause your remote Starlink service (the $150/month one) and restart it when you are again travelling. However, they are no longer allowing you to restart your old service. They are forcing everyone into a new plan that has data limits. Not exactly a pause and restart as they say.
Thanks for going over system and plans. I would use it just for remote camping and not worry about mobile use. Even if system was a bit slow still good having some kind of contact.
Very excited about this - I work part time (semi retired) but do have to attend about 5 or 6 Zoom calls per week. This is a game changer! We have been planning some longer road trips, and now I can commit. On the other hand, for fellow campers who use this so they can run their outdoor TV at top volume...please don't do that. Thanks so much for this extremely helpful video.
This is cool. I've overheated my version 1 dish, it shut down and then restarted when it cooled down. This was once, on a stupidly hot cloudless day, in quite a few years of use on my roof.
I am ordering it to replace having internet at home and separate internet at my (own) office. This remote internet will follow me and will cost less than two separate plans, also allowing remote work. I realize I may have challenges getting signal in certain buildings, but maybe that will encourage me to work outside more often, weather permitting, or I'll just figure out what window to sit next to in each location. I will use the mini plan to be intentional about using the internet less often for better mental health. I like that it can be paused for months when internet is not wanted/needed. I am happy to get away from the big communications companies and appreciate this technological leap. Thanks for the good review!
I got mine for the purpose for emergency communication out in the sticks. We spend several weeks every year fishing up in the Sierras. several hours from any signals. This will be nice to have.
I bought the mini because there is a huge area I frequent that has no cell coverage of any kind. The mini is perfect for the wifi calls I can make or the other connections to the outside in an emergency.
Thank you for this information. It made me want to buy it. I work remotely, but just part-time. So, it definitely won't ruin camping for me. I will only take it and use it when necessary. As a single woman traveling alone sometimes, it will also give me peace of mind that I have connectivity. :)
Great review. I’m from Australia and I do a great deal of travelling in the outback. Staying contact with family and friends. Safety. Heaps of positives. Definitely going to get one.
Hey there, did you get one, and if so, what’s your experience been like, and how many AUD for purchase and you plan? Also what do you use for powering the device? I’m travelling through the Australian outback right now and wish I had one of these! Thanks Adam the Aussie 🤠
I planning of working off grid as System support 8 hours a day, on the road while seeing the country. I think this will work great. I will be testing with my computer running online and my VOIP phone.
What excites me about the system is that you could have it with you and if you have any emergency in a design area you’re able to get a hold of somebody quite easily
Going to purchase to mount on my UTV for mapping and safety and general internet in camp. Have had two long hikes following breakdowns out of cell coverage, this would be a game changer in remote safety.
I am in Canada and everything here is at least 40% more than the USA, sometimes more, I only travel with my dog and he doe snot use internet so mobile is not needed, I'll review their plans but I do like the mini system, very well explained Thank you, I will have to move into my Van for my next chapter to live and my dog and hiking and traveling will take up most of my days as well as my photography but browsing the internet for entertainment is something I enjoy so looks like this system will be a good one for my use. I have herd of others and will look into them but it seems to me that Starling may be the best option but super expensive for Canadians
Perfect for our new yacht! Anyone tried it on a live aboard boat? Wondering how tolerant it be to changing directions…? Do you have to constantly micro-adjust the antenna or if you don’t need absolute top speeds will it tend to keep working?
Really appreciate the review. I purchased what is now the standard panel and have been really happy with my choice, but this version is certainly more portable. Well it ruin camping, for me I turn it on for a hour or so to check urgent emails and download a movie for the night, then I shut it down to enjoy being off-grid, I guess the choice is yours!
Trent Palmer has one of these mount in his bush plane I seem to remember the internet shut off at around 100MPH with the RV plan. I seem to remember he said that you can remove that limitation by paying for a higher package.
super helpful video, thank you. As for the heater to melt snow, there might not be a dedicated heater in this thing. the 25-40W it uses on a normal day might be enough to melt an inch of snow per hour. So this might be more a welcome side effect than a well-planned feature.
Received my Mini a couple days ago. Early retired and got this unit for RV travel. Was disappointed it would not power up on straight 12V RV power (13.2 volts lithium batteries). I have ordered a 12V to 24V DC booster to test for boondocking.
Also! Another comment from me! I’m planning to use the Mini for my EV Mobile Charging unit! I wanna help out people and give them peace of mind in case they’re stranded in the middle of nowhere with no charge! That’s why I’m doing all this research! I’m gonna bring so much happiness to people In order for me to charge up their EVs I have to be connected to WiFi!
I just purchased this mini kit. The reason being is my wife and I are still needing to have cell connection when we are traveling in our Class B RV. As we all know most National parks have zero cell service and I am hoping this gives us the ability to do wifi calling for business reasons. It would also be great if they open a global plan as wife is from the Philippines and it would be great to take it with us.
Great video. Hoping that the mini will drop to the $200 price point Elon Musk talked about recently on camera. Musk says that since the minis cost less to manufacture, he thinks the price will drop at some point. I'm sure some popularity and demand needs to drop off before that happens. Maybe the holiday or Black Friday spirit will yield a price drop present for us. :) Another creator showed how you can use these with a battery bank as small as the compact Anker Prime 20,000mah 100w device. There are also shorter cables available from third-parties, which are likely necessary as long cable runs tend to cause the voltage to drop below the minimum @12v needed. BTW. Geoff, I also love your Amazon video reviews. I found your channel from the review of the hammer crimper, though I was surprised it's not here. Must be some YT rule about cross-posting?
Oh my goodness LOL. This thing is melting snow. Not because it gets warm. But because it admits Microwaves. It's cooking the snow. Not by much. But it's still, cooking, the snow. Oh my goodness LOL. This thing is dangerous! I love it! I want one! And I shall be getting one. This sounds like the way to go for Nomads like me. Much better than the big one. This is why I wait and watch. With new product releases. Until they work it out. Perfect it. Refine it. I'm not in a hurry. I'm an engineer. Now retired. So I like this. And manual positioning? No problem. I like that also. I like doing it. Enough with all of the automatic crap. We used to know how to do things. We should still, do things. So younger people will see. How to do, things. Before everybody forgets how. And can still be mounted on a pole. Voilà! But at that 122° or something Mark of heat. That's right. You don't use it on a sunny day in the desert. You wait for the evening. Darn. Sorry. Unless you want to blow it up? That's what they mean by no hotter than. The components will fail within. And you will be up the creek without a paddle. I meet you will be up the creek without a panel. Both. So don't do that. I'm an engineer. I'm telling you. Not to do that. On a hot sunny day in the desert. It won't survive that. Neither, will you. If left outdoors on a hot sunny day in the desert. You won't fare any better. Treat it like a little puppy. And do not think for a minute. You can use a generic lower-cost power supply. Why? Because from this review. He said. The plug-in power supply feels kind of heavy for its size. That's right. That means. It has a little power transformer within. It's not a computer switching power supply. That is direct coupled, to anything. Like a generic power supply would be. That's featherlight. And you will blow it up. It doesn't like that kind of power. It doesn't want transistor switching, power. It wants linear transformer, power. That's with that review said to me. As a retired engineer. Of, Electronic Stuff. And dealing with both linear and switching, power supplies. That's why it's heavy. It has a small iron core within. And transistors weigh nothing. Like a few grains of sand. Because they are. Oh I'm all for this thing. The Regional Plan makes sense. And then you can also drop your Cellular Service. You will not be needing that. As you can just get a Magic Jack. With an area code of your choice. For the region of the USA. You would like people to think you are calling from. To your cellular phone via Wi-Fi. And so even capable while driving. Or, not. Maybe more, not? But that's why you have a cheap low cost, backup cell phone. The costs, next to nothing. As your emergency redundant, source. Say when the weather gets bad. As microwaves are also like lights. And if you can't see through something? Neither can light or microwaves. And well? It drops out. You can lose it for hours if not days. And so having a cellular backup is a good idea. Like having solar panels and/or generator to charge your batteries. In your motorhome. As one without the other is a losing proposition. And having a 3 way. Is, a lot more, fun. There is nothing wrong with your television set. We are controlling the picture. RemyRAD
Definitely a game changer esp for campers cuz they dont have to mount starlinks and make holes in their vehicle. I've seen people just put this on their dashboard so it doesnt even have to be outside.
Wow! What a superb video! I really enjoyed watching and listening to every step you went through - very clear and concise. After watching your video, I have ordered a Mini with the $50 plan because I mainly will use it for work when on a remote location. I do like the idea of having WiFi for the phone as well in the event of an emergency - but I'm not a fan of being glued to the phone, so the experience of connectivity will not harm my love and appreciation for the beautiful environment I will be visiting. I have some questions regarding the Anker C1000: 1. Would you recommend having small solar panels for it? If so, how small of a panel would be sufficient to power it in the event that I stay longer than anticipated in a remote location? I have a small class B van (20 feet), so the storage is an issue - and rooftop area is limited. 2. Having said that, staying at a location for only a few days using a laptop off/on during the day and possibly to watch a Netflix movie at night, perhaps it'd not run out of power? Your advice would be most appreciated. Thanks so much!
Thanks for the temp range info. I live in the Mojave Desert (Vegas) temps in the direct sun here in the summer get 130 - 160 (per my IR digital therm) But, at least I don’t have to worry about clouds and trees
I’m excited. I love to hunt but I don’t drink and get smashed while I’m out, so being able to stream movies in the evening with the family back at the camp will be fun.
Finally a field test video -- thanks! Every model has -30 to 50C temperature spec. Normal starlink: Gen2 actuated? Are jitter results comparable? What applications do you use that require greater than 7 Mbps? Rather than monitoring download speed, consider testing with VOIP or Facetime quality. I assume you tested with Mobile-Regional, indeed remarkable it works above 10mps spec -- expect that to change. Awesome work man. Cheers.
Good and informational video! One thing that would make it better...show the various auxiliary screens that you are describing (data speeds, road speeds, etc.) as a PIP (Picture In Picture). If you plan ahead, this could easily be done in editing.
Bought today! Unsure of what I bought! I have a Landcruiser with heritage edition top basket. I hope you do an update as I bought biggest plan but didn’t know about roaming. I want to use is EVERYWHERE at anytime (sounds like name of a good plan! Being mobile is what I want this for car, camping, at vacations home, lunch in a National park wherever. Elon please help out the masses! Also you should offer free service during local or National emergencies. Please do an update for those of us not computer or tech savvy. I considered buying the larger device too. I have 30 minutes left to buy. I just might do so leaving the larger one here at home and have mobile unit.
Hello Idaho. :). Thanks for the video. I have been avoiding this for my full time RV life internet due to the tree issue, but seems it isn't as much of an issue as I had originally thought. Thank you.
We are considering a Mini. One of the things you did not mention is that if you have one of the Mini plans ($30 or $50), the dish will not work outside the country where it was activated. We live in the US and Starlink has confirmed that on the Mini plans, the dish will not work in Canada. If you have the Regional roaming plan with unlimited data, the dish will work in the entire region which includes Canada, US and Mexico.
@@Nor_a_Wanderer Based on what Starlink has communicated to me, it will only work within the region covered by your plan. Not sure what would happen if you moved and changed your address. I have heard that Starlink may be coming out with a global plan for the Mini, but have no idea if that is true or not.
I have a similar problem. I live in Canada and want to travel the USA. Lets see what they come up with for these situations. I'd like to get rid of our home provider but these RV plans seam limited??
@@rossstanley7786 Starlink updated their terms of service sometime in the last couple of weeks. It now appears that the mini plans will work in the continent of your service address rather than just the country, so if you have a Canadian service address, it should work fine in US and Mexico. Not sure if they are selling the Mini in Canada yet, but if they are you should be good. Just realize that 50gb isn’t a whole lot of data.
Really informative and thank you. To answer your question if will ruin camping or improve it, my thoughts are it will improve. Why, I am an adult and travel with professional people and we set aside specific times for virtual meetings during the day or specific meet times when we need to connect. This tech could reduce/eliminate the stress of finding a cell signal even with my directional antenna. I am not sure if this will help people who have heavier (24x7) usage requirements.
Most trucks have plugs in the fire wall you can use to pass wires through… also most have a wire pass through in the rear cab… in this case I made a short (RUclips video) and realized the antenna works great just stuffed up in my sun roof - ruclips.net/user/shorts0tggLLeuBDU?si=0cfa5gPq2kljSdpk
I got a question! Might sound dumb but just wanna get it out of my head! Ok so! Let’s say you’re out there in the middle of nowhere! No reception and you wanna use your mini BUT! Can you set it up even if you aren’t connected to your provider’s internet OR you have to be close to your providers antenna in order for you to be able set it up on the starlink app?
You don’t anything except a clear view of the sky. It connects to the internet directly via the satellites in the sky. This is why it’s such a big deal. No more worrying about being in no signal areas. If you want internet on mountains go for it
I plan to have this as a option on our bareboat yacht rentals here in Southeast Alaska so folks can cruise and work remote. i would like the power to have a direct usb/12 volt connection so we wouldn't have to have inverters or generator going. I would charge extra for the option to have a starlink system on the boat
My SpaceX dish clocks in at 1.5 times broadband cable in my area. I'm 9 miles outside of St. Paul, MN on the boarder with Wisconsin. I was also impressed, but beings this is the outer suburbs I did expect Starlink to be fastest.
Great informative video, I am curious though. Assuming your on the regional $150/month plan While you were driving did you have to pay the extra fees for the in motion, over 10 mph, data usage outside of the unlimited in-land usage?
Thanks for this informative video.👍 However, to me the "Plan" is still just as confusing as it ever has been.🤔🤥 The issue for me is what exactly do they mean by "In Motion"? ... ...Depending on their definition, the cost could be prohibitively high when going on long distance Dispersed Camping and overlending trips. ...Do they consider anywhere that is different geographically between one use and another as "in Motion", (if so, what is the distance from one location to the other location/s geographically?); or do they mean literally 'only when' actually being in motion as in driving down the road? Another question is does the device work with a computer or only a smart phone?... ...Does it have it's own GPS built-in?
USB-c PD (Power Delivery) can pass higher voltages, the device tells the usb-c power source what voltages it can accept and the source supplies that. IIRC the voltages are 5v, 9v, 12v and 20v, this allows much higher wattages to be passed through the same cable.
It s a universally poorly understood thing... Its not really about "USB" its really about PD (power Delivery). SOME power sources support PD. Especially newer ones. Look for PD on the power source. A PD will also have a USB-c (the smaller connection). But as the other post said, it can deliver the voltage the unit is asking for.
I have a feeling you are just joking. If not, I sure don’t want to be around you on the interstate when you lose focus on the road and other vehicles!😮😅 please please please nobody do that, although I’m sure it’s tempting to some. It is a real concern. I’m sure some will try and or actually do this.😢
can you elaborate on this pausing service feature? Does a pause request start the very day of notice or a particular day of the week or the beginning of following month? What about un-pause? Say I have this and it's been paused 3 months and it is thursday middle of a month and I am going camping in 3 days, when I un-pause it when does service resume?
The router is inside the dish. If the dish is outside of the car, 10 meters away from the car, how good is the wifi inside the car which is covered by metal. Have you tested this? Would be good to know if you work inside a camper van (metal one like mercedes sprinter)
It might help to shut off the constant fiber optic signal I have runnng on the house 24/7.. I do shut off that router, but again, the signal will run up to the router. So I think this is a good bet for EMF sensitivity...
Get a FREE month of Starlink with this LINK - geni.us/Starlin
I'm buying one of these because it took me almost 35 minutes to watch this video in 144p with my rural connection.
Update: I have my starlink roam and it has been working almostly flawlessly. I was having some uptime issues causing phone calls to drop, but I discovered mouting the device higher and off the ground fixed the issue. Still working on a POE solution since there doesn't seem to be one from starlink, but ive see tutorials of home made circuits. Will be trying them soon.
Definitely a “game changer” for those of us in rural USA. Welcome to the club
@@adamprice8757 next we get our brain chips
You're lucky you could even watch RUclips. Before Starlink it was a total impossibility here in Wales.
Ive worked on call for my job for 20 years, meaning i cant go out of cell phone coverage without risking my income, this changes everything, thanks for the breakdown, im ordering one now.. ✌️
Thank You !! This is without a doubt the best and most complete video yet and answered all my questions. I am 72 and simi retired with a staff to run our business. My wife and I have e mountain bikes, and a small travel trailer (Nash) set up for off road and off grid. We live in Southern Arizona but travel from deserts to mountains and most of the remote places we visit have no service at all. While it is nice to be remote it is essential for my wife to be able to log onto or business site and help staff with questions, help solve issue etc. From my standpoint it is also a safety plus to have the ability to have communication if there is any kid of accident or personal emergency as well as emergency reports like forest fires etc.
Thanks for creating this video and sharing your thoughts. I am a lucky person. In 2020, my firm let me work remotely and then let me work remotely permanently. This actually allowed me to work from anywhere. I'm dedicated to my job but there is also a world of adventure out there. Instead of re-inventing/re-discovering how to connect, this has been truly helpful.
That's awesome, when people really use remote work to its full benefit it an amazing thing.
When running it mobile, you did not have issues with the Wi-Fi signal penetrating the vehicle while being mounted? Have you tried setting the dish on your dashboard?
Also, super curious if the new global plan will support offshore use on a sailboat
@@youngfamilyfarms the maritime plan is pretty pricey, starlink knows when you're in the ocean and will act/charge accordingly
I run a business that I can't be disconnected from. This will work great for my short to weeklong camping trips to check in on things a few times a day. I especially like that I can buy data as needed.
Great Review, thank you! I am currently in the Cook Islands and our AirBnB recently installed Starlink, we fly here on Hawaiian Airlines, I am blown away at how great the coverage and quality of service is from Starlink. I am retired and we travel months at a time to remote places (Cook Islands, Africa, Eastern Europe, etc.) and internet connectivity is always an issue. I need to stay connected to pay bills, stay in touch with the children and grandchildren, etc. I am ordering this now for use when we travel. We do a lot of motorcycle trips and I love the form factor and small size, I can easlity take this on the motorcycle (we wil just need to pack less clothes). Thanks for taking the time to do all these tests.
This was extremely helpful and thorough review. I was literally one click away from buying but needed more info on it's capabilities. This was exactly what I needed. Ordered! Thanks!
Ok, I’ll probably surf too much while camping, but honestly this will free up places that I otherwise might not feel so safe. Also, on big road trips it sure is nice to be able to plot my travel online and research at night or in the morning while camped..not needing to drive into a town for service! I really want a cheaper unlimited package🙏🙏
I already have a StarLink Mini - as well as a regular StarLink at home. I live in rural New Mexico - and like you - I can only get really bad Internet services. So rooftop StarLink was a WONDERFUL thing. I'm a remote worker - and with this, I can work anywhere in the US (maybe in the world) - so rather than getting a couple of vacations a year when I can travel - suddenly, I can travel anywhere - all year round.
That said - my phone uses GoogleFi - and I can use it's WiFi hotspot feature to get Internet access from anywhere there's cellphone coverage...which is does work - but there are high data costs and the bandwidth is pretty terrible...so this is a quality/cost improvement - but not a TOTAL game changer.
Do you get any discounts for having two Starlink plans? We now have Roam unlimited plan and want to add the Mini.
I’m very excited! Good for those times in the evening when you want to watch a movie! Not going to ruin anything. Not everybody wants to be off grid. We’ve been looking & trying different systems & this one seems the best for our situation! We like the pause clause that’s available!
As someone who's looking to live on the road/off the road in the near future, I'm stoked to see it's tested so well.
I’m a mobile heavy equipment mechanic that does remote field work in forestry, mining and oil and gas industries all over western Canada, including northern regions. Lots of us have been bolting starlink dishes on our service trucks for a few years now, the performance is shocking. Connectivity in remote areas is a blessing for work, but the on highway performance is probably the most shocking. It’s good to see a more compact version might have performance potential for the same application.
Hey I'm also running in around Western Canada, owner operator hauling sand for frac. Trying to figure out about mounting this on my unit so my Question for you is, have you ran this thing while running up and down the highway while using Wi-Fi calling? How well does it work? And how are you powering the unit? Inverter?
Thanks for this info. Especially the Mini plan pause feature which Starlink doesn’t give details about
I live full time in my minivan and am often in places with little to no internet. No room for big starlink setup, Very excited to learn about this. Now to save my pennies!
Oh yes. Starlink Mini is nearly a miracle. I received my first version a week ago.
I bought one of these for my last roadtrip. I found it very useful for planning my trip in areas without cell coverage and I was really thankful for it when I needed to call for a tow after a breakdown. Setup is easy and it worked everywhere I tried it. Next, I will try a temporary roof attachment.
I have 65w usb c outlets in my van and it works fine with those using a cord I got on Amazon that has usb c at one end and the Starlink barrel connector at the other.
After struggling to make my WeeBoost work for years I have found a solution that works really well. A real game changer.
This will provide communication when remote for increased safety. To reach out to Authorities if needed, emergency services and track weather or wildfires is always important to personal safety. I am considering this as well as the Gen 3. Star Mount provides mounts for ALL starlink products including the mini.
I concur on everything you said about communicating and safety etc. Thx for info on Star Mounts. Interesting southern is a Gen 3. I juet watched this video and haven't gone to their website yet. Have to check that out. Video sold me with my rig going in for an Overlanding build and very long trips to come. After seeing Helene just devastate the NC Mtns was quite eye opening as well. Starlink is a game changer and possibly a life saver.
This is kind of a game changer. We've started setting up starlinks for some our our folks that work in remote areas (power line construction). These mini's will allow them to be on a right away and still have Internet. Added benefit is they can make a wifi call where there is usually no Cell service. Important for safety reasons and Satellite phones at the moment are still Very expensive. Good detailed video.
My sat phone cost is identical, phone is 500, service in 100/month.. problem is no internet, so starlink wins , plus you don't need a seperate phone with starlink
Just a warning to other Starlink users out there. Starlink has a program that lets you pause your remote Starlink service (the $150/month one) and restart it when you are again travelling. However, they are no longer allowing you to restart your old service. They are forcing everyone into a new plan that has data limits. Not exactly a pause and restart as they say.
can you pause/restart without cell service?
Thanks for going over system and plans. I would use it just for remote camping and not worry about mobile use.
Even if system was a bit slow still good having some kind of contact.
Very excited about this - I work part time (semi retired) but do have to attend about 5 or 6 Zoom calls per week. This is a game changer! We have been planning some longer road trips, and now I can commit. On the other hand, for fellow campers who use this so they can run their outdoor TV at top volume...please don't do that.
Thanks so much for this extremely helpful video.
Thanks for watching, glad it was helpful.
People can use it how they want brother
This is cool. I've overheated my version 1 dish, it shut down and then restarted when it cooled down. This was once, on a stupidly hot cloudless day, in quite a few years of use on my roof.
I am ordering it to replace having internet at home and separate internet at my (own) office. This remote internet will follow me and will cost less than two separate plans, also allowing remote work. I realize I may have challenges getting signal in certain buildings, but maybe that will encourage me to work outside more often, weather permitting, or I'll just figure out what window to sit next to in each location. I will use the mini plan to be intentional about using the internet less often for better mental health. I like that it can be paused for months when internet is not wanted/needed. I am happy to get away from the big communications companies and appreciate this technological leap. Thanks for the good review!
I got mine for the purpose for emergency communication out in the sticks. We spend several weeks every year fishing up in the Sierras. several hours from any signals. This will be nice to have.
I have a garmin in reach starlink is nice though.
I bought the mini because there is a huge area I frequent that has no cell coverage of any kind. The mini is perfect for the wifi calls I can make or the other connections to the outside in an emergency.
Thank you for this information. It made me want to buy it. I work remotely, but just part-time. So, it definitely won't ruin camping for me. I will only take it and use it when necessary. As a single woman traveling alone sometimes, it will also give me peace of mind that I have connectivity. :)
It's a pro for me. I'll be able to camp more with my gf since she needs to work remotely. Now she got no excuses.
For remote workers... this thing is a game changer.
Great review. I’m from Australia and I do a great deal of travelling in the outback. Staying contact with family and friends. Safety. Heaps of positives. Definitely going to get one.
Hey there, did you get one, and if so, what’s your experience been like, and how many AUD for purchase and you plan? Also what do you use for powering the device? I’m travelling through the Australian outback right now and wish I had one of these!
Thanks
Adam the Aussie 🤠
I planning of working off grid as System support 8 hours a day, on the road while seeing the country. I think this will work great. I will be testing with my computer running online and my VOIP phone.
What excites me about the system is that you could have it with you and if you have any emergency in a design area you’re able to get a hold of somebody quite easily
Absolutely, it is an excellent safety device.
Going to purchase to mount on my UTV for mapping and safety and general internet in camp. Have had two long hikes following breakdowns out of cell coverage, this would be a game changer in remote safety.
Yes... this is a bit overlooked by a lot of people but is a huge deal.
Starlink..gotta be most valuable company in da world.
Great review I'll subscribe..
I am in Canada and everything here is at least 40% more than the USA, sometimes more, I only travel with my dog and he doe snot use internet so mobile is not needed, I'll review their plans but I do like the mini system, very well explained Thank you, I will have to move into my Van for my next chapter to live and my dog and hiking and traveling will take up most of my days as well as my photography but browsing the internet for entertainment is something I enjoy so looks like this system will be a good one for my use. I have herd of others and will look into them but it seems to me that Starling may be the best option but super expensive for Canadians
Literally the most thorough and informative video ever! Just purchased. Thank you!
This is so cool, Im taking one of these to Black hills SD this weekend and plan on streaming my from my jeep.
I ordered it yesterday. If I want to go off grid I won’t take it. Most times I like to stay connected. Thanks for the great information
I understand that... if nothing else it is a good thing to stow in case of emergency.
Perfect for our new yacht! Anyone tried it on a live aboard boat? Wondering how tolerant it be to changing directions…? Do you have to constantly micro-adjust the antenna or if you don’t need absolute top speeds will it tend to keep working?
Can you use it with an smaller ac power bank for using while literally traveling. Does it function and remain stable while walking the streets.
Really appreciate the review. I purchased what is now the standard panel and have been really happy with my choice, but this version is certainly more portable. Well it ruin camping, for me I turn it on for a hour or so to check urgent emails and download a movie for the night, then I shut it down to enjoy being off-grid, I guess the choice is yours!
I'm excited about it because I live in my 5th wheel in North Dakota. I work in the Oil Field
Trent Palmer has one of these mount in his bush plane I seem to remember the internet shut off at around 100MPH with the RV plan. I seem to remember he said that you can remove that limitation by paying for a higher package.
Best video for the mini I have seen yet.
Thanks... I was trying to cover a bit more of the actual specs...
super helpful video, thank you. As for the heater to melt snow, there might not be a dedicated heater in this thing. the 25-40W it uses on a normal day might be enough to melt an inch of snow per hour. So this might be more a welcome side effect than a well-planned feature.
Received my Mini a couple days ago. Early retired and got this unit for RV travel. Was disappointed it would not power up on straight 12V RV power (13.2 volts lithium batteries). I have ordered a 12V to 24V DC booster to test for boondocking.
Get a shorter cable and it might work.
Do you think the gen 3 version will work on 12 volts
Also! Another comment from me!
I’m planning to use the Mini for my EV Mobile Charging unit! I wanna help out people and give them peace of mind in case they’re stranded in the middle of nowhere with no charge! That’s why I’m doing all this research! I’m gonna bring so much happiness to people
In order for me to charge up their EVs I have to be connected to WiFi!
I want to do this how do I do this
Excited. I bought an off grid property in the mountains. Researching an inexpensive way to have internet & cell service.
I just purchased this mini kit. The reason being is my wife and I are still needing to have cell connection when we are traveling in our Class B RV. As we all know most National parks have zero cell service and I am hoping this gives us the ability to do wifi calling for business reasons. It would also be great if they open a global plan as wife is from the Philippines and it would be great to take it with us.
Great video. Hoping that the mini will drop to the $200 price point Elon Musk talked about recently on camera. Musk says that since the minis cost less to manufacture, he thinks the price will drop at some point. I'm sure some popularity and demand needs to drop off before that happens. Maybe the holiday or Black Friday spirit will yield a price drop present for us. :) Another creator showed how you can use these with a battery bank as small as the compact Anker Prime 20,000mah 100w device. There are also shorter cables available from third-parties, which are likely necessary as long cable runs tend to cause the voltage to drop below the minimum @12v needed. BTW. Geoff, I also love your Amazon video reviews. I found your channel from the review of the hammer crimper, though I was surprised it's not here. Must be some YT rule about cross-posting?
Oh my goodness LOL. This thing is melting snow. Not because it gets warm. But because it admits Microwaves. It's cooking the snow. Not by much. But it's still, cooking, the snow. Oh my goodness LOL. This thing is dangerous! I love it! I want one! And I shall be getting one. This sounds like the way to go for Nomads like me. Much better than the big one. This is why I wait and watch. With new product releases. Until they work it out. Perfect it. Refine it. I'm not in a hurry. I'm an engineer. Now retired.
So I like this. And manual positioning? No problem. I like that also. I like doing it. Enough with all of the automatic crap. We used to know how to do things. We should still, do things. So younger people will see. How to do, things. Before everybody forgets how.
And can still be mounted on a pole. Voilà!
But at that 122° or something Mark of heat. That's right. You don't use it on a sunny day in the desert. You wait for the evening. Darn. Sorry. Unless you want to blow it up? That's what they mean by no hotter than. The components will fail within. And you will be up the creek without a paddle. I meet you will be up the creek without a panel. Both. So don't do that. I'm an engineer. I'm telling you. Not to do that. On a hot sunny day in the desert. It won't survive that. Neither, will you. If left outdoors on a hot sunny day in the desert. You won't fare any better. Treat it like a little puppy.
And do not think for a minute. You can use a generic lower-cost power supply. Why? Because from this review. He said. The plug-in power supply feels kind of heavy for its size. That's right. That means. It has a little power transformer within. It's not a computer switching power supply. That is direct coupled, to anything. Like a generic power supply would be. That's featherlight. And you will blow it up. It doesn't like that kind of power. It doesn't want transistor switching, power. It wants linear transformer, power. That's with that review said to me. As a retired engineer. Of, Electronic Stuff. And dealing with both linear and switching, power supplies. That's why it's heavy. It has a small iron core within. And transistors weigh nothing. Like a few grains of sand. Because they are.
Oh I'm all for this thing. The Regional Plan makes sense. And then you can also drop your Cellular Service. You will not be needing that. As you can just get a Magic Jack. With an area code of your choice. For the region of the USA. You would like people to think you are calling from. To your cellular phone via Wi-Fi. And so even capable while driving. Or, not. Maybe more, not? But that's why you have a cheap low cost, backup cell phone. The costs, next to nothing. As your emergency redundant, source. Say when the weather gets bad. As microwaves are also like lights. And if you can't see through something? Neither can light or microwaves. And well? It drops out. You can lose it for hours if not days. And so having a cellular backup is a good idea. Like having solar panels and/or generator to charge your batteries. In your motorhome. As one without the other is a losing proposition. And having a 3 way. Is, a lot more, fun.
There is nothing wrong with your television set. We are controlling the picture.
RemyRAD
Best video I've seen on Starlink min overview. 😁i
I would definitely like to see your video about your mounting of the Starlink mini. Great video thanks. I just subscribed to your channel.
Just received ours... Will use it for Search and Rescue missions.. Should be great!
Definitely a game changer esp for campers cuz they dont have to mount starlinks and make holes in their vehicle. I've seen people just put this on their dashboard so it doesnt even have to be outside.
Mine should be here tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to being able to have internet wherever if needed.
Awesome, enjoy... it really seems to work pretty good.
Wow! What a superb video! I really enjoyed watching and listening to every step you went through - very clear and concise. After watching your video, I have ordered a Mini with the $50 plan because I mainly will use it for work when on a remote location. I do like the idea of having WiFi for the phone as well in the event of an emergency - but I'm not a fan of being glued to the phone, so the experience of connectivity will not harm my love and appreciation for the beautiful environment I will be visiting.
I have some questions regarding the Anker C1000:
1. Would you recommend having small solar panels for it? If so, how small of a panel would be sufficient to power it in the event that I stay longer than anticipated in a remote location? I have a small class B van (20 feet), so the storage is an issue - and rooftop area is limited.
2. Having said that, staying at a location for only a few days using a laptop off/on during the day and possibly to watch a Netflix movie at night, perhaps it'd not run out of power?
Your advice would be most appreciated. Thanks so much!
I'm considering it. I live in a rural area with minimal coverage. Thanks for your input.
Even since this video I have done a ton more testing… and only been more impressed
Thanks for the temp range info. I live in the Mojave Desert (Vegas) temps in the direct sun here in the summer get 130 - 160 (per my IR digital therm) But, at least I don’t have to worry about clouds and trees
I’m excited. I love to hunt but I don’t drink and get smashed while I’m out, so being able to stream movies in the evening with the family back at the camp will be fun.
I like your real life testing and appreciate all of your useful information. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent video. Yes, I’ll get one for residential emergency backup and also when camping.
Finally a field test video -- thanks! Every model has -30 to 50C temperature spec. Normal starlink: Gen2 actuated? Are jitter results comparable? What applications do you use that require greater than 7 Mbps? Rather than monitoring download speed, consider testing with VOIP or Facetime quality. I assume you tested with Mobile-Regional, indeed remarkable it works above 10mps spec -- expect that to change. Awesome work man. Cheers.
Great video thank you! Very informative for a relatively new techno-geek.
12:14 Typo in your text on the screen. Upload is spelled wrong.
Great content on the Mini. Thanks for taking the time to create this video.
Good and informational video! One thing that would make it better...show the various auxiliary screens that you are describing (data speeds, road speeds, etc.) as a PIP (Picture In Picture). If you plan ahead, this could easily be done in editing.
Bought today! Unsure of what I bought! I have a Landcruiser with heritage edition top basket. I hope you do an update as I bought biggest plan but didn’t know about roaming. I want to use is EVERYWHERE at anytime (sounds like name of a good plan! Being mobile is what I want this for car, camping, at vacations home, lunch in a National park wherever. Elon please help out the masses! Also you should offer free service during local or National emergencies. Please do an update for those of us not computer or tech savvy. I considered buying the larger device too. I have 30 minutes left to buy. I just might do so leaving the larger one here at home and have mobile unit.
Hello Idaho. :). Thanks for the video. I have been avoiding this for my full time RV life internet due to the tree issue, but seems it isn't as much of an issue as I had originally thought. Thank you.
We are considering a Mini. One of the things you did not mention is that if you have one of the Mini plans ($30 or $50), the dish will not work outside the country where it was activated. We live in the US and Starlink has confirmed that on the Mini plans, the dish will not work in Canada. If you have the Regional roaming plan with unlimited data, the dish will work in the entire region which includes Canada, US and Mexico.
Will the roaming plan work outside the US, if activated here, for let’s say if I go to another country not regional? Like Japan or France
@@Nor_a_Wanderer Based on what Starlink has communicated to me, it will only work within the region covered by your plan. Not sure what would happen if you moved and changed your address. I have heard that Starlink may be coming out with a global plan for the Mini, but have no idea if that is true or not.
@@celinabinns6185 Thanks for the info
I have a similar problem. I live in Canada and want to travel the USA. Lets see what they come up with for these situations. I'd like to get rid of our home provider but these RV plans seam limited??
@@rossstanley7786 Starlink updated their terms of service sometime in the last couple of weeks. It now appears that the mini plans will work in the continent of your service address rather than just the country, so if you have a Canadian service address, it should work fine in US and Mexico. Not sure if they are selling the Mini in Canada yet, but if they are you should be good. Just realize that 50gb isn’t a whole lot of data.
We are about to pull the trigger on the mini after watching several several video reviews. We will be full time and we'll need connection.
I just used mine driving through a super deep canyon surrounded by tall Pines and it was still pull 90 - 100mps.... this thing works really good
Really informative and thank you. To answer your question if will ruin camping or improve it, my thoughts are it will improve. Why, I am an adult and travel with professional people and we set aside specific times for virtual meetings during the day or specific meet times when we need to connect. This tech could reduce/eliminate the stress of finding a cell signal even with my directional antenna. I am not sure if this will help people who have heavier (24x7) usage requirements.
Hey dude!
Bridge it with full power HAM radio and antenna and check out your speeds afterwards!
how do you make the wire go thru the car from outside to inside? Great Video! Very thorough!
Most trucks have plugs in the fire wall you can use to pass wires through… also most have a wire pass through in the rear cab… in this case I made a short (RUclips video) and realized the antenna works great just stuffed up in my sun roof - ruclips.net/user/shorts0tggLLeuBDU?si=0cfa5gPq2kljSdpk
I would love to use it to docustream exciting events while sailing the wide blue oceans !
I am very excited to be able to work remotely from anywhere since I run my own company(s) I am always working and always off.
I got a question! Might sound dumb but just wanna get it out of my head!
Ok so! Let’s say you’re out there in the middle of nowhere! No reception and you wanna use your mini BUT! Can you set it up even if you aren’t connected to your provider’s internet OR you have to be close to your providers antenna in order for you to be able set it up on the starlink app?
You don't need some other connection to set it up.
You don’t anything except a clear view of the sky. It connects to the internet directly via the satellites in the sky. This is why it’s such a big deal. No more worrying about being in no signal areas.
If you want internet on mountains go for it
Communication is always key. This would make it easier to bring family members to the campsite.
I could see that... especially people that can remote work.
@@OutdoorAuto I am a hybrid worker myself. I have often thought that going camping while doing an after hours workday would be great.
Was the Starlink mini mounted inside your truck as you were traveling?
@@martimccann2301 yes 👍
I plan to have this as a option on our bareboat yacht rentals here in Southeast Alaska so folks can cruise and work remote. i would like the power to have a direct usb/12 volt connection so we wouldn't have to have inverters or generator going. I would charge extra for the option to have a starlink system on the boat
As a seaman I'm going to get it
My SpaceX dish clocks in at 1.5 times broadband cable in my area. I'm 9 miles outside of St. Paul, MN on the boarder with Wisconsin. I was also impressed, but beings this is the outer suburbs I did expect Starlink to be fastest.
Sold me on it. I had been considering it but your video put me at ease. I need to fab up a mounting solution as well. Thanks man.❤
If you end up with a good mounting solution please do share. Just ordered one and that's whats on my brain at the moment.
Awesome review!! I have waiting for a more compact and lower power consumption starlink.
Great informative video, I am curious though. Assuming your on the regional $150/month plan While you were driving did you have to pay the extra fees for the in motion, over 10 mph, data usage outside of the unlimited in-land usage?
Oh boy… this changes the concept of camping as an “escape”
It's a double edge sword for sure
Next to a test with video or app like netflix.. personaly i think thisnos great.. work remotly from any place, in touch with nature..
Awesome device, great backup comms device.
Thanks for this informative video.👍
However, to me the "Plan" is still just as confusing as it ever has been.🤔🤥
The issue for me is what exactly do they mean by "In Motion"? ...
...Depending on their definition, the cost could be prohibitively high when going on long distance Dispersed Camping and overlending trips.
...Do they consider anywhere that is different geographically between one use and another as "in Motion", (if so, what is the distance from one location to the other location/s geographically?); or do they mean literally 'only when' actually being in motion as in driving down the road?
Another question is does the device work with a computer or only a smart phone?... ...Does it have it's own GPS built-in?
Thank you for all this detail I enjoy it and learned a lot and may by a mini for my travels
Will it allow me youttube on Roku?? Will Roku pick this signal up?
I will get excited when the pricing becomes reasonable.
Were you testing on the Roam plan when in motion, or the residential plan?
I'm confused. USB provides 5v not 20v? If it requires 20v how can it be power by USB?
USB-c PD (Power Delivery) can pass higher voltages, the device tells the usb-c power source what voltages it can accept and the source supplies that. IIRC the voltages are 5v, 9v, 12v and 20v, this allows much higher wattages to be passed through the same cable.
It s a universally poorly understood thing... Its not really about "USB" its really about PD (power Delivery). SOME power sources support PD. Especially newer ones. Look for PD on the power source. A PD will also have a USB-c (the smaller connection). But as the other post said, it can deliver the voltage the unit is asking for.
I might use this for streaming movies while driving the interstates.
I have a feeling you are just joking. If not, I sure don’t want to be around you on the interstate when you lose focus on the road and other vehicles!😮😅 please please please nobody do that, although I’m sure it’s tempting to some. It is a real concern. I’m sure some will try and or actually do this.😢
@@ktngrandma1 Try to think of alternative meanings to the term driving? "I'm driving" and "driving" are not the same.
Anyone know if you can switch between the $50/50gb plan and the $150/unlimited plan whenever you want?
what about cloud coverage? Are you using the starlink speed test or a 3rd prty speed test?
Can you use it from your dashboard? Great video Thanks
Probably buy your aim will be more severe so you will definitely have outages
I am interested in Mini Roam to use while we travel to several states for backup internet and internet while we travel as well.
Thank you for sharing this video!
can you elaborate on this pausing service feature? Does a pause request start the very day of notice or a particular day of the week or the beginning of following month? What about un-pause? Say I have this and it's been paused 3 months and it is thursday middle of a month and I am going camping in 3 days, when I un-pause it when does service resume?
The router is inside the dish. If the dish is outside of the car, 10 meters away from the car, how good is the wifi inside the car which is covered by metal. Have you tested this? Would be good to know if you work inside a camper van (metal one like mercedes sprinter)
Main thing I can see as positive is the lack of cell coverage in the U.S can now use wifi calling pretty much anywhere with this!
It might help to shut off the constant fiber optic signal I have runnng on the house 24/7.. I do shut off that router, but again, the signal will run up to the router. So I think this is a good bet for EMF sensitivity...