Internet Connection for working remote while living aboard/sailing?

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Krisz

Hi Dockhead,



This sounds a great option. I also looked into it but in Europe if you have a mobile data subscription, the service provider only allows you using it for 4 months outside the country, where it was subscribed. After that the service provider reminds you to stop using it abroad and then stops your access. Which service provider are you using? (I spent days on searching for a solution without any luck.)

My German T-mobile contract allows full roaming in Europe without additional costs or time limit.
Still I only have a small data allowance because more data adds considerable cost.
We bought local data Sim cards for about 30€ per month in France, Spain and Portugal.
Currently in Portugal this gives us unlimited data at 4G (actually 5G, but we do not have and need 5G compatible hardware) for a full month without any data limit.
Worked along the complete coast a few miles offshore and on all anchorages.
Works also for WhatsApp voice/Video, WiFi calls, web radio, YouTube...

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by Cheyne

I haven’t found a good reason to disable the motor. It barely moves. I did convert to 48v/12v and replaced the stock router with a Mofi 5500.

Cheyne

Why replace the stock router?

We did get a second router to put at the back of our 70' boat to improve reception in the master suite. Very easy to put in. Simply connect to power and it does the rest.

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Here’s an add-on question. Looking at starlink RV, there are two types of dishy things available.

First, there is a regular one. That’s the one that I think everyone has here. It’s like $600. It sits on a pole.

Now they have another one for $2500 that is bigger and connects to more satellites and provides a more reliable connection. Does anybody have this one?

Do we know the difference in performance?

Also, how about the power drain? These things seem to draw as much power as my deep freezer.

When people cut off the servos, does the power drain improve a lot? Or no?

These things draw over 100 watts.

We have the smaller dishy and have zero connectivity complaints...so far...offshore of Florida, including while moving. The dish does not move very much except for a few seconds to reposition angled north. Supposedly, the service may not like us moving, but has never shut itself down

Suspect power drain is minimal; the movement takes a few seconds and then the thing sits there.

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

Good write-up by Seabits HERE.

The newest "in-motion" $2500 panel is indeed more power-hungry. He saw an average of 85w vs 35w for the rectangular RV/Residential antenna. He also cut the servo motors. From other sources, the hi-watt readings for some are related to the 1st gen antennae, and from heating-elements for cold weather.

Incidentally, Starlink also sells refurb units at around half cost.

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

@billdomb - the "STOW" function makes the antenna slot down to the base for transport. I don't know how that is relevant to the antenna finding the correct angle.

Was not addressing that issue. They, I think, were askiing if the system can be shut down to conserve power.

What I haven't tested, though, is whether the system still works after it's been 'stowed'. It simply stows flat, pointing straight up, and many still report that they get adedequate reception without the dish repositioning.

[jordanbigel]

Originally Posted by billdomb

Why replace the stock router?

We did get a second router to put at the back of our 70' boat to improve reception in the master suite. Very easy to put in. Simply connect to power and it does the rest.

I did the same (ditched the SL wireless router) for several reasons - including

1. In a space-constrained environment (ie. a boat) smaller devices are better and the SL router is quite large in my view
2. It is not shaped optimally for securing in a boat - I prefer all permanently wired devices on board be mounted/screwed/secured in some fashion - the best you can do with the SL router is to bungee cord it to a wall maybe.
3. I already had a WiFi router (which runs off 12vdc) and a repeater access point in the pointy end of the boat.
4. The SL router does not have a built in Ethernet port, only wireless connections are possible UNLESS you purchase a special add-on device (a small black box with cable)
5. Loss of efficiency inverting DC to AC (12vdc -> 115vac) - running directly off a 12vdc->48vdc step-up converter has almost no power loss (from what I understand, I am not an electrical expert).
6. Easy to replace components instead of StarLink router - I replaced the SL router with 2 components, the 12-48v DC-DC converter, and a POE injector. These devices are both tiny, smaller than a pack of ciggarettes. The first cost about $50 and the second $15. I bought one of each extra as a spare because I plan to cruise in remote areas in the near future.

[Cheyne]

I swapped out also because of my experience with the Mofi 5500. I wanted to have backups to my Starlink. In the Mofi I have two sim slots. In the US we normally have a Verizon and Google Fi in it and in the Bahamas we swap one of the sims for a Aliv sim. I also have 4 ethernet ports that I have my 12v NAS (60Tb), Intel NUC and our PredictWind Data Hub plugged into.

Cheyne

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by billdomb

Was not addressing that issue. They, I think, were askiing if the system can be shut down to conserve power.

What I haven't tested, though, is whether the system still works after it's been 'stowed'. It simply stows flat, pointing straight up, and many still report that they get adedequate reception without the dish repositioning.

When STOWing, the unit does not go flat, it goes almost vertical. And upon next power up mine un-stows and searches for satellites, I haven't had to press un-stow yet.

I just turn it off at night, and the next time I power it up the whole system takes 2-3 minutes before the router is active and the antenna has locked in on satellites.

I'm currently in Antigua and it is working like a charm.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Krisz

Hi Dockhead,

This sounds a great option. I also looked into it but in Europe if you have a mobile data subscription, the service provider only allows you using it for 4 months outside the country, where it was subscribed. After that the service provider reminds you to stop using it abroad and then stops your access. Which service provider are you using? (I spent days on searching for a solution without any luck.)

I'm using DNA Finland, and I'm not limited on how many months I spend outside the country. The entire Baltic region (all Nordics including Iceland, plus Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) are considered "home" and everything completely unlimited (use all the terabytes you want); with 15gb a month to use outside of that area but inside the EU. It's a monthly contract, but I think their PAYG plans are the same.

But in any case, this is not a problem -- every European country has a variety of good mobile phone providers, who actually compete with each other for your business. So if you run into a problem like that, you just throw the SIM away and buy a new one and forget about it. Don't get attached to the phone number -- use WhatsApp or Skype with a Skype-in number. So you can swap around SIM cards without worry.

In Europe these days you just don't worry about being connected. The EU has its faults and foibles, but boy has it worked brilliantly in this area. Not just the cost and availability, but the coverage -- which is practically seamless. Even in remote areas of Finland and Sweden where there is nothing but trees for miles around -- you've usually got 5 bars and a 5G connection. Same in Estonia and Latvia.

On top of all that, in Northern Europe at least, municipal harbors and marinas now have excellent wifi, at least 90% of the time. Like consistent 40-50mbs connections, sometimes much more. And almost always free.

What a challenge this was 20 years ago and how trivially simple it is now, at least in Europe.

[caffel]

On the SV Parole we've been using the recently released 'RV In Motion' version for a week in the Bahamas, now in Alice town.
(claims to snag three satellites at once)
So far no dropouts noted.
5 users with phone & general Internet use. No one watching any videos, however.
Feels like we never left home.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by caffel

On the SV Parole we've been using the recently released 'RV In Motion' version for a week in the Bahamas, now in Alice town.

(claims to snag three satellites at once)

So far no dropouts noted.

5 users with phone & general Internet use. No one watching any videos, however.

Feels like we never left home.

I’m assuming that you purchased the flat high performance dish that officially supports in-motion use? If so, lucky you - it’s not available in my part of the world, sigh. The triple the cost is bit harsh as well.

We have the regular rectangular dishy and RV plan and it works fine at sailboat speeds up to 12 knots (no barrier that we know of, just haven’t been faster than that while we’ve had dishy). It doesn’t seem to like establishing a connection while moving, but once it has a connection (while we were still at anchor) it seems happy to keep it despite movement and course changes. We do reorient it manually if it’s tilted to keep looking SE.

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

When STOWing, the unit does not go flat, it goes almost vertical. And upon next power up mine un-stows and searches for satellites, I haven't had to press un-stow yet.

I just turn it off at night, and the next time I power it up the whole system takes 2-3 minutes before the router is active and the antenna has locked in on satellites.

I accidentally had the dish slew to the point that it ran into a radome. Then it just stopped and pointed straight up, lying flat. Gave me a "free me" message on the phone app, but, otherwise, continued to work fine all the time we were cruising around pointing in all different directions while holding at dive sites. Maybe one doesn't have to disable the motor?

[krid2000]

Originally Posted by Carlr

My current set-up uses T-Mobile SIM Card. Service is 300Gb/month unthrottled. [...] Cost is $70/month with no extra charges.

What T-Mobile plan do you use? I currently have their 100GB/m for $50 and can't find a better plan with them.

Thanks
Dirk

[caffel]

The 'In Motion' antenna is a rectangle with a flat top that looks to be abt 25% larger than 'dishy'.
Its flat topped and the supplied bracket angles it aft abt 15 degrees and it does not move.
Here in Alicetown, BS, this morning, we see latency min of 30 Ms, Max 102 Ms, last ping 35 Ms.
Speed test (not everyone's favorite, but accessible) says 40 Mbs down and 15 Mbs up. This is varying a lot as we swing around the anchor on a very windy day in the current cold front, but not losing contact.
Our unit was bought from a Palm Beach FL address and we figured we'd be effectively beta testing coverage in the Bahamas which we plan to transit from West End all the way down to Inagua.
Again, performance has exceeded expectations 'so far' and it appears to meet the requirements laid down in the original posting (both underway and at anchor).

[SailingGrant]

It's already been mentioned, but let me reiterate - steer clear of ATT and other brands' mobile 5g wireless modem/router. I bought the thing for nearly $700 from ATT under the guise of being able to add it to my post-paid family plan for unlimited data. (Seems perfect right? Buy another line for the NetGear Nighthawk device, and get unlimited data on my sailboat for all my devices). After I purchased, ATT couldn't add it to my plan and could only do pre-paid SIM cards for it, to the tune of almost $1/GB. This quickly became cost-prohibitive after a few days (hours really...) and I will be returning it.

I did however update my plan, so both my phones have unlimited data and 50GB of hotspot tethering per month. I will probably get a iPad Pro with cellular and add it as a device on my plan for the unlimited data that way.