Starlink Internet

[bstreep]

When we left Grand Cayman a month ago, we lost Starlink within sight of land. Maybe 5 miles or so. Couldn't activate via Starlink's app, so we still had marginal cell coverage, and I used it to activate ocean roaming. Glad that worked.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by bstreep

When we left Grand Cayman a month ago, we lost Starlink within sight of land. Maybe 5 miles or so. Couldn't activate via Starlink's app, so we still had marginal cell coverage, and I used it to activate ocean roaming. Glad that worked.

Yeah "land" vs "ocean" coverage is based solely on the map and how the hexagons align with the countours of the coast. There are places where "ocean" is a few nm offshore, there are places where <1 nm offshore is "ocean", and there are places where >10nm is "land".

Looking at the map (he hexes are about 10nm across) losing coverage 5nm offshore would make sense depending on which port and which direction.



Side note: I have found starlink website far more consistently useful for account management to include enabling priority data than the app which is hit or miss.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Statistical

Yeah "land" vs "ocean" coverage is based solely on the map and how the hexagons align with the countours of the coast. There are places where "ocean" is a few nm offshore, there are places where &lt;1 nm offshore is "ocean", and there are places where &gt;10nm is "land".



Looking at the map (he hexes are about 10nm across) losing coverage 5nm offshore would make sense depending on which port and which direction.







Side note: I have found starlink website far more consistently useful for account management to include enabling priority data than the app which is hit or miss.

One of the recent app updates lost the ‘Data usage’ feature under the app’s account page, but the ‘Manage your subscription at Starlink.com’ link to the web page works even when disconnected due to location. You can turn on mobile priority data that way.

There must have been another update as the ‘Data usage’ feature is back in the app with its Mobile Priority switch. You don’t lose connectivity if you turn on MP data prior to leaving a land hex, but you can get connectivity back if even you wait until you’re disconnected - though you’ll have some time before the connection activates.

One thing we’ve noticed with our regular dishy is that when turned on within a land hex it likes to tilt itself. Then when you swing at anchor it sometimes re-tilts, but sometimes doesn’t and requires a ‘stow’ then ‘unstow’ to tilt in the optimal direction. But when we turn on MP data for ocean use and ‘stow’ then ‘unstow’ it keeps itself flat. That seems to maintain a better connection when sailing and doesn’t mind course changes. Still too nervous to drill into the dish to disconnect the motors.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by SV Confianza

Hey Scott, good thinking on overlaying the hex map on the charts. Before I go searching for how to do this myself, got any tips?

That would be perhaps a good application for a layer in OpenCPN.
Switch on the layer and you can see the superimposed hex?

Just a thought, not currently a Starlink user.

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[chrisr]

a friend is asking

"Does anyone know if you can buy Starlink from (for instance) the Netherlands (only 300 Euro) and then add a USA mobile or maritime Global subscription to it? That saves (at the current currencies) almost 50 USD per month. Curious if someone has info about this."

anybody have direct experience of buying the hardware in one country and then signing up for a plan in another country ?

thanks !

cheers,

[Charlie Baker]

Originally Posted by chrisr

a friend is asking

"Does anyone know if you can buy Starlink from (for instance) the Netherlands (only 300 Euro) and then add a USA mobile or maritime Global subscription to it? That saves (at the current currencies) almost 50 USD per month. Curious if someone has info about this."

anybody have direct experience of buying the hardware in one country and then signing up for a plan in another country ?

thanks !

cheers,

My friend is now in Ukraine, and he told me that they ordered Starlink in Poland and then buy a subscription in Ukraine. So it's possible.

[Dayton40]

Yes, I have friends that bought in the usa and transfered to Panama... 52 per month now.

[Matty.VS]

Hi! If I understand correctly you dont need a Flat high performance dish to connect to starlink at ocean? As long as MP data is turned on?

[Jon Hacking]

Originally Posted by Matty.VS

Hi! If I understand correctly you don't need a Flat high performance dish to connect to Starlink at ocean? As long as MP data is turned on?

Hi Matty, & Welcome to CF!

You are correct. The normal antenna (called Dishy McFlatFace, or "Dishy" for short, even though it's a flat phased array & not a dish at all) is usually adequate, & that's what most cruisers are using. The High Performance (HP) antenna provides twice the gain, has no moving parts, is better sealed, & is approved for "in-motion" use, but it costs 4-5x as much, & requires twice the power (about 100W vs 50W, average), which is an issue for most boats.

Most cruisers are using one of the Mobility (Roaming) packages, either Regional (which works in your "continent") or Global, which works NEAR LAND worldwide, but costs a bit more. If you're going to be in an area for a while, it'll save some money to use a local address in that area, as you can then use the Regional plan.

Then we switch on Priority (read: mid-ocean) data when we head into a black cell (as defined by the Starlink map) at $2/GB. This is usually cheaper than buying an entire month of priority data ($250/50GB) since we can turn it off as soon as we get near land again, while the monthly plan can only be changed at your next billing cycle.

[Matty.VS]

Thanks! This was really helpful. Starlink website makes it really complicated

[Matty.VS]

If you would choose for the regional plan in Indonesia, you would have to find an adress in Asia i assume then?

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Matty.VS

Thanks! This was really helpful. Starlink website makes it really complicated

Not really

[Jon Hacking]

Originally Posted by Matty.VS

If you would choose for the regional plan in Indonesia, you would have to find an address in Asia I assume then?

Yes, Matty. I don't know where the "continental" boundaries are for the Regional Roaming package, but I know that for Oz, it does not extend into Indonesia. Probably just Oz & NZ.

I would assume that "SE Asia" would include the Philippines, Indonesia, & Brunei. I would hope that it included Malaysia (at least, Borneo) & Thailand, but those are arguably part of "Asia".

Starlink should really publish a map of where their "continental" boundaries are, but I haven't found one yet. Apparently, the Med is a bit wharked, as islands like Cyprus are apparently not part of Europe, according to Starlink. So where boundaries are is anyone's guess at this point.

It's also not clear how long one can cruise outside of ones "continent". A friend let us use their Starlink in Argentina. They were traveling by camper-van (as were we), but they were on a North American Regional Mobility package. This was in early April, so things might have changed since then, but apparently there (used to be) some grace period before needing to change your package.

It might be best to start with a Global Mobility package at first, but you could also just choose a spot on Google Maps & then use the address that comes up. They don't need to know. If you choose an address in the Philippines, this might even let you use the Philippine prices, which are considerably cheaper than many places.

[Montanan]

An article discussing Amazon's yet to launched Satellite Internet compared to Starlink's network.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/smal...76e67327&ei=41

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Jon Hacking

Yes, Matty. I don't know where the "continental" boundaries are for the Regional Roaming package, but I know that for Oz, it does not extend into Indonesia. Probably just Oz & NZ.



I would assume that "SE Asia" would include the Philippines, Indonesia, & Brunei. I would hope that it included Malaysia (at least, Borneo) & Thailand, but those are arguably part of "Asia".



Starlink should really publish a map of where their "continental" boundaries are, but I haven't found one yet. Apparently, the Med is a bit wharked, as islands like Cyprus are apparently not part of Europe, according to Starlink. So where boundaries are is anyone's guess at this point.



It's also not clear how long one can cruise outside of ones "continent". A friend let us use their Starlink in Argentina. They were traveling by camper-van (as were we), but they were on a North American Regional Mobility package. This was in early April, so things might have changed since then, but apparently there (used to be) some grace period before needing to change your package.



It might be best to start with a Global Mobility package at first, but you could also just choose a spot on Google Maps & then use the address that comes up. They don't need to know. If you choose an address in the Philippines, this might even let you use the Philippine prices, which are considerably cheaper than many places.

The Asian continent includes all of SE Asia, India, Japan, Russia and the Middle East! The link to the map is https://api.starlink.com/public-file...ce_Regions.pdf