Any update on using Starlink Roam plan while moving.

[JDCAVE]

This will be our 3rd season with Starlink. We have the roam plan. Typically we shut it down while travelling, turning it back on at anchor. I’ve never had a “love letter” from Elon. We will be largely near shore this summer, but will be traveling down the west side of Vancouver Island.

Should I continue to shut it off while travelling or has Elon relaxed the Roam policy? I have no intention of upgrading the plan use while travelling.

Edit: there used to be a polygonal grid map showing the cells allowed for the Rom plan but I cannot find it.

Jim

 

[SteveK]

Jim, for a year at least use in motion is allowed at trawler speed. In fact the dish will go flat so you do not lose signal. all on auto or can be manual with your phone app. I have tested to 12 knots.
There was no notice, one day I happened to be looking as it went flat as we left marina.

 

[JDCAVE]

Good! We will only be about 3-5 miles off-shore, for the most part only 3, when we go around Cape Scott.

If anyone can find a link to that grid-map, please post.

Jim

 

[Nordlund Xpress]

Assuming the $165 Roam Unlimited plan, which we use, and as long you are less than 12 miles off shore, it has worked for us at up to 20 knots off the coast of Southern California and the Channel Islands and Catalina. We lose the signal mid-channel but it returns as soon as we get closer to land, including the islands. We do not shut our off. We installed the high performance flat antenna.

 

[JDCAVE]

Well that’s good. Thanks! We will give it a go and try it while moving.

Edit: I’ve just checked: I’m on the Roam Unlimited plan.

Jim

 

[CharlieO.]

The Starlink website currently states that the roam plan permits in motion use up to 100 mph.

Starlink

www.starlink.com

 

[Ken E.]

Jim, I have the same set-up as you, with Roam. I've had no problems at displacement speed.

 

[tiltrider1]

Back when I was on the Mobile Roam program at $150 a month. I was always able to get coverage while in motion. My speed was never over 15kts. Mostly at 10kts and I never got a email about moving.

Now I am on the Global Roam Unlimited program for $165 a month. This plan says I can go up to 100mpn and still get coverage. From my perspective, I go from Seattle to Juneau at 10kts and can’t tell any difference between the two plans except I pay $15 a month more.

Mobile Roam is no longer available, I don’t know if anyone was grandfathered in or if everyone was forced into Global Roam Unlimited.

 

[SteveK]

I still have what was RV roam at same rate, the name keeps changing, today it is Roam-unlimited.
I see they added Ocean Mode coverage on international waters at $2.63 per GB.

• Roam Unlimited : In-motion, on land and on coastal waters

 

[tiltrider1]

I still have what was RV roam at same rate, the name keeps changing, today it is Roam-unlimited.
I see they added Ocean Mode coverage on international waters at $2.63 per GB.

• Roam Unlimited : In-motion, on land and on coastal waters

I know you are in Canada so it’s possible you have a different deal. Here in the USA there was Mobile Roam, it was unlimited and it cost $150.00. Now we have Global Roam Unlimited and it costs $165.

I am quoting US dollars.

 

[Furycove]

Ours works just fine on the BC coast, we cruise under 12 knots....have not found any dead zones yet, but it does seem to slow considerably in the early evening....moving or stopped.
A friend even uses his in his helicopter, and says it works well up to 100 mph, stops working at speeds over that, but starts right back up as soon as they are below 100.
Hope there is some price relief when they get a little competition.

 

[JDCAVE]

I’ve not been able to get my Krogen up to 100 kts. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[tiltrider1]

Y

I’ve not been able to get my Krogen up to 100 kts. Am I doing something wrong?

Yes, you didn’t pay for the twin Lycoming T-58 turbine engine upgrade.

 

[NewTrawler]

Hey im looking to add starlink to my trawler,

is there any reason the 349$ deal for the antenna from Westmarine wouldnt be the way to go?

id want it on the 165.00 plan roaming unlimted for sure.

I seem to have the idea that most are using the higher end antenna and curious if anyone is using the standard antenna. seems i saw somewhere that it would work well but i dont remmber where.

Thanks,

 

[JDCAVE]

I have the Starlink Gen 2. Perfectly adequate. Occasional dropout and slow speeds but it’s infrequent. Works fine at trawler speeds. We are nearshore for the most part.

Jim

 

[SteveK]

$349 does not say which one of the 4 models. By price grab it while available.
The round one GEN1 was replaced by GEN2, which I have and which works well on a boat, even underway and rotates to find best signal. The GEN3 many have gone to is reported to work well, lays fixed flat and is unidirectional, but more costly.
Surely once GEN2 is sold out it will not be made. And now there is the mini (GEN4?), designed for backpacking that several boaters report works well on a boat.
Will the mini be the future best seller, or is GEN5 in the works?

 

[SteveK]

I have the Starlink Gen 2. Perfectly adequate. Occasional dropout and slow speeds but it’s infrequent. Works fine at trawler speeds. We are nearshore for the most part.

Jim

Jim, in the past month I was not getting the dropped signal with the spinning wheel in the high use times.
Would like to hear from others about this.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

According to my math, a 4206 foot trawler would have a hull speed of 100 mph. Big boat!

 

[JDCAVE]

Steve: it was really raining hard and windy off Kyuquot. The dish was flat and water was pooling on it. I wiped the water off, wiggled the cable connection and moved it to tilt and it worked fine after that. On a side note, I asked for a radio check on 83A, and all I could hear from Coast Guard Radio was noise. It was miserable and we went back to the anchorage.

Jim

 

[tiltrider1]

Hey im looking to add starlink to my trawler,

is there any reason the 349$ deal for the antenna from Westmarine wouldnt be the way to go?

id want it on the 165.00 plan roaming unlimted for sure.

I seem to have the idea that most are using the higher end antenna and curious if anyone is using the standard antenna. seems i saw somewhere that it would work well but i dont remmber where.

Thanks,

I know of lots of 30ish foot Boats that have hone with the mini and report excellent service. Since most of our units lay flat when at speed I see no reason why the gen 3 isn’t just as good as gen 2.
I believe the west marine deal will work excellently for you.

A side note, early on we noticed that the gen 2 units all pointed in different directions. We believe that the gen 2 units received commands from starlink to point in different directions to
Spread the load to different satellites. It appears that starlink no longer feels it’s necessary to spread the load as all new models just lay flat.

 

[JDCAVE]

The other thing I have noticed is the speed test sometimes ends at over 300, upload. I know that the test is a probably optimistic assessment, but still it is higher now than we first installed it. Now, sometimes it’s less than 100, so…go figure!

Jim

 

[SteveK]

The GEN3 and perhaps mini apparently have a wider view angle antenna as compared to GEN2. With more satellites they can all lay flat.

 

[JDCAVE]

We lay ours flat, for the most part, unless we are at the dock and in fixed position. That was a nice feature, when they brought it out on the app. You didn’t have to tamper with the antenna anymore.

Jim

 

[Nordlund Xpress]

I can confirm the $165 Roam plan works great, works well underway (we've used it up to 22 knots), but will drop connectivity at almost exactly 12 miles from land. In our Southern California cruising grounds land means either mainland or the Channel Islands. Note that Starlink antennas remain connected to Starlink at all times, so in an emergency, you can upgrade the plan and gain connectivity outside the 12 mile limit. We've held multiple simultaneous video calls, underway, except in mid channel when we are outside the 12 mile limitation. If you look closely many recent boat ads show the newest models with Starlink and no dome antennas for a 'new' clean look. Some are making a Starlink antenna a standard feature since it costs about as much as a mid tier VHF installation and is quickly becoming a selling point. Won't be long before the Coast Guard starts asking if they can send a boater a Zoom link!

 

[Jklotz]

Hey im looking to add starlink to my trawler,

is there any reason the 349$ deal for the antenna from Westmarine wouldnt be the way to go?

id want it on the 165.00 plan roaming unlimted for sure.

I seem to have the idea that most are using the higher end antenna and curious if anyone is using the standard antenna. seems i saw somewhere that it would work well but i dont remmber where.

Thanks,

I got the standard gen 3 from west marine. Works fine for me, although the mounting options can be a bit of a challenge. I got something from amazon, but I don't think it's robust enough for the application, so I'm still searching for the perfect mounting set up.

 

[JDCAVE]

I got the standard gen 3 from west marine. Works fine for me, although the mounting options can be a bit of a challenge. I got something from amazon, but I don't think it's robust enough for the application, so I'm still searching for the perfect mounting set up.

Is the “stem” different than the Gen2? We have a rather expensive mount that screws into an antenna mount.

From overcast and foggy Nuchatlitz,

Jim

 

[Jklotz]

Is the “stem” different than the Gen2? We have a rather expensive mount that screws into an antenna mount.

From overcast and foggy Nuchatlitz,

Jim

View attachment 166464View attachment 166465

Yes, I believe the mount is different for gen 3. I know, for a fact, the cable is different. In my particular case, my railings are 1.75", making most of the mounts incompatible.

 

[JDCAVE]

This is an adaptor that should be able to screw into other railing mounts.

Jim