Starlink Mini Review: Portable High-Speed Internet Anywhere
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2024
- The Starlink Mini is now available (to some), and I'm excited to take you on a comprehensive journey as I set it up and test it for the first time. The Mini, designed for travelers, is a portable internet solution that I put to the test in my pasture. I experiment with various setups, including the use of a MaxOak AC10 battery pack, to provide you with a thorough understanding of its capabilities. Throughout the review, I discuss the pros and cons, such as the device's high price in the U.S., its exceptional portability, and its impressive performance. Watch as I conduct speed tests, update the software, and ultimately stream 4K video, showcasing the Mini's remarkable capabilities.
I ended up getting 4K streaming after moving away from the power lines. Check out that video here: • Starlink Mini Review: ...
Wondering if you can run the mini off a 12-volt battery? Check out this video: • Starlink Mini Review: ...
00:00 Introduction and Unboxing
00:58 Setting Up the Starlink Mini
01:46 Initial Connection Issues
02:02 Configuring the Starlink Mini
02:36 Discussing the Starlink Mini's Value
05:57 Testing the Starlink Mini's Performance
10:16 Wi-Fi Range Test
14:33 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
MAXOAK Portable AC Charger: amzn.to/3zw3zs4 (Affiliate Link)
Nice review. After about 20 minutes of unboxing, setup and going through the software update, my first speed connections in my backyard (Hou TX area) with some obstructions got me in the 30-40Mbs range. After leaving it set in place for about a half hour, there was some decent improvement upwards into the 50-60 range. For power, while I first used a portable power bank with an integrated AC inverter like you show, I did order the 5521 (barrel connector on Starlink power cable) to USB-C adapter to plug it directly into my power bank that has a USB-C PD port. I think this will be more efficient (in terms of battery life) than having the power bank run the integrated AC inverter, and then having the Starlink AC adapter convert back to DC.
Not bad for having obstructions. I've noticed that leaving it for a while
improves performance as well. Last I checked, they didn't have a USB-C adapter, but I will be purchasing one as well to eliminate the DC/AC/DC power conversion loss. Thanks for sharing!
Mine just came in today.Hopefully playing with it tomorrow.
God, please put up a review in a month with speeds, I’m in the same boat and it’s a lot of $$ for me…😢 Thanks! ❤
Had a chance to try it out?
@EastTexasHomestead Not yet.I was wondering if they charged the $35.If you don't activate it don't really need it at this time. Wondering if you can turn it off and on per month??
They said in the fine print that if you turn it off, you "may" have to get on the standard plan to reactivate. Not sure how long they will give you to activate but I got an email a few minutes after recording that said thank you for activating... you are being charged $3.28 for the prorated month. (or something like that) So it appears they don't start charging until you turn it on.
@@SpencerLAPowerlet us know how the 50gb cap works out?
I strongly suspect those overhead power lines were slowing your speed. I've seen other CZcamsrs get a low end speed of 66 Mbps to a high of 124 Mbps or more. One guy got 180. If your home Starlink is getting higher than 45, so should your mini.
I'm sure you're right. I'll be doing more tests in open fields w/o transmission lines above. My home dish usually gets less than 100 mbs down. This could also be the power lines since it's about 300 yards away. Good to hear others are getting better speeds.
Gonna be different for everyone. Based on where they are physically located
Thanks for letting me know
You bet
Love the video Eric! I bought myself a Gen2 for my remoted village house for my parent in Malaysia and it works really well. Nice powerpack btw. Keep it up
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing :)
Salam dari Indonesia
@@alwisyamhudi9112 Waalaikumusalam, sudah pasang Starlink ni tempat Tuan kah? Sangat berbaloi 👍
Luar biasa bisa di buat di mana " ini mini mini..
Just so you know, that is a 12v barrel plug, the box at the end then coverts from AC to 12v. That dish is 12v first, just like our phones. We just got our mini on Thursday.
Do you know where to find a barrel plug to USB-C adapter? Starlink does’t have them on their site yet and support is helpless. I know Ring has an adapter but I’m unsure of the size of the Starlink barrel plug.
I'm sure there will be a flood of adapters soon. at least, I hope so.
It's not necessarily a "12V barrel plug". It's a standard 5521 plug, which, while used on a lot of 12V devices, can be used on higher DC voltages, like the Mini. You will need to have a power bank that has a USB-C PD port.. not just a stand USB C port.
Any ready why I couldn’t simply cut the power supply off of an old 5521 cable and connect the cut end to a 12 volt car battery?
@@EastTexasHomestead Great question. I've not seen anyone try yet... but waiting for that first brave soul to give it a shot. The Starlink AC adapter puts out 30V. USB-C PD supports 5V, 9V, 15V and 20V. So I'm not sure what volts the Mini is pulling when on USB-C PD. There's one video where a guy is hooked directly to a Dewalt battery, but it's 20V.
Starlink is a game changer.
Sure is
How far were you when you got 4K just wondering if I put it 20 feet way when in my rv and will I get good signal?
I was less than 50 feet. That should be fine. If not, you can always run an ethernet cable into your RV with another router.
New subscriber! Great video!
Thanks, Jessica!
@@EastTexasHomestead Thank you for sharing!
Do you know if you are using your 50gb allotment while you are at your residence of record? Waiting on mine now with the same thought process you mentioned. If the main dish goes down, then I like having the mini as a backup.
Unfortunately, it appears that any usage counts against the 50 GB cap. After the firmware update and the speed tests that you saw my plan showed 0.8 GB used.
That is unfortunate. Thank so much for the response.
Yep 👍🏼
@ 3:01 It’s not that SpaceX is charging you for services for other countries. However, each country has its own regulations and many already have robust internet services. Therefore, if there’s no competition, SpaceX could potentially lose out. To be successful, SpaceX must price its services competitively, similar to local rates. Otherwise, it may face regulatory challenges
I'm sure that's part of it. Thanks for your input.
@@EastTexasHomesteadThis is true. In my country Musk announced it will sell @ $200 and at 10dollars a month for 50gigs of data.
So can I piggyback a new mini dish to my existing Gen 2 account? Or do I need to have two separate accounts. I'd like to be able to use either/or. I want to travel with the mini as the Gen 2 is so cumbersome to carry in my Class B van.
Currently, you can only purchase the mini roam plan IF you keep a standard plan as well.
@@EastTexasHomestead Gotcha. Thanks.
You bet
Hi Do you know how long the battery you bought lasts?
It’s roughly 100 watt hours in capacity, so if the dish is pulling the minimum 20 watts, it should last just about 5 hours.
Can I use the Starlink mini as my home internet only on mobile?
Not in the USA. It is a 50 GB / month add on to a residential plan. I suppose if you know someone who will let you use their mini plan, you could do it. Just stay under the data limit.
Enercorp? you work for them they out here in midland tx
Good catch. I don’t but my company manages their website. It’s one of my favorite hats and they’re one of my favorite clients so it ends up being in a lot of videos.
Can you add a usb c adapt to that connector
I’m sure this will be available soon
2:51 I thought the Mini was ONLY in the US for now????
Hallo, can somebody tell me is starlink good if is mounted on terasse because we are living in building and is north-west orientation.
Thanks
Download the Starlink app and test for obstructions. 😊
@@EastTexasHomestead I tested for obstructions but go by 75% the other side is building
Bummer could you reach out further and get better results? Put it on a flag poll or something?
Here in Germany starlink can be rented, maybe I will rent one month to see if is functional than I will buy.
Thanks for the reply
Best of luck 🤞🏼
Hi , where can I buy this item?
Keep checking Starlink.com it isn’t available to everyone yet but will be soon
Correct me if I'm wrong, I think a lot of dc power boxes have a direct dc connection. Negating the 110v conversion. ?
That’s correct. I just don’t have a way to get the dc power from USB to the barrel connection.
is it work on indoor?
Hopefully, the Wi-Fi should go through a wall or two. But you can run an ethernet cable into your home from the dish outside.
Have you tested how long it will run off that power bank?
I've not tested it, but the AC10 power bank has a 99Wh capacity. If the dish is pulling 20 watts, you could run it for 5 hours. My guess would be 4.5 hours. However, the AC10 could be plugged into a car phone charger and kept fully charged while powering the Mini.
For $39 it’s a steal. Bought one. Thank you!
I know, right?! I'm thinking about getting another. The power button is a little funny. You push it once to turn on the DC side, then push it a second time to turn on the inverter for the AC side. At that point, you can long press to turn it off. The inverter will drain the battery over time if left on.
Call me crazy, but I bought a 2nd battery bank. Great price and with the AC there are so many uses.
Nice! Not crazy at all because two is one and one is none. :)
How do you think this would be for RV’ing?
Great as long as you can get a clear view of the sky. The plan currently doesn’t allow for use while in motion so it won’t work while driving. I’ve been seeing 100 to 175 mbps down in follow-up tests.
@@EastTexasHomesteadwe would only use it while at a location. Don’t need the in motion WiFi.
Great 👍🏼
How to buy starlink mini.
If you're in the United States, you need to have an existing plan. Eventually, they will send you the option by email with a link. It is a slow rollout, and at the moment, there's no way to force it.
No router or modem? That antenna does all the thing?
Looks good ngl.
It’s all built into the dish! 😊
4:10 you were already getting internet - so I think this alignment is not such a huge thing. The Gen 2 can get internet for 30 seconds after you stow it.. And it's connected before it finishes the orientation
Maybe those Marco Polo notifications may have come through cell instead of wifi. I've not heard the stow thing you mentioned. Even so, I'm sure it was working, but it may have drop-offs if it's not pointed in the right direction. something to test :)
And what about the electromagnetic screen created by those power lines? That must be one of the worst places to test this satellite antenna! 😂
That was what I was thinking too
I totally agree. It’s literally the only place on my property with enough sky. I live in a forest 🌳
@@EastTexasHomestead It was a good test. I also liked your video. We can learn a lot about the real performance of these devices when conditions are not ideal. Thank you for the video.
FYI, I’ve been getting 120-185 without the power lines.
@@EastTexasHomestead Good to know that is about 10 times faster. Thank you!
I feel like if the data was unlimited it would be worth it but the email I got was 30 gigs then $1 per gig after that.
Yes like you i will get it if the data Unlimted
Interesting. Mine says 50 gigs, then $1/gig
I live in rural area (or I can say Remote village) in Indonesia, but the traditional internet operators here are more than enough. Fast (of course not as fast as Starlink) and Cheap (Far cheaper than Starlink).
So I think there is no need to switch to Starlink.
👍
Also why did you do this over HUGE MASSIVE POWER lines?
Because that was the only spot on my land with enough sky.
It is logical that under a high voltage electrical transmission network is the best place to test a satellite internet antenna... Nor do they have electromagnetic interference
no telling how them power lines affected testing...
저 크키면 가방에 넣고 다니면서, 여행할때 인터넷 안되는곳에 충분히 쓸수있겠지. 이거 인기가 많을까? 속도가 좀 느려서 안할까?
50 gig cap puts serious damper on it
So you mean Starlink mini is only available in the United States rn
From the Starlink FAQ page:
“Starlink Mini is currently available in the following regions:
Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama: Available for purchase on Starlink.com with Mini Service or Mobile - Regional service plans.
United States: Available to active Residential customers via email invitation only.”
@@EastTexasHomestead okay thank you
👍🏼
I wait for mini 2.0 to come out that supports usb c so i can use a battery bank
I’m running it off a $39 battery bank 🤷🏼
Las líneas de energía pueden hacer interferencia prueba en otro lugar donde no estén
😊
Berapa harga nya kalau di texas/amerika
$599 + $30/month
@@EastTexasHomestead ok sir thank you
welcome
@@EastTexasHomestead ok sir salam kenal dari indonesia/papuan
Not sure why you are saying USA is paying for other regions internet, mini is ONLY available in the USA so not sure where you got that info from ?
Its priced at 200 bucks In latin america and 600 in the us. That is what he was talking about.
@@thatguyshemgaming difference between how much we make in the US compared to them is a huge difference.
There are lots of people in Latin America who make more than I do, and they get it for less. But on average, that may be true.
@@EastTexasHomesteadthe minimum wage of Colombia is $330 usd a month. You'd have to spend almost all of your monthly salary to buy one. The reality for us is just completely different. There's a significant amount of people who earn even less than that. The localized price is a great way to gain users here.
I know and am happy to pay more so they can afford it. I was simply pointing out that there are some who make more and they will get it at the subsidized price. 😊
You pay a higher price in the US because of the high demand there, a simple supply and demand law.
Harga berapa sahabatku
Harga nya 3,2 juta kalo paket network nya 400-600rb per 100-300mbps harga nya segitu
I know... I know... But I really wish for an Ethernet port on this. But is cute and practical. :)
It has one 😁
@@EastTexasHomestead WOW! BTW, thanks for replying. :)
You bet
It means 480p on your mobile device, try on a laptop and see
I'm not sure if you watched until the end, but at 12:40, I ended up getting a 4K test to work!
@@EastTexasHomestead Yes I watched it all but I learned to comment after the whole video is finished, than just jumping to conclusion
😊 it was a good suggestion though. Thanks for watching and leaving your comments
love how youtubers never know how youtube works...like istnt it your job to know
Acho que não é muito bom fazer o teste perto de uma torre de transmissão de energia isso pode causar interferências.
Eu concordo. Obrigado por assistir!
LiteBEAM de Starlink
They need to allow people to buy this unit & service stand-a-lone and not require you to have regular StarLink too.
I'm sure it will come at some time :)
That good but you only get 50 downloads or the time. You should be 140
I'd love to see 140, but I've only seen that once from my Gen 2 dish.
I'm guessing that's not just a power supply, that's probably your wireless router as well.
The router is integrated into the dish. It's an all-in-one unit. All you have to do is provide DC power-well, AC power, which is then converted to DC.
I love Starlink but only 50 g
50 GB is for the boat plan
I know, it's sad. Hopefully, they will remove the 50 GB cap.
I thought it would be smaller.
I did too but it fits into a backpack just fine
below 100Mbps? SpaceX Mini is far from expectations, execpt living on the isolated area 😅
It's slow if you are used to higher speeds, but there's nothing I can get where I live that comes close to this.
150$ for unlimited data a month?
I pay $150 for 2 plans.
1) Starlink Residential, which is unlimited and $120/m.
2) Starlink Mini Roam, which is capped at 50GB/m and costs $30/m.
In my country the price is 49$ a month so you don’t pay for other countries
Is that for capped (50 GB) data and was your dish $600?
Don't stand in fire ants like me lol. Nice stuff but I will stick with my regular starlink. I am not traveling so not much use for me now
Seriously! Dang, fire ants!!! lol
By the way, how close are you to me (Tyler, TX)?
@@EastTexasHomestead Not close. In North Carolina lol. Tried to email you but not sure it worked. Said returned
Not even close, haha. That's a bummer. I was thinking we could put our 12Kpvs together to do a paralleling collaboration.
@@EastTexasHomestead I do have a collaboration in mind though
@@rodneyhunt Awesome! Shoot me an email: eric@easttexashomestead.com
Monthly service, too expensive, $120+$30=$150 a month. I used Tmobile Home Internet in my RV, it is not tied to my home address for $40. I had only 1 place that it didn't work in the 1 year I had the service. So until the price comes down, I don't see it as a viable option, just a costly one.
I've looked into it, and they don't offer it in my area. I'm in a bit of a 'dead zone'
Can you help me get one please we live in a poverty country
It will be avaliable soon in many countries
But the only important thing Unlimted Internet with good speed
@doesonson I wish I could but no. It took me almost two years to get my dish after paying for it.
Ok thank you
I really think that he is the obstruction, he's too close to the panel and blocking the signal
I bet you’re right 🤦🏼♂️
But you only pay $30 a month we pay $174.
For what?
SpaceX internet should be only for remote areas or for areas where the internet is crap so if you have good internet and purchase SpaceX internet then don't complain about the price. this is offtopic
Not to mention, in Latin America there are people who cannot afford to pay more than 50 dollars, it may be that in the United States and in some European countries yes, but in Latin America it is very expensive.
I agree. I'm less than 15 minutes from a large city, but we have zero other options, so I'm more than happy to get Starlink speeds.
Starlink is one of the ways spaceX stays funded and spaceX is how we get man on multiple planets/ solar systems someday. I have Starlink and don’t need it . I’m funding the real space program, not the government boondoggle (well I’m forced to fund that I guess).
I’m not complaining …. but the vibe I got from post was a - don’t use it if you don’t need to - and I disagree as there are other reasons to use / support Starlink. With the discounts for remote areas (and Europe I hear from my son in Germany) they have holes they can fill in still. Starlink is key to plans for more than just remote internet.
I also suspect some people use Starlink as they hope if the government starts censoring of the fiber/fixed connections internet there is a small chance they might not be able to censor Starlink. That is probably not true but it is a slim hope I hold also.
That’s an interesting take on it :)
@@_xyzyz_ You are not funding anything. Using Starlink to bypass censor .. OK, this may be the best use of it until you find out that Uncle SAM is sniffing your data and this is sill OK to me (to some extent). Sure, use it in remote areas, it's designed for this, in fact it's more like a niche to them and if you think about it Facebook should have been the first to do so but they failed.
"spaceX is how we get man on multiple planets/ solar systems someday" there is a very long long journey until we get to see that. Remember that we need to step on the moon first, then Mars and then we also need to live on it somehow (which we won't). Saving Earth is less expensive, all you need to do is to educate the ppl on it.
"but the vibe I got from post was a - don’t use it if you don’t need to -" Yes, if you don't need it, don't buy it. Consumerism is just as real as you an I. The only way I would buy/pay/donate (yes, donate) is if they would give free internet in poor countries.
Yes, Germany still has dial-up, crappy internet.
It cost more in the United States because the dollar decreasing value constantly that’s why inflation is setting in and everything cost more. People don’t realize within the next year is gonna crash completely and we will be in a great depression like no other scene before in history.
Same price for everyone.
🤔
You are paying for everyones elses internet? 30$ per month in europe is 45$ nice ;p
We are paying twice as much for the dish as other countries, which don't have data caps.
4k will drain your battery
true
Very handsome young boy😊
Thank you :)
Estás muy cerca de la antena al realizar la búsqueda de satélites con la cámara del móvil. Cuando te alejas tu hijo está al lado de la antena. Así no se configura. Saludos
Ah, él estaba parado allí solo para mostrar la distancia. En realidad, estaba probando el alcance del WiFi.
44 mbps is bad connection
Not really, its good enough for social medias and streaming videos.
Check out my latest video, where I got 175+ mbps
8:00 Elon lied...
8:15 excuses made.
12:40 Passes 4K speed test…
@@EastTexasHomestead
Guess I should have stayed tuned...
🤷🏼
@@EastTexasHomestead
Good, I'm glad it worked.
Me too. I was a bit disappointed with the first results.
The mini is micro worthless for most and most do not know of the cap….50gb lol😊
I think it's great
@@EastTexasHomestead 50gb is less than my phone plan
Mine too. But there are places where your phone won’t have a signal, but this will.
How can you be so ignorant and put this under a high voltage line! Do you know of a more disruptive item?
If you were paying attention, I mentioned that this is the only place on my property that I could get enough sky to test it. I also mentioned that I would be testing it later and also mentioned that the powerlines likely were going to cause interference.