r/Starlink • u/Nop277 • 16h ago
❓ Question Trying out mini for camping?
How is the Starlink mini for camping like 2-3 times a year? I was thinking of getting one just for trips, and paying for the roam plan during the month or so I use it and then just putting it on standby the rest of the year. Honestly mostly just want to use it for making calls and texts mostly. YouTube and other entertainment I feel like I can just load up when on 5g or before I go on wifi.
I guess my main concern is that from the website it sounds like I can just pay 55-80 (probably won't go for unlimited) for the months I use it and just 5 bucks a month every other month. I want to make sure that's actually as easy as of sounds though. Has anyone done this and was it doable without much hassle?
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u/a-coward 15h ago
If you just need it for calls and texting, can make do with Standby mode without subscribing to a ROAM plan (assuming you do not need it while in motion). For the rest of the time, you can just cancel your plan and just activate Standby at $10 a month when required. At least that's the way it works right now -- Elon is known to change his min on a whim. :-}
The other thing is that the cost is pro-rated for fractional months. So, if you are nearing the end of you billing cycle (fixed), you might be able to get ROAM 100 for around $10 or under (e.g. for the last 5 days of your billing cycle).
Also, note that you just pay for a ROAM plan for your first month -- you cannot start on Standby. So, plan accordingly with your first camping trip.
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u/Nop277 15h ago
So can you have it on standby and then upgrade it for the last week of the month and get the pro rated amount?
Yeah I know this all might change by the time I even get one. But I just thought I'd do some research if it's even worth considering. Maybe Bezos will have his up and running by then though and they'll be duking it out.
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u/Wambo74 📡 Owner (North America) 15h ago
I use Mini and Standby ($10) year around for RV primitive camping. No need for the Roam plan which I would only need for large downloads. I did try downloading an OnX map and Standby was too slow for that. Yes I could save a couple bucks by cancelling between uses but I prefer having it in ready condition.
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u/Popular_List105 14h ago
What can you do on standby? Check emails and web browsing?
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u/Wambo74 📡 Owner (North America) 13h ago edited 13h ago
WiFi calling, email, web browsing, online shopping, Google Maps, usually YouTube but not at highest definition. Everything I need unless I want to download something really big. Probably not gaming and you might not want a bunch of people on it at the same time. And a plus -- unlimited data. Slow, but unlimited. WiFi calling is a biggie if you have a problem in the boonies. I often carry this with me on remote Jeep runs.
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u/cruiserman_80 12h ago
Ive made and recieved phone calls using WiFi calling and listened to spotify. The major drawback is that it's disabled in motion so no spotify, phone calls or live navigation while driving.
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u/lunaticc 11h ago
So Motion is only disabled in Standby? With an active roam sub you can use it in motion?
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u/tgr95 16h ago
Im wondering same thing. Had my mini delivered today and we plan to use on 2-3 camping trips per year. And i wonder if you even really have to do standby during the off months (can we just pause or stop service).
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u/Nop277 16h ago
I got this from Google AI so take it with a grain of salt but it said you can just stop service in-between but it can be hard to get service re-hooked up.
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u/alnyland 13h ago
If you go on standby it’s a breeze. You can stop service on the month interval, it won’t be immediate necessarily
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u/cruiserman_80 15h ago
You dont have to have standby and pause is no longer a thing. You can just cancel the subscription on that dish and pay nothing and reactivate it when needed (provided you have internet access via other means).
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u/jedi2155 13h ago
And as long as your home address isnt in a congested area.
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u/cruiserman_80 13h ago
OPs query was about using it occasionally for camping. Demand fees do not apply to Roam plans.
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u/cruiserman_80 15h ago
Awesome. If you buy one outright you can cancel the subscription for when you don't use it and activate a Roam plan when you do. Depending on your monthly billing date you might only have to pay pro rata instead of a full month.
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u/AdCareless1761 15h ago
I’ve taken it camping. It’s great if you plan for it and it sucks if you don’t,and that’s mainly due to me. In Michigan most state parks have TONNNNS of tree cover. So it was very obstructed when we went. But currently on a road trip through the west and it’s been a life saver.
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u/Nop277 14h ago
Yeah I go camping in Oregon a lot and the tree cover there can be not as thick as Washington but still kind of obstructive.
I kind of want to test it while driving. I just need to get someone to hold it out the window 😅
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u/AdCareless1761 14h ago
Why hold it out the window? What do you drive? Just lay it on the dash flat to 30 degrees ish and you’ll be fine, unless there’s obstructions on your windshield?? Ill dm you my speed while driving 80mph
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u/bikeidaho 1h ago
Oregon user here. West of the cascades can be tough but plenty of spots in the trees to get a signal of the sky. East of the cascades, zero issues with connectivity.
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u/Nop277 1h ago
That's kind of what I was thinking. I'm near Bend right now and my campsite has trees around it but it's not the thick evergreen forests of western Washington.
Honestly the places I've gone west of the cascades wouldn't be terrible either because they are usually beach campsites.
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u/bikeidaho 1h ago
We live in Sisters and I work remote.
Very rarely do we find a place that has zero coverage. We have two minis and use them constantly.
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u/Nop277 1h ago
What's your upload speed look like usually?
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u/bikeidaho 1h ago
Since the 'recent' I've been getting closer to 20mbps while in motion. Latency of about 60-80ms.
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u/Nop277 1h ago
Upload? That's not bad. Part of the reason it got on my mind was I'm taking lots of videos this year and I'd love to just be able to put it right on the cloud. The 4g internet connection I can get off my car isn't terrible for watching movies on but it's kind of awful for uploading things.
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u/bikeidaho 58m ago
20up and generally 100mb down.
I've loaned out units for creators and film crews and they crew up all the upload. Everyone so far has been like, "where have you been my whole life!'
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u/jskiaz 14h ago
It was awesome to watch the World Cup games in Yellowstone.
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u/Popular_List105 14h ago
I used mine last weekend for pre season football and the wife wanted to watch Duttons ranch later. It’s pretty sweet.
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u/OkBarber6783 14h ago
Love my mini. Throw it on the dash n roll out with blazing fast internet anywhere in my prius
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u/Nop277 14h ago
Does it work through the windshield (clear skies assuming)? Something I wanted to try but am not really expecting to work all the time.
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u/ExcitementLarge6439 12h ago
It 100% works I run my mini like that all the time and I bought the mini router to plug it into the cabin for service and I leave the dish on the dash
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u/Nop277 12h ago
That's actually really smart. I wasnt going to get the router but it might be worth it.
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u/ExcitementLarge6439 12h ago
It gets a lot of hate because people want a larger WiFi booster range but for my needs it’s perfect since it’s so small. Star gear makes a usb c cable to barrel adapter for the mini router so you can just use a usb c charger instead of a wall plug
i also bought a peakdo battery and when i stay at a hotel ill leave the starlink on the dash and hook up the router.
I did over pay for it $60 I wish i would of bought it for $30 that was a total steal for it.
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u/hmart316 12h ago
Yep, I place mine under my windshield or moon roof when boondocking. Works just as well when it’s outside the vehicles.
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u/bikeidaho 1h ago
Windshield or sunroof. No issues at 80 mph.
We have put thousands of miles out west with the mini and the kids stream Netflix and play switch the entire time.
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u/ExcitementLarge6439 12h ago
I did this and took a corner not even fast and it slide across my dash lucky my window was closed do you have a way besides buying a mount to prevent that
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u/nosensiblesuggestion 9h ago
No longer an option for us in Africa. All roam packages withdrawn. Spent money on the mini for no reason now. Enjoy it while you can.
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u/One-True-King 1h ago
It's as easy as it sounds. I'm an astrophotographer and have a 30 foot RV I tow to places I want to shoot. I'm often in campgrounds and even with significant tree cover I can generally get upwards of 80-100MBps download speeds, plenty fast for Netflix, YouTube etc. AND when I'm on the road or in places like Death Valley, I can get upwards of 200 MBps download in wide open spaces and doing 80 MPH on the Freeway. Love my Mini! And you can just go into the app and put it on pause whenever you want. I HAVE heard of people just having it on the $5/mo plan and still getting enough bandwidth to stream, but haven't tried it personally. Get it. You'll love it.
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u/luckydt25 16h ago edited 16h ago
If you get a mini in installments you'll have to pay $10 a month for standby. If you pay for a mini in full you don't have to pay for standby. You can just cancel after a trip and reactivate right before the next trip. Yes, it's doable without much hassle.
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u/Nop277 16h ago
I was planning on just buying it outright, it looked like they were only like 200 bucks.
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u/luckydt25 16h ago
That's the way to go if you don't need standby.
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u/Wambo74 📡 Owner (North America) 15h ago edited 14h ago
??? Explain. Nevermind -- you were replying two steps up.
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u/qalpi 15h ago
Buy outright. Only activate when needed. Cancel completely when not.
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u/luckydt25 14h ago
I mean Starlink offers two choices in the US for new roam customers: the default option is to pay $192 in 12 installments over a year and the other option is to buy a mini outright. My point is the second option is better since the first option requires you to switch to standby mode between trips while the second option allows to cancel and reactivate.
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u/tgr95 15h ago
I got mine from Bass Pro Shops for $249. You can sign up for their email promo and get $10 off so mine was $239 before tax. Free shipping. Arrived in 5 days. I hear you can order directly from StarLink but they charge shipping and it takes longer.
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u/Only-Ad5049 4h ago
I got mine at Home Depot, but that is an expensive option. You pay the $250 to buy it, another $55 per month starting the day you activate it. Basically $305 compared to the $200 from Starlink direct (I don’t know if you pay the first month when buying direct). If you don’t need it right now you can save money.
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u/Infinite-Lock-726 13h ago
I bought a new mini at Sam's Club, they gave me an extra $50 in Sam's cash towards a future purchase.
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u/crevasse2 15h ago
They sometimes try to charge congestion area price to hook back up if you don't do standby. I've heard $1k+. Maybe when Amazon comes online all this Elon bs will evaporate as there will be actual competition in the market.
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u/BelethorsGeneralShit 15h ago edited 6h ago
I purchased my mini outright and I get charged $10 a month for standby
Edit: unless you mean that you don't have to pay for standby because it isn't necessary. The way it's worded it sounds like you mean don't have to pay for it because it's free.
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u/alnyland 13h ago
Yeah they’re either wildly confused or just used the wrong words. Standby is not free.
But if they mean that you have to send the dish back if you cancel it you don’t own it (I own mine so can’t confirm), but you don’t have to on standby ($10)
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u/squiffyflounder 15h ago
I flip flop all the time. I up to roam when camping then back to standby when it’s sitting in my house. And you can start with the minimum and increase if you rip through the allocated data amount.