Starlink Mini (is awesome)

Be sure to report back on the experience.

And enjoy the trip.

 

I’ve been experiencing 12V issues in my Truck too. I’m still not sure what it is as it’s rather inconsistent. I ended up moving my StarLink to a different 12v port and that worked for it but my gps and another charger seems to be rather on n off at times.

Oh, and when I wiggle the USB plug that is on the 12v system the screen for my side cameras flicker a bit even when it’s off the screen turns white… lol

got some kind of short or something. Only two more years on this truck so probably won’t be found.

 

I switched to Starlink a while back. It was a huge improvement and a heck of a lot less than paying a cable company a fortune for crappy service I would rarely ever need. Really good and reliable connection.

 

Question for the drivers running Starlink:

Why does it seem like so many truckers choose the Starlink Mini over the regular Roam setup?

I understand the Mini uses less power, but power really isn’t my main concern. I’ll have an APU or EPU, a power inverter, and a UPS, so I’m more focused on performance, reliability, weather, and mounting.

From what I’m seeing, the larger dish advertises faster speeds and better all-weather performance, so I’m trying to understand the real-world advantage of the Mini in a semi.

I’m pretty tech-heavy and have used MikroTik gear for years. My old setup was a MikroTik AP reaching out to grab available internet, then rebroadcasting it inside the truck through a MikroTik hAP. That worked fine when I was mostly in day cabs, regional work, and hotels.

Now I’m getting ready to go back OTR, so I’m looking at Starlink before I place an order. I’m mainly trying to figure out the best dish choice and how people are mounting them cleanly on a semi.

For those of you using Starlink OTR:

• Why did you pick Mini vs the regular Roam dish?
• How are speeds while parked?
• Does weather make much difference?
• Are you mounting it permanently, using a pole/window mount, or just setting it out when parked?
• Any regrets with the Mini or the larger dish?

Trying to buy once and set it up right.

 

I agree. Give it a few years and direct-to-cell will probably be a lot more capable than it is right now.

My iPhone already talks to Starlink through T-Mobile/T-Satellite, but that’s still not the same as replacing a full Starlink dish in the truck. Right now I’d still want the dish for real internet: laptop, Wi-Fi, streaming, work stuff, cameras, updates, etc.

Long term, though, I think Starlink is going way beyond “internet in the middle of nowhere.” SpaceX buying EchoStar/Dish spectrum shows they’re serious about direct-to-cell, and I’ve been saying for a while that satellites eventually start looking like part communications network, part AI/data infrastructure.

I said before Elon even talked about it with NVIDIA’s CEO that Starlink could eventually turn into more than internet satellites — almost like space-based edge compute or AI infrastructure. Might take years, but that seems like the direction this is heading.

 

I don’t see ASTS putting Starlink out of business in 2–3 years.

AST SpaceMobile is interesting tech, no doubt. Direct-to-phone broadband is a different lane, and they do have real partners and satellites in orbit. But scale matters.

Starlink already has over 10,000 satellites in orbit. AST has a handful of BlueBird satellites up right now, and even if they get to 50–60, that is not the same type of network footprint.

Also, SpaceX is not standing still. They bought EchoStar/Dish spectrum for direct-to-cell, and Starlink is already moving that direction too. Current Falcon 9 launches are usually around the mid/high 20s for Starlink V2 Mini satellites, and Starship is supposed to push much larger V3 batches later.

So yeah, AST may be a serious player for direct-to-phone coverage, but saying they’re going to put Starlink out of business seems like a huge stretch.

Direct-to-cell and full Starlink dish internet are not the same product yet. One is phone coverage. The other is real broadband for trucks, laptops, streaming, work, cameras, Wi-Fi, etc.

Competition is good, but Starlink isn’t going anywhere.

 

I have had mini on my rig for about 4 weeks now and it works amazing in tight canyons, desserts of NV, mountain passes etc. Started with it on dash and works ok but certain times of the day signal limited if truck not facing the right way. Once I mounted it on roof on passenger side just running power down through sleeper door seal works amazing everywhere and while driving 70 mph down the road. I mounted with veritas mount which is strong as anything with the high speed tape and magnets.

 

I went with the mini for my setup.

pulling every nanosecond of speed out of the system isn’t a priority for me so it’s plenty fast for one guy (not all guys) in a truck.

I am primarily using it it for a replacement option for a Wi-Fi HotSpot. Used the $5 and $50 per month option mostly but this month I’m testing out the full $165 package.

I wish they had an unlimited slower speed option like they do for home installation. Oh well.

I’m in a Volvo with a Sun Roof so I bought a nice mounting system from Veritas and used the suction cup option to mount the mini on the inside of my truck. Clean and neat and simple. And I can easily remove it and take it with me if I need to without unmounting it. Just break the suction and take it with me.

I couldn’t easily do that with a standard setup. Plus with it mounted inside the Truck, more secure and less likely to walk away. Probably useless if stolen but who knows.

what are you using it for that you need uber speed? Other than bragging rights, which I can totally understand and am guilty of that myself at times.

overall, other than not having the “perfect package for me” I have no regrets. I will keep using it but probably in conjunction with and as a supplement to my cellular options.

if/when they announce the Direct to Cellular options (I think all phones will have the required upgraded chips needed for it this fall… but that might not be complete info) at that point I will consider moving from Verizon to StartLink Mobile.

 

Agreed… I totally believe that strong competition is good for the industry and consumers in general but Elon has such a huge jump on everyone and is not standing still at all. Bring on the competition and we all win… but StarLink isn’t going out of business anytime soon. (Short of every government in the world restricting the access or something)