How much power does Starlink use up?

[Time Keeper]

I'm thinking about picking this up, anyone happen to know how much power does this soak up?

 

[Travis]

45-60w

 

[M Kesik]

What is taking so much juice?

 

[Trail Mule]

Starlink has a motor in side that is constantly keeping lined up with satellites. That is why it's always pulling juice.

 

[DaveInFresno]

Why don't they have a DC version? Seems like they should considering how many people using in their RVs and offroad trailers.

 

[second wind trailers]

I am definitely going to get one - when I start using my RV more. I think it would be a great option, especially if Elon can figure out a way to make it 12v compatible. I mean that seems like a no brainer.

 

[BillyBob]

I am definitely going to get one - when I start using my RV more. I think it would be a great option, especially if Elon can figure out a way to make it 12v compatible. I mean that seems like a no brainer.

When they started charging people the $25 extra per month for RV, this should have triggered some sort of DC version, hope to see one soon.

 

[4x4tripping]

45-60w

Unfortunately, this is a sad point for overlanders, since even an external battery box such as an Ecoflow River Pro with 720wh with a calculated efficiency via 220v of an estimated 85% is empty at some point.

Formula: 720 Wh * 0.85 efficiency / 60 watts = 10.2 hours of runtime

DH - you need an appropriately dimensioned solar output and the right weather or regular driving.

Those "real live" tests did show us unfortunately that the starlink setup need more juice:

--> The starlink wifi router takes 10-15 Watt. The small starlink satellie antenna will use 50-75 Watt.

trippin

 

[second wind trailers]

Unfortunately, this is a sad point for overlanders, since even an external battery box such as an Ecoflow River Pro with 720wh with a calculated efficiency via 220v of an estimated 85% is empty at some point.

Formula: 720 Wh * 0.85 efficiency / 60 watts = 10.2 hours of runtime

DH - you need an appropriately dimensioned solar output and the right weather or regular driving.

Those "real live" tests did show us unfortunately that the starlink setup need more juice:

--> The starlink wifi router takes 10-15 Watt. The small starlink satellie antenna will use 50-75 Watt.

trippin

What if you have a 200 watts of Solar panels on your rig by day, can you manage to keep the internet up for say - 3 hours a day with proper storage (battery) and use a small generator by night if needed (for a few hours?) 5 hours of internet a day - if used efficiently, could be enough to knock out a ton of work, depending on what the actual bandwidth of the starlink connection ends up being. I have no idea (not used one) what the real world experience of the connection is like.

I don't think you'd be able to run a fast paced business using it, but maybe you can get some kind of work done - enough to justify buying it, and maintaining the fairly expensive monthly fee. (would assume your lifestyle choice is to do a fair bit of RVing and overlanding during the year)

 

[4x4tripping]

What if you have a 200 watts of Solar panels on your rig by day, can you manage to keep the internet up for say - 3 hours a day with proper storage (battery) and use a small generator by night if needed (for a few hours?)

With 200W Solar & a external Solar-Battery like the ecoflow you can run starlink fulltime on sunny weather, as long you arent too far south/north latitude

I did try to calculate the costs of running starlink at home. Above 200bucks / year for wallplug energy in the center of europe. Probably a misscalculation? How it is in your country?

South Africa: rapidtables.com/calc/electric/electricity-calculator.html 118$ ( 0.148 U.S. Dollar per kWh)
Australia: rapidtables.com/calc/electric/electricity-calculator.html 165$ (0.213 U.S. Dollar per kWh)
USA: rapidtables.com/calc/electric/electricity-calculator.html 118$ ( $0.15/kWh)
Switzerland: rechnerli.ch/stromrechner/ = 197 CHF
Germany: stromverbrauchinfo.de = 260 Euro

Pretty high values...

 

[Dirt Dude]

We are at .21 cents per kWh here, now that is off peak cost. Peak hours is .56 cents kWh

 

[4x4tripping]

I did try to visalize it a bit better:

 

[4x4tripping]

I did see that some people was able to save about 50% percent of the power requirement, by powering up starlink directly by 12v, together with using an alternate wifi router (too by using 12v). That could be really a big difference for vanlife and for living off grid!

trippin

 

[M Kesik]

There is also a good Facebook page for Starlink hacks as well. Can’t wait to see something come from Starlink with 12V ready

 

[M Kesik]

4x4tripping, did you do this to your Starlink yet?

 

[Ryan Frost Outdoors]

Still floored that Starlink doesn’t come with ability to run on DC from factory. Users shouldn’t need to Frankenstein their Starlink in order to make this work on DC.