RV FEATURE
This could be explained by the different construction of our caravans. Bert’ s is a traditional aluminium-clad van whereas ours is of full fibreglass composite construction. The metal skin of a traditional van creates a virtual Faraday Cage. This shields the occupants from electromagnetic fields and, in the process, restricts radio signals from passing through to the inside of the van. This could explain our differing experiences.
SECURITY
One thing you may want to consider is security. Now, I know as well as anyone that if your Starlink dish is stolen, you need only report it to Starlink and they will block your unit from the network, rendering it useless. Unfortunately, many thieves are not so smart.
If someone was to steal your Gen 2 or Gen 3 system, it would be almost useless without taking the router as well, so there is a deterrent for a potential thief. The Mini is an all-in-one system, so all a thief would need is a power source, which can be purchased quite readily. In reality, I haven’ t heard of too many reports of stolen Starlink systems so this may be a minor consideration.
RECOMMENDATIONS
As far as I’ m concerned, the decision is a very easy one. The Starlink Mini is, hands down, the best system for caravanners, campers and anyone else who needs mobile internet access from anywhere in the country. It’ s small, lightweight, easy to set-up and pack away, uses half the power of the other two systems, and has similar or better wi-fi and internet performance.
You have a choice of plans, 50GB for $ 80 per month or unlimited for $ 195 per month, and both the Mini and the Gen 3 hardware costs are $ 549 each. Personally, I think it’ s a no-brainer.
The Starlink app provides a lot of information, including average power consumption. This is very useful for anyone free-camping and relying on battery-based power.
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