Which Starlink dish is right for RVers?

Starlink recently added the new “Standard” dish for its services alongside the “Standard Actuated” dish. (Keeping things as confusing as usual in the tech world, the actuated dish used to be called “Standard.”)

There are some important differences between the two Starlink “standard” packages that RVers and other digital nomads need to consider.

The new Starlink dish package — which still includes the dish, the router, and cables — has some nice upgrades. However, it’s not without changes that might make you consider sticking with the older option.

When it comes to the cost, you’ll find that, for now, the dishes and the services provided are the same. The Mobile Regional plan runs $150 per month regardless of which dish you use. The dish and modem package runs $599 for either model. But there are some important differences to consider when making that initial hardware purchase.

When it comes to using Starlink on the road, most RVers will primarily need to consider size, weight and power consumption. They also should consider connection and mounting options, as well as range.

The old Starlink dish moves

The most significant and obvious difference between the new and old Starlink dish is that the old one moves. The new one is stationary. The “Standard Actuated” dish is called that because it has actuators on board. These built-in motors turn and tilt the dish as needed. This ensures it has the optimal alignment to connect with satellites.

The new “Standard” dish has a built-in kickstand that you fold out for use. Then, once it connects to the satellite network, it uses “Software Assisted Manual Orienting” to get the best signal. What that marketing gobbledygook means is you use a phone app and turn the dish by hand until it’s aligned.

We have the Standard Actuated dish and it has been nice to set it up and forget about it. It just does what it needs to for the strongest signal. It’s not a deal breaker to have to move the dish by hand. Still, the automated feature is a nice one.

The new Starlink dish is bigger than the old dish. That means it grabs a 110-degree view of the sky, versus the older dish’s 100-degree view. So maybe all the recent satellite launches and extra 10 percent of coverage from the new dish means fewer adjustments. Only time will tell.

Size (and weight) matters

The footprint it uses when deployed and the amount of storage space in terms of size and weight will matter to RVers. This is especially true if they have a smaller rig.

The old standard dish, now called “Standard Actuated,” weighs 6.4 pounds. It measures 20.2 inches long by 11.9 inches wide. Plus, you have the four-legged base you attach it to. That’s going to add a few pounds to your payload.

The new Starlink dish weighs 7 pounds, including its built-in kickstand. It also measures 23.4 inches long by 15.07 inches wide. That means you might need a larger area to keep it when underway. Most people may not see that as a problem. But as former #vanlifers and current weekend van campers, we can tell you that every inch of space matters.

Now, to its credit, the new dish is much thinner given that there are no actuators on board. That’s how it measures a svelte 1.5 inches thick. That’s very impressive. But it’s almost an apples-to-oranges comparison since the old dish has actuators and a built-in mounting pole adding to its bulk.

How outdoorsy can it be?

If you’re an RVer, you’re probably going to be setting up the Starlink dish in all kinds of weather and climate conditions.

The new Starlink dish scores higher in this regard in terms of its toughness. The IP67 rating means the new dish can handle water and dust better and for longer. The old unit was rated at IP54.

Starlink also says the new dish can handle 60 mph winds while the old one was rated to handle 50 mph winds. I assume that’s because the new one is so thin and sits much closer to the ground when deployed.

But that brings up another thing to consider: how are you mounting it? The new dish has a built-in kickstand that you fold out and the whole thing sits on the ground. The old dish had a built-in pole that you attached to the included four-legged stand. Or, you could insert it into an extension pole if you wanted to get higher placement. With the new dish, you have to remove the kickstand and buy an adapter to mount it on a pole.

Starlink says the dishes can both operate from -22 degrees Fahrenheit to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. I would note that both units have the “snow melt” feature built in. Starlink says they can handle up to 1.5 inches of snow per hour.

One other quick comparison when thinking about how you’re setting up your dish is the cable length. The new package includes a 49.2-foot cable while the old one came with 50 feet. If you’re trying to get the dish just right in your camping spot to get clear of obstacles, that nearly 10 inches of cable might make a difference.

The router is improved, at a cost

The new router has two ethernet ports, which is a big improvement over the old router that required the addition of a dongle to get ethernet connectivity. But the additions come at a price, including a separate power supply and a wider footprint.

Measuring 11.76 inches wide, the new router will certainly take up more shelf space somewhere your rig. It’s also 4.74 inches tall and 1.7 inches deep.

The old router measured only 7.08 inches wide, however, it is taller at 10 inches. It also was 2.55 inches deep.

In addition to the new ethernet ports, the new router also takes advantage of newer technology, offering WiFi 6 and tri-band 4×4 MU MIMO antennae. That’s a step up from the old router’s WiFi 5 and dual-band 3×3 MIMO antennae.

What that means is you should get better range and speed from the new router. According to Starlink, the new router can cover 3,200 square feet of space. The old router only covers 2,000 square feet. Most RVs are more than covered by the old router. But you may find you can get further away from your rig and still have a useful signal outside.

The power hog gets even hungrier

One of the things that surprised us when we started using Starlink while boondocking was how much power it consumed. It takes more than we though it would when reading the specifications.

To make matters worse, the new Starlink dish and router take even more power to operate.

With the old dish, the router also served as the power supply. It consumed an average of 50 to 75 watts. The new package includes a separate power supply that is outside of the router. That means you need to make room for a 1.5-pound power brick somewhere and not just a power cord.

More importantly, the new unit chews up 75 to 100 watts. That may not seem like much. But when you’re running on RV batteries or portable power packs instead of campground electricity, that’s a huge percentage increase.

So which Starlink dish should you buy?

Every RV-related question about which unit you should buy has the same answer: “it depends.” And it’s the same answer for Starlink packages. Most of the basic differences are more subtle than significant. And the price is currently the same. So it really comes down to what works best in terms of storage space and room for the devices when set up. Plus, you need to consider how you plan on using them from a power-supply standpoint.

But in the end, the whole point is being able to work remotely. Or maybe stream movies (or YouTube channels!), or stay in touch while you’re in areas where cell signals don’t reach.

And either package will get you the ability to connect in areas where you used to be disconnected. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is a topic a for a whole different blog post!