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Is there a way to make a Starlink dish that is viable for backpacking (i.e. 5kg at most, but preferably 0.5-2kg, including the solar panel and battery needed to
by devit 2y ago
Is there a way to make a Starlink dish that is viable for backpacking (i.e. 5kg at most, but preferably 0.5-2kg, including the solar panel and battery needed to power it) or is the satellite LTE service the only possibility?
- ZiiS 2y agoThis new dish should be under 5kg.
- eDameXxX 2y agoIt weights 1.16 kg (2.56 lb) with Kickstand. It's quite impressive. Source: https://api.starlink.com/public-files/specification_sheet_mini.pdf https://api.starlink.com/public-files/specification_sheet_mi...
- teruakohatu 2y agoIf they made it possible to disable the heating element (ie. require a human to wipe snow off it) then it would be a lot more viable for hiking. The large version draws 45-70w so a airplane carry-on legal USB-C powerbank could power it for 1-2 hours.
- iknowstuff 2y agoFairly sure the heat is just a byproduct of the phased array antenna no?
- teruakohatu 2y agoI think you may be right, I read a HN comment a long time ago saying that they had a heater but it seems they do not.
- lazide 2y agoThey do have a heater in some versions - uses another 30-50 watts and is for melting snow.
- gonesilent 2y agoIt's just running the chips hot.
- RockRobotRock 2y agoprevious HN thread on this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29943898 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29943898
- lazide 2y agoI guess any sufficiently inefficient computer is indistinguishable from a space heater.
- funcDropShadow 2y agoI thought it was for comforting cats.
- eDameXxX 2y agoThey have it. This is from the official docs [1]: Snow Melt Capability: Up to 25mm / hour (1 in / hour) [1] https://api.starlink.com/public-files/specification_sheet_mini.pdf https://api.starlink.com/public-files/specification_sheet_mi...
- mlindner 2y agoIt's not just a byproduct. There's a definite mode it switches into, that can be disabled, that draws additional power in order to heat the dish up. There is no heating element, but the community understanding is that the radio elements are themselves used to do the heating.
- felipemesquita 2y agoYou already can disable the heating element from the app on the current models
- forgot-im-old 2y ago[flagged]
- stanislavb 2y agoYup, my issue with Starlink is giving money to a company owned by Musk. I will avoid that as much as possible.
- iknowstuff 2y agoBoth Tesla and SpaceX have an incredibly positive impact on the world so I find this attitude hilarious
- theodric 2y agoTesla and SpaceX collectively employ 113,000 people, and I really think the story should be more about them than the guy who has the keys to the nicest office in the building. Gwynne Shotwell is a hell of an administrator. Without Starlink, I wouldn't have broadband! Elon Musk makes his questionable opinions public, but we don't know if the Hughes or Chevrolet CEO has bad opinions for which they must be cancelled, because they have PR teams and filters and the sense not to shitpost. It's possible that no product is safe.
- trompetenaccoun 2y agoIn a liberal and civilized society no one "must be cancelled" for opinions. And I personally much prefer they openly share their convictions than sneakily hiding behind corporate speak. What you're describing is done out of cowardice and greed. Maybe Tesla's stock would be higher if Musk let his PR team do the tweeting, like Bezos does. But why would anyone sensible want to listen to that? They'll say anything as long as it makes their boss look good. More importantly, what kind of person has that kind of wealth and yet is still concerned mainly with the share price and not what their conviction tells them to stand up for? There are more important things in life than money.
- 2y ago
- inemesitaffia 2y agoThis is under 2kg