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Starlink changes In-motion speed limits

Tooch said:
So I just got back from flying. I got the speed warning while on standby mode. Bummer
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Same here, I wonder if the $ 5.00/month plan Starlink looked at the revenue loss as to much for them for aircraft usage. Maybe they will bring back the $ 50.00/month plan that allows users up to 300 mph? My $ 5.00/month was working pretty good until Match 1st.

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Sounds like they’re aware of the backlash. I told them to cancel my account, and got the following response:

While I cannot provide details, your concern is shared by many of our aviation customers and may lead to new plan development in the future, but at this time, we only have our 300 and 450 Aviation plans available. As the dish is your property, you are able to transfer, give away, or sell the dish as you desire, but if you do change your mind, we are offering that first month of Aviation 300 or 450 at no cost.
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NORDO Industries LLC said:
Sounds like they’re aware of the backlash. I told them to cancel my account, and got the following response:
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The GA world is so small that our complaints don’t often move the needle. It will be interesting to see if Starlink decides to give us a break. The message you received is actually a better response than I would have expected!
 
David Z said:
I have set up my phone as a mobile hotspot. Then every device that I want can connect to my phone and get data. There are some dead zones, but they aren't terribly big.

If it works reasonably well in Northern Ontario, following roads, I'm sure it will work even better in more densely populated areas.
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Cell service tends to cap out at ~5k in altitude for me.

The reality is, $250 for 20gb is peanuts in the satcom world; prior to Starlink, that amount of data would be $20k or more, and require an expensive gimbal-driven antenna.

Personally I've been holding out for a smaller starlink terminal (half the size of the mini, half the data rate is fine by me), or direct to cell coverage with LTE or even 3G speeds.
 
Dugaru said:
The GA world is so small that our complaints don’t often move the needle. It will be interesting to see if Starlink decides to give us a break. The message you received is actually a better response than I would have expected!
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The needle may be wiggling a bit.
This guys channel reports on all things Starlink, at the 14 minute mark he mentions the many upset general aviation pilots caused by the speed reduction.
 
Starlink is great- but this policy is BS.
Since they are tracking us why don't they just charge us $5.00 a day or something like that when we are using it?
Stupid policies like this destroy customer loyalty, and folks complain a lot more when they get wronged than they compliment when things go right.
 
Regardless of the dollar value, this seems like a bait and switch. You buy a product with the understanding that it does X, and then after you buy it, the company changes its mind and says you have to pay extra for X. Imagine if our shop tools behaved like this. Oh, that drill you bought from us fair and square? Now it won't take #30 and #40 bits unless you pay us more.

Same for that Garmin device in comment #51. Oh, you bought that device from us? Thanks for your money, sucker, now we're going to make it stop working.
 
Draker said:
Regardless of the dollar value, this seems like a bait and switch. You buy a product with the understanding that it does X, and then after you buy it, the company changes its mind and says you have to pay extra for X. Imagine if our shop tools behaved like this. Oh, that drill you bought from us fair and square? Now it won't take #30 and #40 bits unless you pay us more.

Same for that Garmin device in comment #51. Oh, you bought that device from us? Thanks for your money, sucker, now we're going to make it stop working.
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Ryan, I think the Norwegians are trying to address the phenomena you are describing:

It almost seems like the world is uniquely focused on short term money...🤔
 
F18Sailor said:
Cell service tends to cap out at ~5k in altitude for me.

The reality is, $250 for 20gb is peanuts in the satcom world; prior to Starlink, that amount of data would be $20k or more, and require an expensive gimbal-driven antenna.

Personally I've been holding out for a smaller starlink terminal (half the size of the mini, half the data rate is fine by me), or direct to cell coverage with LTE or even 3G speeds.
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I just had a thought...

Has anyone tried mounting a vehicle cell phone signal booster? I found something like this: https://www.ubersignal.com/products/weboost-470154-drive-reach-mobile-signal-booster-kit

And it got me thinking... what if I put one in and put the outside antenna on the bottom rather than the top?
 
Dugaru said:
The GA world is so small that our complaints don’t often move the needle
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We're also perceived as being made of money, so the "aviation" version of anything is more expensive, and there's never a deal or promotion, because we're all millionaires. Last time I bought a car, SiriusXM was jumping down my throat to get me to try a multiple-month free trial of their music subscription. I finish my RV, and the free satellite weather deals are nowhere to be found.
 
Low Pass said:
I "know a guy" who tried it with a Wilson amplifier. Didn't work.
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I also tried cradlepoint modem w/ wifi with higher gain antennas - didn't work. I just mocked up the antenna inside the cowling. It didn't have a good groundplane (just that of the magnet antenna).... Anyone try mounting an antenna to the belly or forming a good groundplane to try to optimize cell signal? I'm kinda banking on AST and Starlink augmenting normal cell signal to solve this....
 
RyanWhite said:
I'm kinda banking on AST and Starlink augmenting normal cell signal to solve this....
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Three weeks ago, I flew from central Texas to Colorado at 12,000’. I had cell reception for probably 70% of the flight. About half 5G. I even had a video call with my son. I’ve flown that same route at least 30 times and have never seen cell reception like that. Has something changed?
 
I had decent signal yesterday on my old Note 20 on T-Mo @ 8.5k. normally I have nothing at that altitude. I have to fly back from Bemidji, MN to (KBJI -02MO) St Louis tomorrow. I'm curious if it was a fluke. I have a mini, but starlink sent it to me for free. It's never been turned on, but it'll probably get used quite a bit at Oshkosh 26.
 
larrynew said:
Three weeks ago, I flew from central Texas to Colorado at 12,000’. I had cell reception for probably 70% of the flight. About half 5G. I even had a video call with my son. I’ve flown that same route at least 30 times and have never seen cell reception like that. Has something changed?
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T-Mobile has teamed with Starlink. ATT and Verizon have teamed with AST. Both AST and Starlink are launching satellites that will provide cell signal from the sky - you may be picking up on some early prototyping.
 
RyanWhite said:
T-Mobile has teamed with Starlink. ATT and Verizon have teamed with AST. Both AST and Starlink are launching satellites that will provide cell signal from the sky - you may be picking up on some early prototyping.
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I'm aware of the T-Mo / Starlink partnership. It says most phones 4 years or newer, but my phone is 6 years old. When Starlink to phone first came out, I checked and it was not compatible with Starlink. Now when I check the IMEI, it says it's not even compatible with T-Mo's Network at all, so...
 
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