Starlink mini

[EricBender208]

Has anyone used a Starlink mini on an Alaskan drop hunt? Looking for something that I can get some work stuff with.

 

[taskswap]

I haven't tried the Mini, but I can vouch for the service itself - it's been a game-changer for me. There are plenty of folks who do the "I like to be unplugged when I hunt" sneer, but being online gives me more days in the field because I can stay in touch with work and family. I think you could do a lot worse.

If you're doing a drop, are you bringing some sort of solar? You'll want to plan for 30-40W while it's running. The Starlink doesn't sync instantly. It's faster than an InReach but don't plan to turn it on for 3 minutes, check in, and turn it off. It'll drain even a decent battery pack if you use it awhile. A 60W foldable panel can give you a lot of extra run-time and they pack fairly small.

 

[hereinaz]

I used the regular on my elk hunt. It’s amazing. Question is how you get power that long.

 

[wesfromky]

Not in AK, but I have a mini and it works well for me. Draws like 25-30 watts when running, and speeds were plenty good enough for some teams video chats. The mini is nice because you can power it off of USB-C and it has a built in wifi router.

 

[Marshfly]

You need a USB source that pumps out 100w or more to use it even though it draws much less than that continuously. The draw is higher on startup.

I have mine hardwired into my AT Overland Atlas electrical system on the truck but it's in a magnetic mount so I can move if I ever need to. I use it all the time.

You will get internet pretty fast when you turn it on if you haven't moved much from the last place you used it. I normally have internet a couple of minutes after flipping the switch. The Mini is much faster to boot up than the larger units in my experience.

I would be planning to charge your power source constantly and only use the mini occasionally. I've never been to Alaska but your issue is going to be weather hampering your charging. Solar output drops fast with any cloud cover, even high cirrus.