Starlink Power Use Test [What Size Jackery Power Generator for Overlanding or Vanlife]
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- Опубліковано 15 лип 2024
- This is a very different video for Grande Overland. I just picked up a Starlink set-up to allow for wireless internet access pretty much anywhere with direct line of sight to the sky. It quickly dawned on me that I would likely need a large power source. I have a Jackery 500 and 240 to run my ICECO portable fridge and electronics but knew that would not be enough juice to feed the Startlink, let alone the laptop. So, I decided to simulate an 8 hour work day using the 500 watt solar generator (24Ah) and ONLY plugging in the Starlink with no solar panel input, while the laptop would be kept alive by the 240. Although I only did a 4 hour test, it gave me enough information to let me know what size lithium ion power source I would need for my next overlanding trip. There was a laptop hooked up to the Wi-Fi streaming UA-cam videos, along with two smart phones, this should emulate a normal situation. Ok, so after the first hour the Jackery was down 9%, after 2 hours 18% and after 3 hours 27% … so you see the trend here. At the completion of the 4 hour test we lost a total of about 36%, which means the Starlink is consuming an average of 9% per hour. To air on the side of caution let's round that up to 10% per hour, that way you have a little wiggle room. When stretched out over a typical 8.5 hour work day, that would be approximately 85% of the Jackery. So yes, a 500 Watt Jackery would power your Starlink for one day but leave you with about 15-25% juice left in the tank. Keep in mind I did not have solar plugged in, but you never know what the conditions will be like, so this test was to simulate the worst-case scenario. To compound the situation the laptop was not plugged into the same Jackery, so at that point, unless you had a high-end solar panel with sunny skies, there is no way a 500 Watt unit would cover your needs for a typical work day. This becomes more apparent when you're talking about a full work week, and keeping your fingers crossed that you will catch sunny skies the entire time to heat up your solar. I feel like the results would be comparable with a Yeti Goal Zero, Bluetti, Anker or any other portable power stations. At the end of this test I would say in my nonprofessional opinion that at least a 1000 watt unit would be needed to keep your Starlink and accompanying devices alive while working remote full time. If you decide to pick up a Starlink for your camping and overlanding adventures, I hope this video helps you decide what power generator you will need and also give you an idea of the final costs. The Starlink after tax and shipping to my house was about $700, then you need to add in a power source with solar panel and probably some sort of travel case (which will be in an upcoming video), so this nifty bit of kit will cost well over a thousand bucks when said and done.
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Very informative indeed. Already have a Jackery 1000 that came with 2x100w solar panels plus got a delta 2 1024. Last but not least I have a lifepo4 200ah 12v battery along with a pecron dc charger. 50w draw for 8hrs per day for a weekend getaway is doable. Thanks again for this!!
...200ah battery, you are going to be set for a long trip with that kind of power. Might as well take advantage of it and extend your camping vacations!
"...pretending to work, like I normally pretend to work." Forgets that his co-workers are subscribers... LOL! I love this man - Amanda too!
I was wondering how long you would take to call that out!
Great video/test! Just what i needed as i figure out what to buy for my set up.
Was hoping the video would help answer some questions. Always nice getting a little info before finding things out the hard way...which is usually my M.O.
@Grande Overland exactly what I'm trying to avoid 😆 these things are costly as it is, don't want to double it!
@@AlesAdventuresAndCreations ...solar generator and solar panel more than doubled it. My excuse to make myself feel better about it is if something goes wrong in the middle of nowhere, I can still call for help. And also just ignoring my bank account.
thanks for the data, also having those tissues in the middle of the yard at daylight is for legends
First off, nice fish in your profile pic, that thing is a stud. Thank you, those tissues were worth the criminal record I now have. LOL. Uptight neighbors...
Go as big as you can with the Jackery ha ha! It seems like I'm collecting them. I have two 500s and one 1000 and now I want a bigger one. What I take....just depends on the trip. Thanks for the video!
Unfortunately, I believe you are correct. A 1000 would be the bare minimum it would seem. Like most aspects of life, more power is usually better!
thanks for the video
Good work
I appreciate it, thank you.
I got the BROWEY Portable Power Station with 600wH and a 30W Solar Panel. I figures that gives me a solid 2 days of work with the starlink on its own without additional solar
I think that should cut the mustard for keeping the Starlink happy. I am currently using a Jackery 1000 Pro with a 100W ridge panel on the truck roof to keep it juiced up. When the computer is plugged in as well, I have to add a 120W foldable panel to the mix to keep battery levels topped off. I get the feeling I could have probably gone about it in a more efficient manner.
Heck yea i might do a 1000w would probably run it for a 12 hour shift no problem maybe also while charging the battery from my trucks cigarette lighter will not drain the battery very much but thanks man looking into making portable go box with the starlink attached to the top hopefully it does well for the areas i work in so far starlink is a life saver in California
I ended up going with a Jackery 1000 Pro. It has been doing the job pretty well while running the Starlink and laptop. I've got solar on the roof of the truck, which helps a lot. Only big hit it takes is when everything is turned on before the sun comes up high enough to help out. I've been told switching the Starlink to a 12V is the way to go, but haven't had a chance to look into it yet. Hopefully the video was a bit helpful overall. Thanks for watching!
Thanks
came for the power info.... stayed, liked and subscribed at 6:10 😆😆 Seriously though...I didn't realize these things were such power hogs. Kinda dampens my enthusiasm...now it feels more like a "special occasion" device
I ended up getting a Jackery 1000 Pro and even when hooked up to a 100W ridged solar panel, my computer and Starlink will put it down to half after 8 hours. It's is a very thirsty combo! Thank you for the support. At least I hope it was entertaining for a kinda boring topic
@@grandeoverland6787 it was; thank you!
@@Wonderhussy Obviously subscribed to you as well. Looks like you have a lot of entertainment to check out...should make getting to CA amusing tomorrow.
there are several videos in youtube about using starlink directly from 12v DC power. i applied it with my 24v system. The power consumption of starlink got reduced by a third.
I have seen a few of those out there, I need to probably make that conversion to 12V. I am guessing it will have the same benefits as running your fridge on 12V. @@agps4418
Hey great video. I bought a Starlink Gen 3 and wanted to use boondocking with an Ecoflow Delta 2 with Ecoflow extra battery. The combination supposedly offers 2048 Wh. The Gen 3 reportedly uses 100 W. When I used them together only got about 4 hours or so. Seems to be too low. Am I thinking correctly? Thanks.
If I am reading this correctly, you have over 2000 Watt Hours and only got 4 hours of use out of your Starlink? Was anything else plugged into your Ecoflow? That is really low. If the draw is 100W, then it still should only have used 400W in those 4 hours. On the screen of the Ecoflow, can you see what the average(ish) power draw is? Something just seems off.
@@grandeoverland6787 Thank you. Yes I need to retry the whole set up and see if it happens again.
Look into your StarLink settings - if it was cold out it may have been Heating the dish (which is used to keep it clear of ice/snow). I find mine can turn on well above freezing.
I was a little bit confused about the solar panels. Are they powering the Jacory? Or do you completely charge the Jacari somewhere like at home for it to have a full charge and then just use that? When do the solar panels come in to play?
Normally you would have the solar panels plugged into the Jackery the whole time (as long as the sun is up) to off set the power draw of the devices (helping keep the Jackery at a fuller charge). During this video I didn't have a solar panel plugged into the Jackery so we could see how much power the Starlink would consume per hour. It gives you numbers to work with so you know what size power unit to buy. Also, if you where camping during cloudy weather (so the solar panels wouldn't work), you now know what size Jackery you would need to keep your Starlink and other gear running. So this is a worse case scenario experiment. Normally you would charge the Jackery to 100% at home and have it plugged into solar while in the field. Hope this helps and I didn't make things worse! LOL
Good to know! My fridge draws about the same. Why is this thing such a current hog!?
That's beyond my pay grade to understand but it certainly changed my plans and bank account! In Moab now and how to borrow my brother's 1000W, along with my 500W and 240W to hopefully make it through.
Apparently you can shave off 15-30% power usage by going direct DC instead of the inverter route, might be an option as there's a 12v DC jack on the battery pack that you could use if you wanted to squeeze the most from it. Its very messy/fiddly with adapters and boosters tho.This is a good out of the box solution.
You are right, switching to DC seems to be the way to go if you need every watt to count. Really is too bad Mr. Musk did include an adapter with the original kit.
@@grandeoverland6787my starlink RV requires AC, won’t run off DC. So not sure if that’s an option. Turning the Starlink to sleep mode does help a bit though.
What table is that?
Got it through Backcountry during a BlackFriday sale. Its' called Stoic Dirtbag Dining Table. Link below. I have been using it for about 18 months and been great so far.
www.backcountry.com/stoic-dirtbag-dining-table
Switch the Dishy over to 12 volt and try the same test!
I think it would make a huge difference. That is on the to-do list for sure.
@@grandeoverland6787 I recently finished the no cut DC conversion and it reduced juice consumption by about half. Not running the inverter saves a lot of the juices. Plus you get a router that you can control!
@@marktebo3714 Sounds like a double win to me. Thanks for that info, looks like I will be doing the same thing over here.
Between the annoying music, corny jokes and long drawn out extra talking. 🙄
Thank you for the constructive criticism.