Cell phone service

[Rockhopper]

Thanks for sharing RWS! Can't wait to hear how it works out

[RWS]

Thanks for sharing RWS! Can't wait to hear how it works out

And I figured out how I can run VOIP thru the WIFI and internet to get cell phone service.  So it looks like I will have a BOL offgrid with internet service and VOIP.   Now to work on getting the WIFI from the barn up the hill 125 ft to the future cabin.  It (the WIFI) might be strong enough to get there on it's own, but we will see.  I will have a plan B just in case.

[RWS]

I decided not to use the base that came with my starlink antenna.  Instead I will re-mount the TB3 Rohn thrust bearing on top of my tower.  Then I will use a 20 inch piece of 1-1/2" PVC sch40 pipe to slip over the antenna mast.  The wire will run inside the pipe down to where the pipe is clamped into the existing rotator. (my bsae mount)  The bearing will clamp down on the pipe to add additional support.
So I went up the tower today after lunch and mounted the TB3.  While up there I took pictures so you could see what the horizon looks like from the top of the 88 ft. tower. Pic 1 South view & a rare view of the top of my shop.  Shop has 2 strings of 10ea 235Watt solar panels tied into a PVP4800 string inverter (grid tied).  Pic 2 West view.  Pic 3 North view, as you can see a perfect location to track satellites across the sky.  Pic 4 Mounted TB3.  The reason for the old rotator and TB3 thrust bearing is I used to have an HF tri-band beam up there, but no longer.

[Surveyor1]

88 feet is not high enough to BASE jump is it?😳…. You could bungee!!!  Just make sure and not use the 100 foot bungee!!!

Seriously though, I get dizzy on the edge of my porch, you are a tough man than me sir!!!  Good luck with your system.😎

[RWS]

88 feet is not high enough to BASE jump is it?😳…. You could bungee!!!  Just make sure and not use the 100 foot bungee!!!

Seriously though, I get dizzy on the edge of my porch, you are a tough man than me sir!!!  Good luck with your system.😎

Yeah, Not bad for a 74 yr old man!

[Surveyor1]

Just saw this, don’t know the repercussions but just passing data…

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/feb/09/spacex-to-lose-up-to-40-starlink-satellites-after-geomagnetic-storm

[RWS]

Just saw this, don’t know the repercussions but just passing data…

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/feb/09/spacex-to-lose-up-to-40-starlink-satellites-after-geomagnetic-storm

That is why they are about a year behind.  They lost a complete launch with a rocket expolsion during take off earlier.  I think each rocket holds 60 satellites.   I had mine on order over 9 months.  Now I am waiting on the longer cable to arrive as the 75 ft. cable that came with it is not long enough.

[RWS]

This morning I went up the tower again.  I say again because I stated up yesterday and when I got up over the house the wind hit me.  I looked out and saw the trees leaning over and came back down saying there will be another day.  I went up with the Starlink antenna base on my back like a back pack.  I had bought 4 bolts and four locking nuts.  Big mistake.  I should have bought 5 locking nuts.  You always buy one to drop.  The result is I have 3 bolts holding the antenna base to the tower which will be more than plenty.

Pic 1 yours truely on the tower
Pic 2 antenna mount on top

[Abigayle]

R.W.S.  These pictures made me tighten my cheeks.  I am not afraid of heights, but I do have to ask......ARE YOU NUTS??  This erases any thoughts I had for this system.  I think I could break falling off a step.  This would be out of the question.

[Starlady]

Abigayle, there are people who tested the system last year just by setting it on its little stand in their yard.   Much depends on your sky clearance to the satellites.

[RWS]

R.W.S.  These pictures made me tighten my cheeks.  I am not afraid of heights, but I do have to ask......ARE YOU NUTS??  This erases any thoughts I had for this system.  I think I could break falling off a step.  This would be out of the question.

Yes I am crazy.  Just ask any of my neighbors.  You really do not need as good an antenna location as I have to do well with Starlink, but it helps.  I have been a ham for 40 years and have been up and down many towers.  I no longer climb for others.  When asked to climb a tower by a forty year old, this 75 year old asks them if they are crazy....

[RWS]

My 150ft starlink cable came yesterday.  Dis I run up the tower and install it?  NO.  There was a 15 mile per hour wind here with gusts above that.  I decided to wait until another day.  Today was that day.  My antenna is up and I am now working the internet on starlink.  Now all I need to do is get a tower up at my region 2 BOL and move the starlink.  I have DSL here for what it is worth. 

I have been reducing the size of my pictures so they would upload with out timing out.  I won't need to do that with starlink.  This uploaded quick.

[BennyMG1]

The Starlink we are currently using sits in the yard and work great.

[RWS]

The Starlink we are currently using sits in the yard and work great.

It is like I got a new faster computer.  I will move this system to Region2 as there is no cell service or internet.  I have DSL here, which is not that great by it gets me by.

[BennyMG1]

There’s no internet where we live. We had Hughesnet. Slow and expensive. I hope starlink puts Hughesnet out of business. They lie to people saying they can provide high speed ANYWHERE. We never got good speed. Hughesnet said it was our location and wouldn’t do anything. It was a joyful day when I boxed up their equipment and sent it back.

The starlink is INCREDIBLE!