What did you do TO your Gladiator today? [ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS, NO GUN TALK]

[ChrisNLA]

@ChrisNLA Starlink makes a 12v socket adapter, comes with its own 5M cable.

https://starlink.com/shop/products/us-consumer-car-adapter-mini

I saw that but was being cheap. I figured I was going to use it like this until I arranged the exact cord / power setup i want.

I just saw this on Amazon. Then I could hard wire it to the truck and still use the cord thats currently plugged in. Then i could unplug from the 12V step up brick and roll out the cord and plug into the house brick if i need internet at home and dont want to depend on the truck battery.

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[BourbonRunner]

Yup, there's a lot of ways to skin that one, Chris. My only concern in using an inverter is that sensitive electronics can get squirrelly with them if they're not pure sine, and lots of cheaper ones aren't.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Yup, there's a lot of ways to skin that one, Chris. My only concern in using an inverter is that sensitive electronics can get squirrelly with them if they're not pure sine, and lots of cheaper ones aren't.

For sure. Like I said. Temporary. Getting by with testing for a few days and then we'll probably order and install that 12V to 30V converter. Starlink is sensitive to low voltage but stepping it up to its native voltage will alleviate that, and give me flexibility. Good point on inverter quality, though. We'll keep testing limited.

I am primarily interested in if this rattles or not, anyway

 

[Tyler_OverlandJT]

For me, heavy-duty fender flares are near the top of my list. Planning to run wider tires eventually, so the extra clearance is a must-have for off-roading.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Following up on the Starlink.

No rattles or squeaks from the mounting solution, so I think that will be fine.

It performed fine from the small inverter I had. I looked back and it claims to be a pure sine wave inverter. I'm sure that's debatable as it is not a particularly expensive product, but the Starlink worked fine and did not produce any electrical noise as some folks said they do with poor power supply.

I also found where a few folks claimed Starlink had documentation at one point that claimed a modified sine wave inverter was fine for the Mini, but that information is gone from the website.

Finally, the a consensus seemed to be that since it is converting 12VDC to 115VAC back to 30VDC that the 'noise' getting beyond the Starlink brick would be minimal.

In any case, I ordered a 5521 barrel plug pigtail (that's the connector that the Mini uses) and will likely wire it direct to the truck. I have a 10G hot wire in the center console and I'll break that with a relay (triggered by the aux ignition wire under the passenger side dash) so that the Mini only runs with the truck.

I keep giant zip ties with me so if I need to use the antenna remotely I can simply cut the zip tie and pull it out, and install it back in a few moments. The Starlink kickstand stays on it (folded), so it's ready for standalone use at all times.

On the way to work this morning I had speeds between 40MBPS and 170MBPS depending on speed, direction, and tree cover. Nice.

 

[Mud Pie]

On the way to work this morning I had speeds between 40MBPS and 170MBPS depending on speed, direction, and tree cover. Nice.

When I was first online, back in 1984, I had a 300 baud dial-up connection. It amazed me. Then I upgraded to 56k dial-up and thought this was max, I was excited. In the mid 90's, my area got DSL, I jumped onboard. Holy smokes, 1.5 - 5, sometimes 15 Mbps !! The ceiling has been reached !! I actually stayed at that speed for probably well over a decade or two.

My subdivision was going fiber, I said I didn't need it, DSL was fine. Two years later, my carrier said they were cutting all copper, go fiber or go home. Reluctantly, I agreed. I wanted the cheapest plan. Now I'm at a constant 400 Mbps and the monthly is cheaper than my DSL.

And here you are getting 170Mbps....in your car. Incredible.

Now I want a Starlink for NO logical reason....thanks buddy...

 

[ChrisNLA]

When I was first online, back in 1984, I had a 300 baud dial-up connection. It amazed me. Then I upgraded to 56k dial-up and thought this was max, I was excited. In the mid 90's, my area got DSL, I jumped onboard. Holy smokes, 1.5 - 5, sometimes 15 Mbps !! The ceiling has been reached !! I actually stayed at that speed for probably well over a decade or two.

My subdivision was going fiber, I said I didn't need it, DSL was fine. Two years later, my carrier said they were cutting all copper, go fiber or go home. Reluctantly, I agreed. I wanted the cheapest plan. Now I'm at a constant 400 Mbps and the monthly is cheaper than my DSL.

And here you are getting 170Mbps....in your car. Incredible.

Now I want a Starlink for NO logical reason....thanks buddy...

We are sitting at north of 300 MBPS on cable.

They just ran fiber past the house and we are probably gonna switch just for the sake of getting a lower bill for a while.

We don't even need the speeds we have

That's OK, I had very limited logical reason for Starlink.

And here we are.

 

[Superbike1]

I replaced the k&n cold air intake with a stock air box and fresh carquest filter. I didn't like the sound or the oily residue that was in the area of the filter. I bought a nearly new looking stock air box and intake tube on the market place for 70$. Cheap filtration insurance to me.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Taking the Tazer out the other day for my recall appointment prompted me to buy the $30 extension cable. I lost feeling in the tip of my middle finger due to a run in with my table saw so my dexterity isn't what it used to be and it is that much of a PITA to plug it back in otherwise.

I also snagged one of these storage cubbies for inside the armrest. For $8 it was a cheap add on. https://a.co/d/0etTMy9J

 

[WILDHOBO]

Taking the Tazer out the other day for my recall appointment prompted me to buy the $30 extension cable. I lost feeling in the tip of my middle finger due to a run in with my table saw so my dexterity isn't what it used to be and it is that much of a PITA to plug it back in otherwise.

I also snagged one of these storage cubbies for inside the armrest. For $8 it was a cheap add on. https://a.co/d/0etTMy9J

Ouch. As careful as I am, my table saw scares me more than any tool I own. That includes some pretty dangerous tools, that don’t bother me in the slightest. I’m glad it was “just the tip”

 

[Mud Pie]

We are sitting at north of 300 MBPS on cable.

They just ran fiber past the house and we are probably gonna switch just for the sake of getting a lower bill for a while.

We don't even need the speeds we have

That's OK, I had very limited logical reason for Starlink.

And here we are.

I attempted to run the Starlink setup by my wife last year. We were at Costco and they had the Mini for a decent price. When she comes at me with pure logic, there is no talking to her. "Why do we need it ? I have an iPad Air, always connected if no WiFi. Your laptop has a SIM card, always connected, if no WiFi. Each of our phones have mobile hotspots, we can connect anything we want to them." I thought I had her..."What about when we don't get a cell signal ?" "How often does THAT happen ? Is it worth paying a monthly fee for a just in case ?? Pay every month for a "maybe" ?? When was the last time you used your SIM card in your laptop ? Seems wasteful.".

There simply is no talking to her.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I attempted to run the Starlink setup by my wife last year. We were at Costco and they had the Mini for a decent price. When she comes at me with pure logic, there is no talking to her. "Why do we need it ? I have an iPad Air, always connected if no WiFi. Your laptop has a SIM card, always connected, if no WiFi. Each of our phones have mobile hotspots, we can connect anything we want to them." I thought I had her..."What about when we don't get a cell signal ?" "How often does THAT happen ? Is it worth paying a monthly fee for a just in case ?? Pay every month for a "maybe" ?? When was the last time you used your SIM card in your laptop ? Seems wasteful.".

There simply is no talking to her.

Around here you lose cell signal on regular daily errands for 5-10 mins at a time. When out camping or on trails, there’s nothing for the entire day. I couldn’t even do any of the things I like to do without it. I used to need to carry a sat phone to check my voicemail once or twice a day. Now I don’t even need to tell my clients I’m even out of the office.

But I see your point. And I wouldn’t either if we had a cell signal in most places. We don’t even get better than 1 or 2 bars at our house. Barely usable. Starlink and wifi calling is our only solution.

 

[ChrisNLA]

I attempted to run the Starlink setup by my wife last year. We were at Costco and they had the Mini for a decent price. When she comes at me with pure logic, there is no talking to her. "Why do we need it ? I have an iPad Air, always connected if no WiFi. Your laptop has a SIM card, always connected, if no WiFi. Each of our phones have mobile hotspots, we can connect anything we want to them." I thought I had her..."What about when we don't get a cell signal ?" "How often does THAT happen ? Is it worth paying a monthly fee for a just in case ?? Pay every month for a "maybe" ?? When was the last time you used your SIM card in your laptop ? Seems wasteful.".

There simply is no talking to her.

We typically have one bar of 4G at out house, if that.

There are several places nearby that we go to where signal goes away alltogether. Which I find hilarious considering I'm an hour outside New Orleans.

Heck, my cell phone barely works when I'm at work unless I connect to their WiFi, and town is only two miles away.

Louisiana isn't 50th for nothing.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

They ran fiber in our area a year or so ago so we jumped on it. Having the speed and bandwidth are great if you have kids using it all the time. Only problem is when power goes out so does the net. Makes for “fun” times. We are most likely going with StarLink for the house and another for vehicle travel. Best part is with new employment opportunities, Internet can be a write off since it’s primary use is for work. Have to see how the plans work with running a home based dish and another in a vehicle. Probably can’t have 1 account cover both.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Another update.

Drove to lunch with a coworker. Left Starlink tuned on and my phone connected while we ate.

About 30 minutes into lunch, GladiatorLink (as I have named it in the settings) went down.

Checked the data page - I suspect the voltage got low enough that the antenna turned off.

So, with the efficiency loss via the inverter, it will work for about half an hour before it gets unhappy and turns off.

I remote started the truck from inside the restaurant and the WiFi came back on. Proves that theory.

Once it's direct to 12V I anticipate getting a little longer truck off time before it gets unhappy about voltage.

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