Key Points:
- Starlink's has revealed a new generation of hardware on the Starlink website - a next generation "Starlink Standard".
- The prior auto-aiming pole-mounted Starlink Standard is now known as the "Starlink Actuated".
- The original width specs released by Starlink were wrong and now the dish more closely matches what was revealed in FCC filings earlier this year. Likely this is one of the two expected dishes from Starlink.
SpaceX has updated the Starlink website with some details about new Starlink hardware that is seemingly targeted towards "RV's, nomads, and campers" and for residential use - an entirely new Starlink Standard without an integrated mounting pole or motors.
The previous pole-mounted Starlink Standard with aiming motors will now be known as the "Starlink Actuated".
But the new Starlink Standard is not just the pole mounted version with the pole cut off.
The capabilities, dimensions, aiming and power requirements have all changed as well - and not always for the better.
Details about the new dish option are still rolling out on the Starlink website - and the new hardware is not available as an option in the checkout process yet.
We will continue to update this breaking story as further details are revealed.
Table of Contents
Starlink Standard Video Overview
The All New Starlink Standard
The new Starlink Standard is slightly taller and wider than the old model, though it packs down much flatter without the integrated mounting pole that automatically aims the Starlink toward the northern sky when it is powered on.
Note: Starlink originally had the new Standard Dish width the same width as the Standard Actuated, but later updated the specs to show its actually 15.07" vs 11.9" wide.
Instead of robotic aiming - according to the new setup video, the Starlink app will guide you through manually aiming the Starlink towards the right section of sky, using a detachable kickstand to angle the panel correctly.
Starlink will also be offering accessories for more conventional fixed mounting onto roofs and poles.
Removing the robotics undoubtedly makes this new Starlink system cheaper to manufacture - though the price remains the same at $599.
The new Starlink Standard supports tracking satellites across a wider field of view of the sky above - 110-degrees, compared to the 100-degree view of the Standard Actuated model. This is still far less of a field of view than the Starlink Flat High Performance model, which can track a 140-degree field of view.
The biggest surprise is that the new Starlink Standard is actually substantially more power hungry than the Starlink Actuated model.
According to the specs SpaceX has published, the new Starlink Standard consumes 75-100 Watts in use, more than the 50-75 Watts of the Starlink Actuated.
Here is our table comparing the key differences of the three dishes:
The new Starlink Standard is designed to be used with the third generation Starlink router - which we have covered previously.
This router brings more advanced Wi-Fi 6 capabilities for your hosted Wi-Fi network, and integrated Ethernet out ports that make it easier to tie into a wired network or other more advanced router.
One other significant difference - the notoriously delicate and oddly asymmetric Starlink cable that connects the outdoor receiver with the router seems to have been redesigned, and we can only hope that it is no longer nearly as prone to failure.
The power supply for the new Standard Dish is a separate piece of equipment that is not integrated into the router, and remains AC without official 12v support.
Initial Analysis
Starlink has updated its plan page to show this new generation Starlink Standard is now the recommended hardware for "RVs, nomads, and campers" - and indeed, the flatter hardware should make for a more easily storable and portable solution than the old pole-mounted Starlink.
And based on the other updates SpaceX has published, this new hardware also seems to be intended for residential installations as well.
For use on vehicles in motion and on boats, the much more expensive Flat High Performance system remains Starlink's recommended option.
But the Starlink store has not been updated to allow this hardware to be ordered yet, and much of the rest of the Starlink website has not yet been updated to reflect this new option.
Based on a just published FAQ, it seems that SpaceX is initially going to be making the new Starlink Standard available only to select invited testers in the USA.
There is no guidance yet on when it will be opened up to a wider audience.
We will be tracking the emerging details closely - and will keep this story updated as we learn more.
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