Camping With Starlink? Here's How Much Battery Power You'll Want On Hand

If you're considering going camping with Starlink, one of the only real internet options if you're outside of cellular coverage, it's likely that you'll be using either the Mini, Standard, or Standard Actuated models. The power they consume depends on exactly which model you have. However, in general, power consumption for those three Starlink systems ranges from 25 watts up to 100 watts or more if the unit is tasked with melting snow accumulation. 

The highly-mobile Starlink Mini ranks as the unit using the least amount of power. Starlink's specifications indicate that the Mini uses 25 to 40 watts of energy. That means that a 500-watt power bank could provide from around 12.5 to 20 hours of operating time. If you only needed an internet connection for a couple of hours each day, it's possible that a power source like that could last up to a week. Perhaps longer if you have a charging source for your power station, such as a solar panel, generator, or vehicle.

The second-most energy-frugal Starlink system is the Standard Actuated system that uses 50 to 75 watts. The same 500-watt power bank from the Mini example could power the Standard Actuated system for around 6.5 to 10 hours. That leaves the Standard Starlink system with the highest consumption at 75 to 100 watts, or about five to 6.5 hours on the same power bank.

The first thing you'll want to look at is Starlink's listed power consumption for the unit you're taking camping. It's important to note that Starlink's power consumption estimates are measured in a controlled setting under ideal conditions. However, this information gives you an estimate of how much power the unit will consume so you can begin making educated guesses.

For example, the Standard Actuated Starlink specs indicate it consumes 50 to 75 watts. The higher end of the range often occurs for a brief time during the startup and satellite acquisition phase. Conversely, the lower end of the range occurs as the system settles in and begins to work smoothly. Of course, using the onboard warmer to remove snow from the dish increases energy consumption substantially, so if you're running it on battery power, it's best to remove snow manually.

Some explanation of electrical terminology might also be beneficial to help determine how long you'll stay online. When we talk about the unit consuming 50 watts it means that over an hour the device will use 50-watt hours (Wh), and in 10 hours, if the draw remains consistent, it'll use 500 Wh. The good news is that most portable power stations (battery banks) include watt-hour ratings. The bad news is that batteries often used with solar power systems, like those found on RVs and camper vans, are rated as amp hours (Ah), with popular systems configured to 12 or 24 volts. However, it's easy to convert Ah to Wh by simply multiplying the system Ah by the system voltage.