StarLink "Service"

 I've been remiss in making recent blog posts.

My StarLink died in my absence on the Yukon trip.  That, apparently due to a thunderstorm.  That failure left me with no internet access at the house.  Since about June 9, I've been struggling with SpaceX to get repair/replacement parts.  In case you have not heard, SpaceX/StarLink has TERRIBLE customer service.  Which I will recount here.

After I returned from the trip in late June, I fiddled with things and confirmed it was a StarLink problem.  With some difficulty, I contacted StarLink "support" and described the problem.  They decided it was a bad cable from the outside antenna to the inside router.  It took about two weeks for the cable to arrive but the cable did not resolve the problem.  Meanwhile SL closed my "ticket" which made continuing the dialog more difficult.  They then sent me a router.  That router resolved the problem.  But for only about half an hour.  Then, that router died.  Again, I had to go through the rigmarole again.  They said they were going to send me another complete SL kit containing all parts needed for SL service.  I waited about three weeks for the parts to arrive.  So, I go through all the rigmarole yet again; they knew nothing of the commitment to send a new kit but promised again to send one.  I wait another several weeks before contacting again.  This time, they actually did send a kit which arrived about November 20.  The router out of the kit fixed the problem; the fix has now lasted several days and I have been enjoying internet access at the house for the first time since the June trip,  SL did refund several of the monthly service fees which I had paid.   In consideration of the low level service I was receiving.

My intent had been to pretty up my trip posts and add a photo album.  But, that fell by the wayside and I have not done it because I had internet access only through my phone or out in the pool area where SL was providing only local wifi rather than wired service into my extensive LAN.  I have had no access to my PowerWall since.   The PowerWall (installed at my house) continued to work, charging in the day from PV and discharging to provide night time power.   That is, no grid power used, day or night.  A few weeks ago, the PW quit working and I am minimizing night time power use.  I am just beginning to address the PW problem.  In the past, I have been forced to fix PW problems myself because I have been unable to get ANY PW service from Tesla. 

12/16/23

Last week, I spent around a day twiddling with at least two different ways to "reset" the PowerWall.  I thought that I had failed and put the project aside.  BUT, while traveling the past few days, I discovered that the PW was working and talking to my Tesla app!  Everything seems to be working properly and I can, in real time, look at current power levels.  As well as looking at historic power and energy levels.  So!  After nearly SIX MONTHS of pain over failed StarLink and PowerWall, my trial seems over.

12/17/23 

 https://www.google.com/maps/@26.3230503,-97.4405342,4006m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&entry=ttu

On the way back from South Padre Island, we drove by this place.  The take-away is that a 2300 acre shrimp farm in Arroyo City was abandoned in 1990s due to a shrimp virus.