Starlink dishes go into “thermal shutdown” once they hit 122° Fahrenheit

Re:Starlink dishes go into “thermal shutdown” once they hit ... by HarryHirsch on Friday June 18, 2021 @10:37PM (#27557261)

That's a de-icing system. Starlink dishes have the opposite problem, they get too hot because they have to dissipate 100 watts electric energy plus the heat from the sun and the nearby rooftop.

OK, maritime outfitters will sell you a climatized radome, which will set you back a few grand. Proper engineering costs money (can't have radar fail in the middle of the Strait of Malacca), and that's why Elon relies on his army of fanboys, Elon's outrageous conduct is part of marketing.

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Re:Starlink dishes go into “thermal shutdown” once they hit ... by babesh on Saturday June 19, 2021 @12:01AM (#27557639)

What sort of magical solution is there though for the price of the dish? If the ambient temperature is 50 degrees C, you need cooling. It looks like the Hughes dish is a little better at 55 degrees C. Looks like the expensive solution is that randome irrespective of the particular dish. The cheap solutions seem to be myriad. Relocating it, putting it under shade, sprinklers, fans.

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Re:Starlink dishes go into “thermal shutdown” once they hit ... by slipframe on Friday June 18, 2021 @11:14PM (#27557414)

> OK, maritime outfitters will sell you a climatized radome, which will set you back a few grand.

To be fair, isn't the maritime market a bit like the aviation market, where a pack of 6 disposable AA batteries potted in a pack will cost you $43? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1YjGLwfYSQ&t=37)

On land with a good supply of fresh water (so, not in drought regions) I think you could probably cool a dish for a few dollars of parts with an open-loop cooling system. I'm not sure how much water you would actually need though, it might be an unconscionable waste in the regions that are prone to these sort of temperatures in the first place.

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Re:Starlink dishes go into “thermal shutdown” once they hit ... by HarryHirsch on Saturday June 19, 2021 @06:57AM (#27559500)

To be fair, isn't the maritime market a bit like the aviation market, where a pack of 6 disposable AA batteries potted in a pack will cost you $43?

Fair point, a portable AC sets you back 150 dollars or so, so with outdoor proofing and all, you can build a passable cooling system for 250 dollars. That would be the proper engineering solution, but it wouldn't look cool, like the steering yoke in the recent Tesla.

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