Starlink

[ponytug]

I use a password manager, and for some reason when it auto populated the username/password fields, the login would fail with a message about INVALID CREDENTIALS. Typing the username/password on either the laptop or iPhone solved the problem.

I had the same problem and the same solution with the app. I have encountered it with a few other websites/portals, but not frequently. I suspect that not hitting "return" doesn't cause the field to be updated when the field has been automatically filled. (Bad coding in my view, but not something a user can change...)

All the best,

Peter

 

[Citydude]

Starlink sent me an e-mail concerning Dish. Has anyone else got this?

 

[ponytug]

Yes, it is a long and ongoing squabble between Starlink and DISH. There are other 5G bands that don't conflict with Starlink, but the DISH frequencies will interfere according to Starlink.

If you view Starlink as being more important than potentially speeding up some data speeds on some phone plans/networks, write and support Starlink's position.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Citydude]

Yes, it is a long and ongoing squabble between Starlink and DISH. There are other 5G bands that don't conflict with Starlink, but the DISH frequencies will interfere according to Starlink.

If you view Starlink as being more important than potentially speeding up some data speeds on some phone plans/networks, write and support Starlink's position.

All the best,

Peter

Thank you. I have no cell phone service in the area where my Starlink unit is so yes, I'll be sending a note to my representatives.

 

[ponytug]

While it is still worth responding to the Starlink message above, the FCC just ruled that mobile use of the 12GHz band was permitted for Starlink and Kepler, and against DISH's use of the relevant spectrum.

The FCC authorizes SpaceX’s Starlink system to be used on vehicles in motion

It’s a long-awaited authorization for SpaceX.

www.theverge.com

The ruling makes it more probable that the base use of Starlink will continue to be allowed as FCC argued that the approval was in the public interest.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Gale Hawkins]

As a kid there was a saying what goes up must come down..

Wild solar flares are causing satellites to plummet back to Earth, experts claim

THE Sun ejects solar flares on a fairly regular basis and they can play havoc with our tech. Scientists are now concerned that recent wild solar activity is causing satellites to fall to Earth. The…

www.the-sun.com

 

[ponytug]

As a kid there was a saying what goes up must come down..

Wild solar flares are causing satellites to plummet back to Earth, experts claim

THE Sun ejects solar flares on a fairly regular basis and they can play havoc with our tech. Scientists are now concerned that recent wild solar activity is causing satellites to fall to Earth. The…

www.the-sun.com

The Sun headline does paint kind of an extreme picture; the article is a little more reasonable.

Yes solar flares cause problems with satellites,
yes, Starlink tried to launch 50+ satellites into the worst solar flare in a decade, and
yes most of those came down due to the added drag of the higher altitude of the earth's atmosphere during a flare.

As a general rule, the vast majority of solar flares don't cause problems with satellites. Why? Most solar flares aren't aimed at earth. That said we are currently approaching a solar flare maximum within the current solar flare cycle. So, far the flares have been more energetic than normal which may or may not bode well for earth, the power grid, electronics, and yes, satellites.

Large flares aimed at earth can cause huge waves of magnetic fields on and around earth. Large ones are called Carrington events, also known as a type of EMP event, and probably have the ability to fry large parts of the utility electrical power grid on the side of earth facing the sun when it hits. Yes, many satellites probably won't survive, and the ones that do, will have to contend with the earth's atmosphere being higher, causing more drag on the space craft. On the other hand, satellite operators do go to a great deal of effort to protect satellites from flares by design, by turning them off during forecasted flare events, and by moving them to higher orbits before a flare is forecasted to hit earth. Since the last big Carrington type event happened before microelectronics were common, there are lots of predictions on how damaging an event would be, and most of the forecasts will be wrong. The question for all of us is which forecasts are right?

A Perfect Solar Superstorm: The 1859 Carrington Event | HISTORY

In 1859 a massive solar flare spewed electrified gas and subatomic particles toward Earth, wreaking havoc on telegrap...

www.history.com

Carrington Event - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If you have some concerns, I would suggest subscribing to NOAA's space weather forecasts. If you have big concerns, there are lots of prepper sites out there for more advice.

One more reason why having a whole house surge protector can be useful.

All the best,

Peter

 

[bdhsfz6]

Starlink sent me an e-mail concerning Dish. Has anyone else got this?


View attachment 752274

Yes, I got the same email.

I'm glad to see the FCC has taken steps to prevent Dish from interfering with Starlink.

 

[Citydude]

That's a relief. Starlink was my last option.

 

[JethroB]

I’ve had StarLink for 4 months now. Very pleased. I called Windstream yesterday to cancel the all-in $105/month decent 12 Mbps DSL service. Windstream customer retention lady offered me a year at $55 including fees/taxes a month to stay with them. Pizzed me off. I‘ve run into this cr@p before with insurance carriers, SirusXM, and others. A way to save some $$$ if you want to play their game.