u/YellowSubmarooned

I’ve lived in my van for years and had Starlink since 2022. I have a standard size dish, which I got before the mini dish existed. I always used the Roam plans as I move around a lot.

My actuated gen 2 dish started playing up, so Starlink are sending me the latest V4X dish.

I started investigating the difference, and found out it uses significantly more power, so I also started looking at the mini, which is much lower power. Starlink don’t let use a residential plan on the mini, only roam plans. Starlink only let you select residential or roam plans on a standard size dish.

The thing I found out because of all this is that you can easily and freely move your residential plan location to wherever you are in the UK (not abroad, need roam for this) as often as you like. The cheapest residential unlimited data plan is £40/month. The unlimited data roam plan is £100/month. So if you don’t mind changing your location in the app, or having a more power hungry standard dish, you can save £60/month by using a residential plan instead of roam.

In addition to evicting the vans already on the Downs in Bristol, an injunction has been granted criminalising all new arrivals in any camper or van or whatever exceeding the normal parking restriction times. So avoid parking up there for the night.

1. The Prohibitive Mandate
The injunction specifically prohibits "persons unknown" (and named individuals where applicable) from:
• Setting up home: Using any vehicle, caravan, or mobile structure for the purpose of "living, sleeping, or residential occupation" on the specified highways or land.
• Stationing vehicles: Keeping a lived-in vehicle on the designated roads for any period exceeding standard parking regulations.
• Returning to the site: Any group or individual served with the injunction is prohibited from returning to the area to set up camp without explicit written permission from Bristol City Council. 
2. Specific Geographical Scope
The wording was amended in May 2026 to expand the "restricted zone." It now explicitly names:
• The Parkland: Clifton Down, Durdham Down, and Ladies Mile. 
• The Perimeter Roads: Circular Road, Clay Pitt Road, Downleaze, Parrys Lane, Rockleaze, Roman Road, Saville Road, Stoke Road, Westbury Park Road, and Wills Lane. 

I ride green lanes mostly alone on my CRF. After many offs in the middle of nowhere, one of which was a full somersault and another trapped my foot under the bike, it made me start thinking more seriously about being injured or trapped with no mobile signal or knocked out etc.

I brought an Apple Watch Ultra 3 a few months ago solely as it has satellite SOS with fall detection. Came off today on a byway quite hard and it detected the fall and asked if I was ok. If I was not moving around for a minute it calls help automatically. I also carry all the tools to change tubes etc after learning the hard way…

Just thought it might be useful for someone else to know this tech exists and seems to work.

You need an iPhone but you don’t need to have it with you.