My Starlink, the negatives of connectivity

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Times definitely change. Tangentially related, during college and for a decade or so afterwards, my job required international trips that would last up to 30 days. Pre-cellphone and pre-wifi. When I compare those trips to the ones I made after cellphones/internet became available, they were more raw, real, and impactful to my life and way of thinking. I had to prepare so much more, learn more about the local culture, use physical maps, learn some of the language, etc. It was literally going on a new adventure each trip.

After cellphones (especially smartphones), my trips became routine and uneventful. They lost a lot of intrigue, wonder, and excitement. Every trip became quite similar to the last. My wife would ask how a trip went and I couldn't really think of much to tell her (since we had communicated regularly the whole time).

I'm still grateful for the "living on the leading edge" experiences I had as a young man.

My experiences at Powell seem to be following a similar arc. Some challenges remain (mechanical failure, weather events, etc) but many have been swept aside by technological advances (inReach, GPS, bathymetric data, cellphones, internet, reliable food storage, better sleeping arrangements, etc). One thing that keeps Lake Powell "new and adventurous" for me, as many have said, is the fluctuating water levels and runoff variations. It's a different lake every trip!
 
Dorado said:
You have confirmed my suspicions...Great post! I appreciate having an InReach to use only in case of emergency, but have absolutely no interest in having connectivity when I am camping. Even if you say you are not going log on or check email/texts, I still find myself doing it out of habit.
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I like to disconnect on the lake as well. The only use for a cell is to text the name of the camp site we settled on to friends planning to meet us and then it gets turned off until the next designated time for communication with them (if needed). We all use the same map and have documented a name for each camp we like. We meet up day one and if the party wants too we can move the next day. works great.
 
We rented a Starlink system last month while on a houseboat trip. Worked great. But, when it was time to dig or retrieve anchors, it miraculously turned off. I have a medium-sized business and elderly parents, so it worked really well. For many years before that, it was the sat phone that kept me in touch.
 
We just recently got back from our first family houseboating trip. I was looking forward to interacting with my nieces and nephews which has been almost nonexistent the last few years because they are always glued to electronics. Prior to our trip, my sister informed me that her oldest needed to have internet access to keep up on some college courses. I reluctantly suggested they consider starlink as that would be the only way to have reliable internet on the houseboat. They ended up renting a starlink unit and sure enough the older kids with smart phones were absent for most of the trip. Starlink did prove useful when troubleshooting some minor problems and for checking the weather, but definitely took away from the experience. Thinking about banning starlink on future trips.
 
BartsPlace said:
Times definitely change. Tangentially related, during college and for a decade or so afterwards, my job required international trips that would last up to 30 days. Pre-cellphone and pre-wifi. When I compare those trips to the ones I made after cellphones/internet became available, they were more raw, real, and impactful to my life and way of thinking. I had to prepare so much more, learn more about the local culture, use physical maps, learn some of the language, etc. It was literally going on a new adventure each trip.

After cellphones (especially smartphones), my trips became routine and uneventful. They lost a lot of intrigue, wonder, and excitement. Every trip became quite similar to the last. My wife would ask how a trip went and I couldn't really think of much to tell her (since we had communicated regularly the whole time).

I'm still grateful for the "living on the leading edge" experiences I had as a young man.

My experiences at Powell seem to be following a similar arc. Some challenges remain (mechanical failure, weather events, etc) but many have been swept aside by technological advances (inReach, GPS, bathymetric data, cellphones, internet, reliable food storage, better sleeping arrangements, etc). One thing that keeps Lake Powell "new and adventurous" for me, as many have said, is the fluctuating water levels and runoff variations. It's a different lake every trip!
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You don't often encounter true insight and wisdom in four short paragraphs, but Bart, you nailed it. That's why I don't use GPS, depthfinders, etc. and still rely on physical maps. It forces you to really learn where you are, and be more aware of your surroundings. And besides, it's more fun.
 
JFRCalifornia said:
You don't often encounter true insight and wisdom in four short paragraphs, but Bart, you nailed it. That's why I don't use GPS, depthfinders, etc. and still rely on physical maps. It forces you to really learn where you are, and be more aware of your surroundings. And besides, it's more fun.
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I agree, there is a certain connection you get from being present and undistracted. I don't discount the use of GPS or depth finders though, since I find they are massively useful for what they do. I also use the Navionics app away from the lake to figure out potential camp locations, route planning, etc. Doing any of this with physical maps is more troublesome. I do like the physical maps for the big picture and destinations though.

When hiking/backpacking, I don't think it is good to rely on GPS though, since the potential for a dead battery is WAY too high to rely on it.

Interestingly, the US Navy had stopped requiring celestial navigation but has returned to requiring sailors to learn it due to the potential for electronic mischief during wartime. I think it will improve overall seamanship. I would also like to learn celestial navigation and more of the constellations, since I find the star charts I use on my phone/iPad are too distracting and oddly difficult to use.
 
JFRCalifornia said:
You don't often encounter true insight and wisdom in four short paragraphs, but Bart, you nailed it. That's why I don't use GPS, depthfinders, etc. and still rely on physical maps. It forces you to really learn where you are, and be more aware of your surroundings. And besides, it's more fun.
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JFR, when you become president you will need Starlink at the lake to keep up with world affairs!
 
I am one that had tried EVERYTHING to get my dad to relax and enjoy the lake and family, but without connection it could not happen (small business). I even purchased cell repeaters that worked OK depending on where you were in the lake, and rented satellite network connections (this was very costly and sucked), and even a satellite phone . Then finally this year Starlink, However this is the first year my dad was retired.

I will say we used it a little but it was very nice knowing that we had an emergency line if needed. Heck, This was better than my sat phone.

I have a used 2 times sat phone for sale and very nice WeBoost RV (used 3 times) for sale ;)
 
To each their own, but I am on airplane mode the whole time I am anywhere near Lake Powell. To disturb that peace of mind we worked so hard to attain, and cherish so greatly, with something as trivial as communication with civilization and the internet...no thanks!
But, if having connection meant I could go to Lake Powell more, then...nah, nevermind!
I am a wannabe surfer, as in the ocean with waves, and what Bart described has ruined the joy of showing up at the beach and "happening to find" good waves. Now forecasts, swell charts, buoy readings, subscriptions etc. have made it so that you don't even want to go to the beach if its not perfect, and guess what? Everyone else is there too waiting on that "perfect" wave too. More time is spent looking at Surfline than at the beach. Being at the beach and its ability to take me away from the world is the draw, not the perfect wave.
Being at the lake, with the ability to take me away from the world is the draw, not the ability to know how my portfolio did, how the weather is supposed be, or whatever I didn't make the time to take care of before I left.
But alas, to each their own :)
 
kgbg said:
To each their own, but I am on airplane mode the whole time I am anywhere near Lake Powell. To disturb that peace of mind we worked so hard to attain, and cherish so greatly, with something as trivial as communication with civilization and the internet...no thanks!
But, if having connection meant I could go to Lake Powell more, then...nah, nevermind!
I am a wannabe surfer, as in the ocean with waves, and what Bart described has ruined the joy of showing up at the beach and "happening to find" good waves. Now forecasts, swell charts, buoy readings, subscriptions etc. have made it so that you don't even want to go to the beach if its not perfect, and guess what? Everyone else is there too waiting on that "perfect" wave too. More time is spent looking at Surfline than at the beach. Being at the beach and its ability to take me away from the world is the draw, not the perfect wave.
Being at the lake, with the ability to take me away from the world is the draw, not the ability to know how my portfolio did, how the weather is supposed be, or whatever I didn't make the time to take care of before I left.
But alas, to each their own :)
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I hear the argument “I can only go if I am connected” a lot. From friends and family. Mostly that I find it hard to believe that anyone is so important that they can’t be away for a few days. As you say, to each their own.
 
Dorado said:
I hear the argument “I can only go if I am connected” a lot. From friends and family. Mostly that I find it hard to believe that anyone is so important that they can’t be away for a few days. As you say, to each their own.
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I agree with you and as I say there is no right or wrong way to enjoy Powell, to each his own. I read an article in Travel Magazine over 20 years ago that was talking about cell phones. Remember, in the beginning cell phones and being constantly connected was a status symbol, like oh you must be so important if you need a cell phone? The author predicted that in the future only really important people, that only people of high status would be able on vacation without being connected, to go without a cell phone. I think that was almost prophetic, sure seems true today.
 
Marina Bum said:
As I've been ruminating on this post and reading all of your thoughts I've come to the realization that maybe the Lake Powell experience is just already changed forever.

When I see how connected through technology everybody is all the time now I fear that the next generation may never know the joys of "being unavailable" lost in time and space, isolated on Lake Powell. Not just please don't call me but I can't be reached. They might not get to experience that after three of four days of being out you didn't know what time it was, what day it was, what was going on in the world and further more you did not care. It was all a part of the whole "Magnificent Desolation", the other worldly out of reach vibe that used to be the shared common experience on the lake, no communication with the outside world. Looking back It was a wonderful part of the Lake Powell Experience, we didn't know how lucky we were and that that it was about to change big time. That soon everyone would expect even demand that you be available all the time.

If you are under 50 you might not even remember a time when there weren't at least cell phones available on the lake. Bill Sampson's description on this thread was just what it was like back in the 70's through the early 90's. In the future people may have to intentionally seek out a communications free experience here on the lake to get an idea of what it was like but it won't ever again the shared common experience of being unavailable, completely disconnected.
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Bum, It does not have to be like that for the kids. Teach them how to own their time, especially their time off work. I recognize that my career offers me an opportunity not all have. You might help them choose a career that allows them to disconnect over one that will not. When I used to (as younger man) think about a career I never thought about this. I spent years tethered to a phone, customers, emails, faxes before that, and pay phones before that, allowing people to make demands on my time. I can't believe how easy it was when I just said eff it, I am taking time off and I am not taking calls. I prepped harder and told all my customers, and the vast majority of them said, DON'T CALL ME, enjoy your trip!

I was just out in Kaua'i, way up north in Ha'ena, there is no cell service up there. There is a movement to get a cell tower up that way from someplace, because there are signs all over the area saying "Cell No!" I couldn't agree more.

I imagine a VERY near future where there are VERY FEW prized places where there is no signal, where people will go just for that feature.
At first it will be to just disconnect, but then it will be to get away from the big alexa in the sky.
Marina Bum said:
I agree with you and as I say there is no right or wrong way to enjoy Powell, to each his own. I read an article in Travel Magazine over 20 years ago that was talking about cell phones. Remember, in the beginning cell phones and being constantly connected was a status symbol, like oh you must be so important if you need a cell phone? The author predicted that in the future only really important people, that only people of high status would be able on vacation without being connected, to go without a cell phone. I think that was almost prophetic, sure seems true today.
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I tell everyone prior to our House Boat Trips, that we were not prioritizing cell service at all, as in not a little bit, so if you can't tidy up your affairs, beware that you will be off the grid for a few days at least and prepare for the consequences. One of our fellow Powells (as I like to call them) tried to demand access daily, and I said "remember what I said about that?" He replied with "some of us have real jobs....". I real life, old school, lol'd and said "yep, those of us who don't have to check in from Powell". We didn't go to the marina :)
Now I obviously don't think those of us whom cannot get away don't have real jobs, but I will struggle to accept that anyone I know is that important anywhere besides their own head.
I was reminded of that when you told about that article. Very fascinating that whomever the author was had that insight. Thanks for sharing.
 
I have starlink too on our boat. But I still think Powell is best without technology. Although I will say when my folks are out on the Lake for a couple weeks by themselves. They are 76 and 82. It's really nice for them to have a way to call or get help if needed. And I can check in on them.

I tend to find the re entry to everyday life is easier not being totally disconnected after a week or so on the lake. But I find that nothing beats being completed disconnected during our time at powell. 20-30 year ago when we were on the lake we couldn't help but wonder did we miss anything when we got back into Wahweap and turned on the radio in the car for the ride home. In reality we never missed anything truly important that we could have done anything about had we known.
 
Boat 405 said:
I have starlink too on our boat. But I still think Powell is best without technology. Although I will say when my folks are out on the Lake for a couple weeks by themselves. They are 76 and 82. It's really nice for them to have a way to call or get help if needed. And I can check in on them.

I tend to find the re entry to everyday life is easier not being totally disconnected after a week or so on the lake. But I find that nothing beats being completed disconnected during our time at powell. 20-30 year ago when we were on the lake we couldn't help but wonder did we miss anything when we got back into Wahweap and turned on the radio in the car for the ride home. In reality we never missed anything truly important that we could have done anything about had we known.
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Just because we can connect does not mean that we have to choose to connect. Staying connected is an addiction. Like someone above said, none of us are as important as we think we are in our own minds, that we can’t set our affairs in order before we leave and then just disconnect.
Just because we have cell phones and starlink does not mean we have to look at our phones or stream a football game or Netflix. It’s a choice, plain and simple.
I do personally find it reassuring (given how wild and unpredictable Powell is) that we have that choice, to reconnect, but my intent is to only use it for emergency situations.
 
I used to have a hard time staying disconnected with work, took me years to be able turn work off. Airplane mode is no issues anymore. That being said I do enjoy a little Sportscenter on the deck of the boat in the morning, my family loves to sleep, I get up.
 
FishnFly said:
Just because we can connect does not mean that we have to choose to connect. Staying connected is an addiction. Like someone above said, none of us are as important as we think we are in our own minds, that we can’t set our affairs in order before we leave and then just disconnect.
Just because we have cell phones and starlink does not mean we have to look at our phones or stream a football game or Netflix. It’s a choice, plain and simple.
I do personally find it reassuring (given how wild and unpredictable Powell is) that we have that choice, to reconnect, but my intent is to only use it for emergency situations.
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It absolutely is a choice. My shared ownership houseboat has Starlink (new this year) and I think I might be the only owner that chooses to not use it on their trip. I like the safety net of having it as an option, but I only want to use it if there is a true emergency. Several of my new guests this year were a little uncomfortable with the thought of being disconnected for an entire week. After about a day, everyone got used to it and loved it. It really allows everyone to be present, live in the moment, and feel a sense of adventure. I was the only person with knowledge of the password and not once was I tempted to connect my phone, and I'm a millennial haha. At the end of the week, a few of them were actually dreading connecting their phone and getting all the missed notifications.

For people that wanted their house-sitters and pet-sitters to be able to get ahold of them in an emergency we provided them the ability to send a satellite text to my Garmin inReach device. From there we could connect the Starlink if further communication would be needed. No emergency texts came through :) For some people, being disconnected is a dealbreaker and has actually prevented them from joining on this trip. But I will continue to deny use of the Starlink for anything but an emergency - in my opinion, it totally defeats the purpose of a Powell trip.
 
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