Starlink Mini raised mounting

gklott

Senior Member
RV LIFE Pro
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
542
Location
Johnson City
Shown is our latest method to get Starlink Mini above our E19’s roof. Mast is 2” OD, 1/8” wall, 2 ft long Penninger aluminum Snap Tube sections with flanged joiner between mast sections. The base mount is a 2” flag pole hitch receiver mount. As shown with five mast sections, the Mini antenna’s height is 11-1/2 ft. above ground. The 2 ft mast lengths make for easy storage. The Mini’s pole adapter is the robust Tiuihi 2” pole adapter, not the Starlink pole adapter that comes with the Mini kit. The Mini’s power source is the 12V to USB-C (PD 100W) adapter shown in our trailer’s rear 12V outlet. I use a 5m USB-C to Mini cable. The bungie around the spare tire is to stop mast rattle and wiggle. Takes about 5 minutes to assemble. Have observed that raising the Mini is not always the best to avoid obstructions. We also use the mast for amateur radio antennas.
 

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Seems like, usually, higher is better. I think that Mike Lewis has his antennas about 23' off the ground.

Mike, what are you thinking about for your new Starlink?

Ron
 
Seems like, usually, higher is better. I think that Mike Lewis has his antennas about 23' off the ground.

Mike, what are you thinking about for your new Starlink?

Ron
Starlink antenna placement is all about obstructions. As shown, we had significant obstructions from the tree canopy. By placing the Mini on the ground and moving it about 15 ft behind our E19, there were far fewer obstructions. We’ve used the Mini atop a camera tripod away from our E19, but it blew over without a heavy ballast. When using the mast for our ham radio antennas, we put our VHF/UHF antenna up with 16 ft of mast. That’s been tall enough for us so far.
 
Seems like, usually, higher is better. I think that Mike Lewis has his antennas about 23' off the ground.

Mike, what are you thinking about for your new Starlink?

Ron
Ron - I have been using my Mini at home on top of an aluminum telescoping mast that tops out at around 15 feet. I had it just clear the roof at home. My roof is metal, so I bought the Starlink weather-resistant Ethernet cable and disabled the Mini's wifi router. It works so-so-- I wouldn't abandon fiber optic for home use Internet for it.

Today I left for a trip to Orlando. I'll be here for about a week. I brought the Mini dish and its mast along on a test run. I want to see how much power it draws. I'll set it up tomorrow and see what happens. (Tonight I'm using a phone hotspot for Internet connection.)
 
Starlink antenna placement is all about obstructions. As shown, we had significant obstructions from the tree canopy. By placing the Mini on the ground and moving it about 15 ft behind our E19, there were far fewer obstructions. We’ve used the Mini atop a camera tripod away from our E19, but it blew over without a heavy ballast. When using the mast for our ham radio antennas, we put our VHF/UHF antenna up with 16 ft of mast. That’s been tall enough for us so far.
Gus- are you using the Mini's wifi router or are you using an Ethernet cable connected to a router inside your trailer?
Also, did you attend Quartzfest this year? I didn't go this year but I will leave for a trip to the Southwest in about a month.
 
Gus- are you using the Mini's wifi router or are you using an Ethernet cable connected to a router inside your trailer?
Also, did you attend Quartzfest this year? I didn't go this year but I will leave for a trip to the Southwest in about a month.
We went from a Gen 2 antenna/router to Mini for simplicity, size, and lower power. We are using the Mini’s internal router for that reason. Mini consumes 11-15W (~1A). Looked at Gen 3 router and standard antenna, but the power draw is 3 to 4 times higher for the moderate performance improvement.

Did not make Quartzfest this year. Stayed at Buckskin Mountain SP the week after Quartzfest.

73/gus
 

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I mounted the Starlink Mini dish onto my telescoping mast and put the mast in a length of PVC that is fastened to the trailer's spare tire carrier. I connected a long Ethernet cable to the antenna, connected the power line, and raised the mast so it was just above the roofline of the trailer, similar to how I have it mounted at home. I routed the Ethernet connection inside the trailer and plugged the other end into an Anker hub, then connected the hub to my laptop via USB-C. I didn't think this would work, but it does.

So with this setup I don't have a router and local wifi. I need a compact router that doesn't draw too much power but has all the latest protocols and can run on 12V. Any suggestions?
 
So with this setup I don't have a router and local wifi. I need a compact router that doesn't draw too much power but has all the latest protocols and can run on 12V. Any suggestions?
We use the Ubiquiti UniFi Express in our home. USB-C powered, ~10W max. Excellent management software for iPhone. All latest protocols, and Ubiquiti is top line that I’ve deployed in two commercial, solar powered trailers.
 

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