Starlink Mini a Simple Mount or Stand

[jd1923]

My goal for a Starlink installation is something neat and simple!
What I don't want and will not have!
1) A cord-powered ONLY solution, not in the day of LI batteries!
2) Suction cups on the side of our hull or windows (Chris keeps our windows clean regularly and suction cups leave stains on glass and fiberglass)!
3) Any kind of tripod or camera stand!
4) Something long like a flagpole (anything needing a ladder)! Starlink satillites are 100 +/- miles away and a 10-20' pole doesn't get you any closer! 
5) OMG, please NOT sitting on a campground picnic table (they put these in the shade on purpose)! 🤣

On another thread, I showed my truck mounted solution, and in less than 24 hours, one or more Forum Members poo-pooed my installation claiming the dish must always be moved.

I truly like this mount (pics 1-2). Last time out it worked every night on the road on a short trip. I truly believe it will work 2 of 3 nights on the road regularly (1 of 3 nights where the TV is in the trees regardless of where parked in the campsite). I have power and Ethernet wired to this location, so that the Starlink can be a WAN input on our Pepwave router. However, the battery solution works anywhere.  

[jd1923]

Given this is our main mount, nicely sitting in our truck bed, I was thinking of a moveable stand for the occasions where the truck cannot be parked clear of trees!

Meanwhile, my son broke the base to a fan he uses often in his apartment. After removing the broken base, I thought, "a patio umbrella stand would work nicely."

So why not use an umbrella stand for the Starlink Mini dish? The kind you fill with water would be convenient, since when empty it weighs less than a pound (we always carry 35 gallons extra water on the TV).

It works great and can be placed anywhere! I purchased this model from Lowes, since it is rectangular (most are round) and it has a nice handle.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Patio-Premier-Patio-Premier-Square-Blow-Mold-Umbrella-Base-Black/1002629278

You can configure all the fancy poles and mounts you want and I'm done with $50 total in parts ($10 for PVC parts) which will work anywhere without cables. 😎

[jd1923]

BTW, Starlink includes the the pole mount attachment which fits the 1 1/2" ID PVC pipe, about 2" OD. You will need a Starlink power cord and a connector to your battery of choice.

Any battery from 12VDC to 30VDC will work. We already had MANY DeWalt 20V batteries for my power tools, so it made sense to use these.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSV45LHQ?ref=fed_asin_title

https://www.amazon.com/Pigtails-Connector-Adapter-Security-Surveillance/dp/B0C5DXTD43/

https://www.amazon.com/Compatible-Conversion-Projects-Connector-Terminal/dp/B0FM2XYRKW/

[Shawna and Scott]

Ours is not mounted and it is not a problem for me. It takes a couple minutes to get it out of the case and plug it in to either the Oliver or the Jackery. I like the advantage of being able to put the Oliver in the shade and being able to move the mini to where I get some signal.

I am thinking of a small tripod as a mount just to get it off the ground. 

[Ronbrink]

10 hours ago, jd1923 said:

Starlink satillites are 100 +/- miles away and a 10-20' pole doesn't get you any closer! 

True that, but a pole may reach near top or above a tree canopy which has proved very beneficial on many occasions.
 

10 hours ago, jd1923 said:

A cord-powered ONLY solution, not in the day of LI batteries!

True that, but for extended stays I don’t want to tend to a battery with limited run time and thus, find use of the cord connected to a continuous power source more to my liking. 
 

10 hours ago, jd1923 said:

Suction cups on the side of our hull or windows

Never on a window, but an occasional ‘hickey’ on the fiberglass brings back very fond memories! 

Edited Friday at 01:22 PM by Ronbrink

[topgun2]

33 minutes ago, Ronbrink said:

Never on a window, but an occasional ‘hickey’ on the fiberglass brings back very fond memories! 

Kind of difficult to put a "turtle neck sweater" on the Ollie! 😁

[topgun2]

10 hours ago, jd1923 said:

On another thread, I showed my truck mounted solution, and in less than 24 hours, one or more Forum Members poo-pooed my installation claiming the dish must always be moved.

So - I'm confused - are you saying that, indeed, there are times that the dish works better if it is moved? 😇

Bill

[jd1923]

2 hours ago, topgun2 said:

So - I'm confused - are you saying that, indeed, there are times that the dish works better if it is moved? 😇 Bill

Must only be moved to get a clear view of the Northern sky. My claim is 2/3rds of the time mounted to my truck works great with clear view (and only $10 in 1 1/2" PVC parts).

The other times, I'll use this umbrella stand (another $30) with the SAME pole-mount which makes setup sooooo easy! 🤣 Tripods are generally made for cameras with a 1/4" screw attachment. They are fully adjustable which takes fuss to get lined up on both angles required. My setup uses the supplied pole-mount plate from Starlink at the correct angle to the horizon, so all you need is a 2" pole perpendicular to the horizon. It spins easily with one hand (no screws, no clamps), to get the correct angle in seconds.

Just my opinion. Others want the long-pole setups and some are OK with laying the dish on the ground or picnic table. I was laying it in my truck bed prior to creating these mounts. Tripods, tall masts and suction cups are fine, but this is much easier for me! 😎

Edited Friday at 04:38 PM by jd1923

[jd1923]

3 hours ago, Ronbrink said:

True that, but for extended stays I don’t want to tend to a battery with limited run time and thus, find use of the cord connected to a continuous power source more to my liking. 

We have two 10Ah batteries. One will power the Starlink Mini all day! One's on the charger while the other is being used. The 50' power cable is supplied. We've just never had a need to use it, so recently I stopped bringing it along!

I guess if your going to sit two weeks at a campground with hookups... But that's not us. I can setup the dish on a lunchbreak while traveling, in a minute with no cords.

No thin 50' power cord getting wet and dirty, tangled up in the weeds, needing to be wound-up and stowed each time. Everything in our Oliver is battery-powered! 🤣