Starlink Gen 3 Mounting options

No, it is not glued. The plastic frame was made by an outfit called Zephyr's Market and cost $100 for what I thought was the best UV resistance choice. The plastic mounting frame came with 4 stainless steel brackets that mount at each corner and secure the plastic frame to the pilot house roof. 1/2" screws and sealed with 3M 4200. These are on the inside of the frame and invisible to the outside view. The Starlink drops into the frame--there is an inner lip around the inside of the frame that cradles the Starlink. IT has an ahdesive tape that runs its length to be pulled off and the Starlink prodded down. I'm sure it can be pried out, but I chose to let the Starlink just sit in place. The vessel would have to roll almost 90 degrees for the Starlink to dislodge, and if that happens, I have worse issues.

I have non-skid paint on the roof and under the Starlink. I chose that corner of the pilothouse roof because there was an abandoned KV Radome for a satphone. I removed the dome and used the existing hole for the satphone wiring for the data/power wire (one) for the Starlink. It was the shortest distance to the dashboard in the pilothouse and I used the satphone wire to pull through the Starlink wire. Sealed the hole on the roof surface with 3M 4200. You could place your Starlink frame over that rough spot and would need to do nothing except to seal the hole for the wire.

Captain_Michael said:

No, it is not glued. The plastic frame was made by an outfit called Zephyr's Market and cost $100 for what I thought was the best UV resistance choice. The plastic mounting frame came with 4 stainless steel brackets that mount at each corner and secure the plastic frame to the pilot house roof. 1/2" screws and sealed with 3M 4200. These are on the inside of the frame and invisible to the outside view. The Starlink drops into the frame--there is an inner lip around the inside of the frame that cradles the Starlink. IT has an ahdesive tape that runs its length to be pulled off and the Starlink prodded down. I'm sure it can be pried out, but I chose to let the Starlink just sit in place. The vessel would have to roll almost 90 degrees for the Starlink to dislodge, and if that happens, I have worse issues.

I have non-skid paint on the roof and under the Starlink. I chose that corner of the pilothouse roof because there was an abandoned KV Radome for a satphone. I removed the dome and used the existing hole for the satphone wiring for the data/power wire (one) for the Starlink. It was the shortest distance to the dashboard in the pilothouse and I used the satphone wire to pull through the Starlink wire. Sealed the hole on the roof surface with 3M 4200. You could place your Starlink frame over that rough spot and would need to do nothing except to seal the hole for the wire.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the details.
I'm thinking to fix a 1/2" marine plywood to the rooftop using 4200, then mount the trio flatmount for the starlink dish.

Certainly one way to do it. Be advised, however, that while the top surface of the Starlink is flat and fits flush with the frame I purchased, the underside is not flat but angles about 20 degrees from the low point at the base where the "kickstand" attach to the surface of your plywood to the edges at the top of the Starlink. If you don't place a railing of some sort around it, it will be standing about 2 inches proud of your marine plywood and susceptible to getting snagged or snagging anyone walking by.

Forgot to add: without the enclosure around it, water/snow/ice will get underneath it.

Captain_Michael said:

Certainly one way to do it. Be advised, however, that while the top surface of the Starlink is flat and fits flush with the frame I purchased, the underside is not flat but angles about 20 degrees from the low point at the base where the "kickstand" attach to the surface of your plywood to the edges at the top of the Starlink. If you don't place a railing of some sort around it, it will be standing about 2 inches proud of your marine plywood and susceptible to getting snagged or snagging anyone walking by.

Forgot to add: without the enclosure around it, water/snow/ice will get underneath it.

Click to expand...

It will look like this after installation (starboard in place of the magnetic feet). I'm going to route the cable via the isinglass zipper under a canvas. So having it fully enclosed is not necessary.

I heard Starlink gen 3 uses cat6 cable with rj45 connector. I plan to install a cat6 panel mount on the wall b/t the flybridge and salon, so I just need to route the starlink cable to the flybridge.

paulga said:

How did you pull the cable to the inside?

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I cut the cable 10’ from one end. After I chased the cable from my arch to an AC socket I
spliced the end back on.

ACT09 said:

Where can I buy the pole mount other than from starlink? I’m tired of waiting on them to send it.

Click to expand...

Personally, I would not use the pole mount that is made by starlink. It is very poorly made, and relies on a single set screw to secure the dish to the mount. The reviews of the starlink pole mount are almost universally bad.

I used this mount, with an insert and a standard 12" long by 1" diameter VHF antenna extension.


For the bottom also through bolted the mount to the top of extension, so it is very secure.

Here is the extension I used:


And here is the base. I through bolted it to the plate on my mast that holds my Radome. The dish sits behind and slightly higher than my radome.


For those that are asking about aligning the Gen 3 dish manually, we just got back from a 7 week Bahamas trip, on the hook every night except for three in marinas. We had perfect reception and I never aligned it a single time.

Doug

paulga said:

It will look like this after installation (starboard in place of the magnetic feet). I'm going to route the cable via the isinglass zipper under a canvas. So having it fully enclosed is not necessary.

I heard Starlink gen 3 uses cat6 cable with rj45 connector. I plan to install a cat6 panel mount on the wall b/t the flybridge and salon, so I just need to route the starlink cable to the flybridge.

View attachment 156320

View attachment 156321

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That's a cool adapter.

I needed waterproof, so I used this double female coupler to extend my cable. It's pretty beefy and well made.

The mounting of the Starlink to the top of that SUV in the illustration is neat and clean and no doubt waterproof where the wire runs into the vehicle. Getting one's foot or a line snagged under the edge of the Starlink is not much of a worry for the top of a SUV; I cannot say the same to the deck of a boat. IF there is any curvature to the roof, an arragement as in the picture may be the best choice.

Dougcole said:

Personally, I would not use the pole mount that is made by starlink. It is very poorly made, and relies on a single set screw to secure the dish to the mount. The reviews of the starlink pole mount are almost universally bad.

I used this mount, with an insert and a standard 12" long by 1" diameter VHF antenna extension.

Gen 3 Starlink Pole Mount — TRIO Flatmount Starlink Mounts

High Quality pole mount for Starlink gen 3 standard dish with inserts available to fit every size pole! Conveniently mount your starlink to your existing pole on your RV, house, roof, truck, camper, boat, and more!

www.trioflatmount.com

For the bottom also through bolted the mount to the top of extension, so it is very secure.

Here is the extension I used:

12

Check out our 12

www.westmarine.com

And here is the base. I through bolted it to the plate on my mast that holds my Radome. The dish sits behind and slightly higher than my radome.

Stainless-Steel Pedestal Mount | West Marine

Check out our Stainless-Steel Pedestal Mount and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

For those that are asking about aligning the Gen 3 dish manually, we just got back from a 7 week Bahamas trip, on the hook every night except for three in marinas. We had perfect reception and I never aligned it a single time.

Doug

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it's nice to be able to mount the dish then forget about it. but there are mixed voices on user experience. per post #31,

When stopped at anchor or marinas would sometime lose signal, solution; tilt up onto kick stand, use cell app and align dish as per the app, signal would come back

if I have to fiddle with the dish occasionally, I would select a mount location with easier access

paulga said:

it's nice to be able to mount the dish then forget about it. but there are mixed voices on user experience. per post #31,

When stopped at anchor or marinas would sometime lose signal, solution; tilt up onto kick stand, use cell app and align dish as per the app, signal would come back

if I have to fiddle with the dish occasionally, I would select a mount location with easier access

Click to expand...

Yeah, I read that post before we left. Obviously, it is not my boat so I can't speak for him but it sounds to me like his problem is from his dish being obstructed.

"Installed under the brow of our flybridge laying flat. (starlink says it is partially obstructed, but works fine most of the time)"

The only time we ever lost the signal was when we were over 10 miles from land, and sometimes (like between Highbourne and Nassau) we kept the signal the entire time, even on crossings over 15 miles from land. I've had my dish up for 3 months now, I've never adjusted it a single time.

Also, my buddy has his gen 3 mounted on the mast of his GB 42, pretty similar to my set up. He was on the same trip as us (he's still over there in fact) and also never touched the dish or lost the signal.

I think it is important to avoid as many obstructions as possible.

Dougcole said:

Hi All,


Sorry for yet another Starlink post, but I haven't seen much on the Gen 3, so I thought it deserved it's own thread.


We ordered starlink as our boat's Christmas present. To be honest, when i placed the order with starlink I didn't know the Gen 3 existed and didn't pay a lot of attention. I just bought what the website recommended for our area on the mobile plan. When the Gen 3 came in the mail, I was surprised that it was different.


But now that I have done the research, I think overall it is a better choice for us. The only downsides that I see for it vs. the gen 2 is that it uses more power and is a little bit bigger. Upsides are wider field of view (110 degrees vs 100), more waterproof, no articulation (made to sit flat), a better router with two Ethernet plugs and standard, off the shelf RG45 cable connectors.



There are TONS of youtube tutorials and articles about mounting the gen 2 on boats, but very little yet on the gen 3.


I am planning on mounting it on our mast just behind and slightly above the radome. I have an open space on a plate there that originally held a sat dome.


My thought is to use the SL pole adapter to attach a 12" long 1.5" diameter SS pipe to the bottom of the dish with a flange on the other end that would through bolt to the plate. But the one and only video I have found so far on mounting the gen 3 said the SL pole adapter is not very secure.


Anybody seen anything or had experience with the gen 3?


Thanks,


Doug

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Hi Doug - We installed a Gen III Starlink over last winter and my experience was the same as yours "what - gen III"? I've attached a pic of the new mast we purchased from Sea View and it works great with the starlink. No complaints about anything at this point.

I viewed a bunch of YouTube videos before purchasing my SL. Based on the info I garnered from one of the YT reviewers I purchased the Standard Dish instead of the High Performance dish. I received the Gen 4 dish. The reviewer's opinion was that the $500 dish was more than adequate versus the HP dish. He also said that the standard actually has a higher water resistance rating than the HP. The HP offers a larger field of view at 140 degrees versus the 110 found on the standard.
The reviewer also recommended the $150 plan versus the $250 plan. The $150 plan is meant for boats that are primarily docked in a marina while the $250 plan is designed for offshore. If I'm going on a trip I simply opt in for High Priority Mobile Data, which costs an additional $2/gb if you use it; presumably until you use 50 gb at which point you're at the $250 plan. I can confirm that the $150 plan does NOT work offshore because I tried it and SL sent me a message saying that they knew I was out of range and had to go back to land to use the system. You cannot activate the High Priority switch if you're already offshore. I now turn on the HP switch at the marina if I'm going on a trip.
I just ran from Long Island north shore to cape cod at 20+ knots and had service the entire trip; with the HP switch turned on.
The YT reviewer also opined that the dish will work fine when mounted flat as long as it isn't obstructed. So I purchased the flat mount kit made by Seaview for gen 3 and 4 SL dishes. This mount only requires 4 screws into my hard top.
I decided to install a 24 vdc to 110 vac inverter and then plugged the SL power supply into that. This route seemed easier than other options and seems to be the one favored by most of the marine electronics guys I have talked to.
See pics of my install.

I have the $150 plan.
My experience underway is it seems to work fine. If the seas are rough, sometimes there is a delay in some pages loading.

Newtrawlerowner said:

I have the $150 plan.
My experience underway is it seems to work fine. If the seas are rough, sometimes there is a delay in some pages loading.

Click to expand...

curious, did you find the go flat switch Elon added quietly. At anchor or underway trawler speed works continuously

My dish is angled. Never tried flat.

Newtrawlerowner said:

I have the $150 plan.
My experience underway is it seems to work fine. If the seas are rough, sometimes there is a delay in some pages loading.

Click to expand...

I think the issue is once you leave 'cell phone range' or the 'zone.' You can access the High Priority Mobile Data switch on the SL app as long as you have an internet connection. If you have already travelled outside of the 'zone' then you won't be able to.

stow it said:

I think the issue is once you leave 'cell phone range' or the 'zone.' You can access the High Priority Mobile Data switch on the SL app as long as you have an internet connection. If you have already travelled outside of the 'zone' then you won't be able to.

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This isn’t correct. Just run your phone through SL and you will always be able to use the app. You won’t be able to do anything else until switch your plan.

Well my experience was that I was 70 nm offshore and SL would not connect because I only had the Regional ($150) plan and had not switched on the HP switch before leaving the dock. I was not able to access the HP switch on the app because my phone could not connect from 70 nm offshore. Perhaps that's clearer.

What’s clear is that you didn’t connect your phone to your SL. Then your app would have functioned and you could have updated your plan.

I guess you had to be there. Ha

tiltrider1 said:

What’s clear is that you didn’t connect your phone to your SL. Then your app would have functioned and you could have updated your plan.

Click to expand...

stow it said:

I guess you had to be there. Ha

Click to expand...

I think what Tiltrider1 is saying is that one can connect the cell phone to the StarLink WiFi. Once the phone was connected to the StarLink WiFi, one could update the plan. At least that is my interpretation.

no big deal. I just opt in to the High Priority Data before I leave the dock and it works as advertised offshore.

You have to be wifi connected to router to have control of SL.

All I did was to correct the misinformation that said you could not update your plan while offshore. You can always up date your plan. You just need to connect your device to the SL WiFi, the app always works regardless of your plan.

Very interesting discussion here that hits at a precise issue that I have experienced with Starlink aboard a friend's boat. The boat had a High Performance dish, and was enrolled in the $150 Mobile Regional plan. The first crossing I did with this setup was March 2024, and as advertised it dropped it's signal approximately 10-15 miles offshore. During that crossing, we were able to use the app to opt in to Priority data after losing standard data, and everything worked flawlessly.

However, when aboard the boat for a second crossing in June 2024, once we lost standard data and attempted to opt in to Priority as had worked in the past, we received a message to the effect that we were outside the home coverage area and had to return to access data. The priorty opt-in no longer worked as it did on the previous crossing. One person aboard had a critical zoom call they needed to attend, so our only option was to upgrade to the $250 mobile priority plan. The upgrade process worked while offshore, so we clearly had connectivity at that time. Once the plan switch was finalized the internet almost instantly came alive.

The owner of the boat has since maintained the $250 plan because he does not want to be in that situation again and guaranteed connectivity is worth the extra cost.

In addition, now on the Mobile Priority plan you are forced to burn your 50GB allotment first. I also verified that after the priority data is exhausted, you maintain standard data connectivity when near shore. Upon leaving coastal waters you lose signal as expected, but the Priority data slider in the app works perfectly to restore your connection even after losing connectivity offshore.

Anyone else have current experience with the Mobile Regional plan and have you observed the same behavior I did? It really seems like Starlink changed their policy back in June, but hasnt really updated their online documentation that leads you to believe you have offshore connectivity via the Priority opt-in.

Or was our experience an anomaly?

Thanks for any current info you can share.

Had the same experience in Southern California on two trips to Catalina. It's a bummer that you have to burn through your Mobile Priority data first - as this often happens while we are at the dock during the month then we have to add data at $2 GB if we want offshore (more than 10 miles +/-) Internet. Once we hit Catalina Island we can stop adding Mobile Priority GB's. The ideal plan - which doesn't exist that I'm aware of - would allow user to which Mobile Priority data on and off when underway off shore defaulting to Mobile Regional Unlimited when near land. On the other hand, our cell amplifier and WiFi Extender are now redundant backup systems. We dumped the DirectTV dome and service. Thinking about dumping stand alone SirusXM satellite service and just using the App. Haven't done that yet. I've seen one boat with redundant Starlink antennas, interesting idea to keep one on Regional Mobile and one on Mobile Priority, only turning it on when going offshore.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Were you using the Mobile Regional ($150) plan and couldnt opt-in to Priority data once offshore? Thats realy the crux of my question.

No, sorry, we are on the Priority Mobile Plan. My understanding is that you need to opt-in to Priority before you leave your Mobile Regional area...but I could be wrong. My biggest complaint is using up the Priority Mobile data before I leave the dock, therefore having to buy more if I want access offshore. Since the plans can be suspended, we only average spending about $125/mo (over 12 months) with 6 months of actual usage.

Nordlund Xpress said:

My understanding is that you need to opt-in to Priority before you leave your Mobile Regional area...but I could be wrong.

Click to expand...

Thats what someone above indicated, but I cant find that written anywhere and my experience with that plan is mixed. Switching to priority in the app after losing connectivity worked in March, but no longer worked in June. Im wondering if anyone else has been able to opt-in to Priority on the Mobile Regional plan after losing coverage offshore more recently.

I know it seems like a subtle nuance easily overcome by just turning on the Priority data when still in coverage, but Id just like to understand the limitations before being put in the situation again on a future crossing.

It's possible they are trying to force folks over to Mobile Priority and keep them there once they have 'showed themselves' offshore. The current Mobile Priority plan makes sense for boats that are offshore a lot like fishing boats, charter boats, cruise ships, Two Boats, ocean Tugs, etc. In real life recreational boaters are mostly Mobile Regional type users with occasional offshore usage. Hope Starlink gives us that flexibility in the future with out all the data being paid at the higher rates. But this may be wishful thinking.