Starlink Mini Install: Power, Wiring, & Mounting to our Van

Below is how we installed a Starlink Mini Kit in our Ford Transit Van. A few things:

The Starlink Mini Antenna accepts 12-48V DC, but at 12V it may reboot randomly due to voltage drop with the included 50ft cable. For 12V systems, we recommend boosting the voltage (as shown in this article).
There are many aftermarket options for mounting the antenna, but we had to make our own Starlink Mini Mount because:
- We wanted the antenna to be super low-profile and flat-mounted directly on the FVC Decking Panels.
- We also wanted a “quick-release mechanism” for when we need to take the antenna away from the van, to mitigate obstructions.
We also made a custom Starlink Mini D-Pillar Entry Box so we can connect/disconnect the antenna easily when deploying the antenna to the ground.

Material & Resources

	Products	QTY
	Starlink Mini Kit Use this link to get one month free. _{^{(For Residential/Roam subscriptions in Canada only)}}	1
	7.5A Fuse	1
	16 AWG Duplex Cable
	12/24V Step-Up Converter to 36V	1
	Wago Inline Connector	4
	Wago 3 Conductor	2
	Starlink Mini Direct Battery Power Cable (32ft, for Roof)	1
	Solar Cable Clips	1
	Ford Transit Cable Entry Pad	1
	Ford Transit D-Pillar Starlink/Solar Entry Box	1

Starlink Technical Specifications and Resources | Starlink.com.
Starlink FAQ | Most up-to-date information on service plans, restrictions, standby mode, etc.

The Starlink Mini antenna accepts 12V-48V DC, and draws 60W max.
The included plug converts 120V AC to 30V DC.
The included 50ft cable is a coaxial cable, we don’t recommend trimming it. If you must, use the Direct Battery Power Cable linked in Material section.

12V DC Hardwiring

We are wiring the Starlink Mini to our 12V electrical system, because it’s more power-efficient than 120V (especially for low-power, long-duration loads).

While the antenna accepts 12V DC, it may cause random reboots due to voltage drop across the OEM 50ft cable. We therefore recommend stepping up the voltage to at least 30V-48V (as the included 120V plug does).

Roof Wiring

We first installed a Cable Entry Pad over a factory pass-through hole (in-depth technical and installation info here: faroutride.com/product/cable-entry-pad):

No drill, no screws. Easy.

We trimmed away the connectors and the inline fuse that came with the Direct Battery Power Cable (they’re not needed and won’t fit through the pass-through gland):

We started at the Starlink Mini dish…

… and routed the cable all the way to the Cable Entry Pad, using Solar Cable Clips every 12in or so :

The cable is routed from the top…

… to the inside of the van:

The cable enters the van at the passenger-rear pass-through hole, because this one was still available (others are occupied by solar panels cables and WeBoost antenna):

D-Pillar Wiring

Here’s the Starlink D-Pillar Entry Box we came up with. In addition to the Starlink Mini jack, there’s an extra cutout for ground-deployed solar panels (in-depth technical and installation here: faroutride.com/product/starlink-solar-entry-box):

The duplex cable is routed from inside the van to the D-Pillar cutout via existing openings (no need to drill anything). Like so (image showing our shore power cable):

But because we had already installed our water system cabinet and the opening is no longer accessible, we made a custom D-Pillar USB plate and added a pass-through for the cable…

Here we grab the cable under the D-Pillar and we connect it to the Starlink Box using insulated heat-shrink disconnects (we’re not using Wago connectors here, because water occasionally comes out of the frame and a waterproof connection is preferred):

The Starlink Entry Box simply snaps into the D-Pillar cutout (we also made 15A Shore Power Entry Box and 30A Shore Power Entry Box using the same method):

Distribution Panel and Voltage Converter

We first wire the duplex cable to our EcoFlow Power Kit Distribution Panel:

The duplex cable (12V IN), Roof Cable (36V OUT), and D-Pillar Cable (36V OUT) are wired to the step-up converter with Wago Connectors. A bit of a mess right now, working on it!

Just making sure the step-up converter is doing its job; it does!

Roof Mounting

There are good mounting options out there (Amazon), but we made our own Starlink Mini Mount (3D Print File) because we wanted our dish to be installed directly to the Flatline Van Co Decking Panel. Also, we’re picky, and a low-profile mount wasn’t good enough; we wanted an super-ultra-low-profile mount…

The mount is fastened to the roof deck panel with a M8 screw and a t-nut we made:

Under the mount, there are two pins that index into the decking panel slot:

We also made a holding bracket to ensure the Starlink antenna doesn’t go into orbit:

Without the Starlink Mini dish:

With the dish. It takes a second to install or remove:

The antenna is perfectly flush with the roof rack (faroutride.com/roof-rack) 👌

Ground-Deployed

Coming soon!

FAQ

Important stuff we thought you’d like to know. Always refer to the official Starlink Help Page for the most up-to-date information!

Residential vs Roam Plan

The residential plan is restricted at a fixed, land-based location, and cannot be used in motion. The Roam plan allows in-motion use, at home or away.

Obstructions

Starlink requires a clear, unobstructed view of the sky. Things like trees and building, even clouds, can affect performance. That’s why our antenna can be easily removed from the roof; we can take it to a location with a clear view of the sky (50ft cable).

Out-Of-Country Usage

The Roam plan allows international travel out of your home country (where available), but only for up to 2 months. After two months, you need to transfer your account to a new country, or you risk getting your service suspended.

Standy/Pause Mode

Standby/Pause mode is available for $5 per month. This mode still provides unlimited low-speed data for emergency messaging and easy reactivation in dead zones.