Gastan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2024
- Threads
- 21
- Messages
- 70
- Reaction score
- 108
- Location
- Seattle burbs
- Vehicle(s)
- Tacoma TRD Pro
- Thread starter
- #1
Good writeup on mounting a Starlink Mini to roof rack (on Tacoma, but still helpful/applicable for 4Runner).
Writeup by @rchrds at Tacoma4g.
Writeup by @rchrds at Tacoma4g.
Today, I added a Starlink mini to the Prinsu roof rack on the Trailhunter. The wife works remote, and when we travel cross country, can work from the truck if she has reliable internet. This works by cell in the south, but not so much as you travel out west. I got a deal from Home Depot, and paid $441 after taxes. Strangely, when I first searched it was retailing at $550, but came back a day later and it was at $400.
I had to move the middle cross bar forward from the standard mounting position, which requires a couple of extra bolts for the camp lights/handles (shown ziptied here.) I'm using a 3d printed mounting system from Striker Fab. The mount kit was $99. Sure, I could have printed it myself for half that, but the kit is nice, and he's done a good job with the setup, and it's worth the money for the time saved.
Even though the kit is 3d printed, it comes with stainless hardware, and the mounts are plenty sturdy feeling and the mini-dishy almost snaps into the mounts once you have the crossbar and mounts positioned correctly. I was concerned about the height above the roof and the back of the dishy touching the roof, but I ordered the 1" version, and the mini-dishy tilt mount does not touch the roof. I suppose you could remove the tilt mount, but I know I would lose it, and so far it doesn't cause any problems zip tied closed. The mounts stick up about 1/4" above the top of the crossrails, but that won't be a problem as I obviously don't want to mount anything above the antenna.
As for the power supply, for now, I have the cord run down to the gap between the doors and run inside the rear door. This is temporary.
It's actually very tidy, but I plan to run a 30v boost converter up on the rack, and then run the 12v down the windshield with the rest of the roof rack wiring.
This is the boost converter I ordered. It's coming from China, so didn't get here in time for this trip.
Ultimately I'll mount this on the roof rack as well.
From the ground, you can't even tell it's mounted on the truck, which may keep it from getting stolen.
The beginning shows where I powered it on again in the middle of a very heavy thundershower after lunch. We started driving west again, and things got better. It seems to give the calibrating message a little longer than normal when in movement, but it’s solid on now after 10 minutes of being powered on.
Yes, just drove 5 hours from middle Louisiana to East Texas- internet the whole way. The speed is not as good as having it aimed and nowhere near as good as a full size dishy, but got 5Mbps the few times I speed checked.
