I found your video really useful, and in fact have built my own DC setup using mostly the same components you did, the only difference being the router. I have used a GL-iNet GL-X300B router. The snag I have hit is that the WAN port on the router does not seem to see the dish. The dish is live and online, the router recognises a cable being plugged in, but there doesn’t seem to be any comms between the dish and the WAN port. Did you need to do any specific WAN port setup or config(i.e. PPoE, DHCP etc.), or did yours just work?
Hello, thank you very much for this very usefull video. I’ve just one question : did you have to put your Starlink router on « Bypass » mode before connecting the new router? I got some issues with my connection, which is exactly the same than yours… Thanks a lot in advance for your answer. Best regards Nicolas
I hope this ends up working for you. My experience and several other people's on the internet experience is that the 12V to 48V DC up converter that you are using produces a lot of electrical noise that affects Starlink throughput. However, I believe your PoE injector has much better noise filtering incorporated than the cheaper PoE injectors. Once you are back online you should check internet speed and compare against the Starlink router's performance. For the cheaper PoE injector the noise results in the router negotiating 100 Mbps on the dishy connection. If that's the case performance is usually acceptable but will never exceed 100 Mbps -- which my be fine. If the router cannot down negotiate to 100 Mbps and is stuck at 1 Gbps then with the cheaper PoE injector the system becomes unusable. With your (improved) PoE injector things will likely be better but probably not optimal (but maybe perfectly acceptable to you). I learned all this the hard way as my Starlink barely worked at 1 Mbps after the DC conversions. I substituted a router that can be configured to 100 Mbps link speed and everything worked at reduced throughput but usable. Then my new (Meanwell) power supply arrived and I could use 1 Gbps links speed and performance matched that of using the Starlink router.
Really interesting! I wonder how power efficienct this set up will be? I assume those power units are switch mode PSUs? Used near their sweet spot they're commonly up to about 90% ish efficient?
Also: I am really excited about the potential of adapters like this one to broaden the use of USB-C PD to devices that otherwise require AC power: KFD USB C to DC Tip Power Adapter Kits Convert Cable, Type-C PD Power Cable to Universal Laptop Jack Plugs 15 Connectors for Macbook HP Dell MSI Gateway LG Toshiba Lenovo Acer Asus Sony Samsung Laptop a.co/d/81EEibB
Can you explain why your effort to not use the inverter is better. I would think that the draw on the battery through your setup is the same power draw on the batteries via an inverter. The additional equipment is just adding more equipment for potentially more maintenance/replacement of parts. Also, what camera did you use for your video....looks good.
Because inverters and power supplies don’t work for free. Changing DC to AC equals work. That’s what the inverter does. Changing AC to DC is work. That’s what the power supply does. So if you need 50 W at the dish, you might have to take 100 W out of your battery to get it. That is if you do it inefficiently with an inverter and star link modem/power supply. Maybe the guy on the boat only wants to run his inverter when he has an AC appliance to run. Maybe he’s got a microwave oven, a vacuum cleaner, a water pump, etc. So he will turn on the inverter and heat up his pasta, his coffee, etc. Maybe he’ll have the inverter on for two minutes. Anyway, if you’re running on solar, most of the time, you don’t wanna have to run your inverter for 24 hours a day just to power The stupid Starlink.
We have had excellent Wi-Fi at the marina we are currently at. So, we have temporarily suspended our Starlink service. As soon as we get things up and running again we’ll update. It seems like the worst case scenario has been that people need to limit the WAN port. So there maybe a bottle neck at that point. Though we haven’t seen speeds from Starlink where that would be an issue.
We fired up the Starlink this week to test the DC Power setup. It’s had no affect on the speed of the connection. In a number of tests we were able to download data at a rate in excess of 100mbps. So, far this seems like a great way to cut back on the devices power consumption.
You are such a stud! So smart. I hope all is well in the Carolina’s? I am down at West Palm waiting to cross. It has been blowing from the north since I left Hidden Harbor three weeks ago and there appears to be no let up. Sheesh. When I came back from Charleston it would not stop blowing from the south. I hope y’all are planning another trip to the Bahamas. If so, I hope to meet up and have you both over for dinner. 😊
I found your video really useful, and in fact have built my own DC setup using mostly the same components you did, the only difference being the router. I have used a GL-iNet GL-X300B router. The snag I have hit is that the WAN port on the router does not seem to see the dish. The dish is live and online, the router recognises a cable being plugged in, but there doesn’t seem to be any comms between the dish and the WAN port. Did you need to do any specific WAN port setup or config(i.e. PPoE, DHCP etc.), or did yours just work?
Hello, thank you very much for this very usefull video. I’ve just one question : did you have to put your Starlink router on « Bypass » mode before connecting the new router? I got some issues with my connection, which is exactly the same than yours…
Thanks a lot in advance for your answer.
Best regards
Nicolas
I hope this ends up working for you. My experience and several other people's on the internet experience is that the 12V to 48V DC up converter that you are using produces a lot of electrical noise that affects Starlink throughput. However, I believe your PoE injector has much better noise filtering incorporated than the cheaper PoE injectors. Once you are back online you should check internet speed and compare against the Starlink router's performance. For the cheaper PoE injector the noise results in the router negotiating 100 Mbps on the dishy connection. If that's the case performance is usually acceptable but will never exceed 100 Mbps -- which my be fine. If the router cannot down negotiate to 100 Mbps and is stuck at 1 Gbps then with the cheaper PoE injector the system becomes unusable. With your (improved) PoE injector things will likely be better but probably not optimal (but maybe perfectly acceptable to you).
I learned all this the hard way as my Starlink barely worked at 1 Mbps after the DC conversions. I substituted a router that can be configured to 100 Mbps link speed and everything worked at reduced throughput but usable. Then my new (Meanwell) power supply arrived and I could use 1 Gbps links speed and performance matched that of using the Starlink router.
Just slight correction: those 12 V to 48 V devices and the other one are active inverters (or inverters) not transformers.
Have you used it did it work thanks
Really interesting! I wonder how power efficienct this set up will be? I assume those power units are switch mode PSUs? Used near their sweet spot they're commonly up to about 90% ish efficient?
That's what I'm hoping. Maybe I'll do a side-by-side comparison, once the install is done 🙂
Also: I am really excited about the potential of adapters like this one to broaden the use of USB-C PD to devices that otherwise require AC power:
KFD USB C to DC Tip Power Adapter Kits Convert Cable, Type-C PD Power Cable to Universal Laptop Jack Plugs 15 Connectors for Macbook HP Dell MSI Gateway LG Toshiba Lenovo Acer Asus Sony Samsung Laptop a.co/d/81EEibB
Can you explain why your effort to not use the inverter is better. I would think that the draw on the battery through your setup is the same power draw on the batteries via an inverter. The additional equipment is just adding more equipment for potentially more maintenance/replacement of parts. Also, what camera did you use for your video....looks good.
Because inverters and power supplies don’t work for free. Changing DC to AC equals work. That’s what the inverter does. Changing AC to DC is work. That’s what the power supply does. So if you need 50 W at the dish, you might have to take 100 W out of your battery to get it. That is if you do it inefficiently with an inverter and star link modem/power supply.
Maybe the guy on the boat only wants to run his inverter when he has an AC appliance to run. Maybe he’s got a microwave oven, a vacuum cleaner, a water pump, etc.
So he will turn on the inverter and heat up his pasta, his coffee, etc. Maybe he’ll have the inverter on for two minutes.
Anyway, if you’re running on solar, most of the time, you don’t wanna have to run your inverter for 24 hours a day just to power The stupid Starlink.
How has this worked so far for speed and how has the POE held up?
We have had excellent Wi-Fi at the marina we are currently at. So, we have temporarily suspended our Starlink service.
As soon as we get things up and running again we’ll update.
It seems like the worst case scenario has been that people need to limit the WAN port. So there maybe a bottle neck at that point. Though we haven’t seen speeds from Starlink where that would be an issue.
We fired up the Starlink this week to test the DC Power setup. It’s had no affect on the speed of the connection. In a number of tests we were able to download data at a rate in excess of 100mbps.
So, far this seems like a great way to cut back on the devices power consumption.
You are such a stud! So smart. I hope all is well in the Carolina’s? I am down at West Palm waiting to cross. It has been blowing from the north since I left Hidden Harbor three weeks ago and there appears to be no let up. Sheesh. When I came back from Charleston it would not stop blowing from the south. I hope y’all are planning another trip to the Bahamas. If so, I hope to meet up and have you both over for dinner. 😊