Among the available Starlink dishes, the Mini wins hands down in terms of size and portability. It only measures 11.75x10.2x1.45 inches, and it weighs a mere 3.37 lbs even with kickstand and cable. In comparison, the Standard that comes as the default dish for the Starlink Residential plan is almost twice as big at 23.4x15.07x1.5 inches and 8.3 lbs. This is likely why the Starlink Mini is every camper's and RVer's go-to dish for getting internet while out in the wild.
But besides being small and portable,
the Mini is the most convenient option for on-the-go internet for one other reason: minimal power consumption. The system only needs 20 to 40 watts. When idle, it consumes just 15W. It can also run on multiple power sources, including a regular wall outlet AC, USB-C Power Delivery (PD) brick, and car battery. Here's a complete list of what you need to power your Starlink Mini, both from home and while traveling.
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How To Power Your Starlink Mini With The Included Power Supply
Yes, your Starlink Mini does need power to run. But the good news is that you can readily pick from a variety of sources most convenient for you. If you have access to a standard 100 to 240V AC socket and don't want to buy extra accessories, you can simply use the power supply already included in the Mini kit. It plugs into any wall outlet and supplies 30V 2A to the dish.
To set up the Starlink Mini with its power supply, all you have to do is connect one end of the included 50-foot DC power cable to the jack input on the dish and the other end to the adapter. Then, just plug the adapter to an outlet. It should turn on the dish and let you connect to the onboard router.
If you're outdoors, you can also have a portable power station act as the AC source for the Mini's power supply. Its AC outputs work similar to your wall outlet at home, so it's just like connecting to an electrical socket. The only difference, though, is the power station isn't an unlimited supply. It runs out of battery, so you have to check how much battery power you'll need for your Starlink. If you want to run it for roughly four hours, a 200Wh unit would do the trick (40W consumption x 4 hours = 160Wh). Similarly, if you need internet for 12 hours or more, it's better to go with a 500Wh or more.
How To Power Your Starlink Mini With Other Starlink Accessories
So you're looking for alternative ways to power your Starlink Mini that don't involve using a regular wall outlet. In that case, you have two other options: a USB-C PD power brick or a 12V car cigarette socket. Both will work just fine with the Mini as the dish supports input voltages from 12V to 48V.
To use a USB-C Power Delivery brick as the Starlink Mini's power source, first make sure it's rated at a minimum of 20V, 5A (100W). Otherwise, it won't be enough to power the Mini. Laptop power banks like the Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank (250W) or Baseus Laptop Power Bank 20800mAh 145W Portable Charger would work best for this. You can't, however, pair the included DC cable with your USB-C PD power brick. You need a new Starlink accessory — a USB-C to power jack cable — available separately from the Starlink shop. It's a lot shorter than the Mini power cable at only 16 feet, so you might need to adjust the dish location accordingly.
On the other hand, to utilize the 12V car socket for powering your Starlink Mini, get yourself the Mini Car Adapter accessory from the Starlink shop. This kit comes complete with the car adapter that plugs into your vehicle's 12V port and a 16-feet USB-C to power jack cable that connects the adapter to the dish. Set up is pretty quick and self-explanatory, and you should have the Starlink Mini up and running in no time.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
