Wire Running

[Bill C]

I recently purchased an RV Starlink WIFI system and was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on how to run the cable from the Startlink Antenna to the Receiver inside the coach, beside running it through a partially opened window?

Thanks,

Bill

[Just Jim]

There are lots of holes already in the roof, some are easier than others to use.  The difficult part is where the wire needs to go once inside as in fishing it through the roof is next to impossible at least in my experience.  The front area has lots of open space so if you have an old cell phone antenna you are never going to use again it might be your best bet.  

[Dwight Lindsey]

Bill:

Here's what I did.

I bought a Flagpole Buddy Starlink setup.  Google Flagpole buddy.  It's a flagpole with a cute system to hold it on the ladder of the coach.  You bolt two plastic pieces onto the ladder and then you can assemble the flagpole with the Starlink antenna on it, on the ground.  I use a camp chair to keep the antenna off the ground while I'm doing this.  The cable runs inside the flagpole.  You then put the flagpole on the ladder.  It's a cute and ingenious setup and easy to do.

My coach is a 2005 Knight, with two bedroom slides.  The TV is in a box in the curbside slide.  I long ago replaced the original CRT with an LCD, so there's LOTS of room in that box.  I put the Starlink moden in that box.

My inverter is in the rearmost curbside bay.   The inverter takes up about half the space on the front side of that bay.   I drilled a 3 1/2 inch hole in the floor of that bay, sized to take a deck plate I bought on Amazon.

Above that bay is a closet space, which is plumbed for a Splendide washer dryer combo which was never installed.   I drilled a small hole through the top of the bay into the floor of that closet.  This did require some closet disassembly.  

I ran the modem end of the cable through the hole in the bay, up into the closet area and from there into the TV box.

Most of the cable lives in the inverter bay, just coiled above the deck plate.

When I arrive at the campsite, I open the deck plate and feed an appropriate amount of cable through the plate.  I run the cable through the lower bracket of the Flagpole Buddy system on the ladder and then up through the flagpole and into the antenna.  I then attach the flagpole to the ladder.

The whole process of setup takes me about 5 minutes.

I love having Starlink.  I still have a now unused Motosat antenna on the roof for Hughesnet and there is simply no comparison.  Hughesnet was at least a way to do email when there was nothing else available, but web browsing was painful and there was no chance of streaming or VOIP phone.

Starlink is amazing.  I'm getting between 50 and 200 MB/s

Dwight

By the way, the Flagpole buddy website is here:

https://flagpolebuddy.com/

I'm not a particular fan of their website, but I do like their Starlink flagpole very much.

Dwight

[redstickbill]

Bill,

Could you use the campground TV cable connection to get the StarLink signal up to the entertainment compartment and have the router there?

Bill B 07 Dynasty

[JohnC3]

I also have the flagpole buddy system and like ie. I bring the wire in through the top seal of the slide. Just bring the slide in 6in and feed the connector through. I then run it to the tech cabinet I have made in the curbside front slide. Takes about 3 mins to setup a ladder and run the wire and no ladder to take down. Top seal has spa e so no issues with seals.

[Dwight Lindsey]

15 minutes ago, redstickbill said:

Bill,

Could you use the campground TV cable connection to get the StarLink signal up to the entertainment compartment and have the router there?

Bill B 07 Dynasty

The Starlink cable is an ethernet cable with proprietary connectors on the ends.  In principle you can change the connectors and add shielded twisted pair wire, but coax cable won't help at all.

Dwight

[HJK2005]

1 hour ago, Corkman said:

I recently purchased an RV Starlink WIFI system and was wondering if anyone had any good ideas on how to run the cable from the Startlink Antenna to the Receiver inside the coach, beside running it through a partially opened window?

Thanks,

Bill

Hello Bill, I also have the Starlink RV system and I used this gland to come through the front cap on the old cell phone antenna plate area. A little bit of Dicor type sealant under to ensure a good seal and it's very clean. This is designed for boat decks and hulls.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B079Q7XYXN?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

There are many options but this was the "cleanest" way I came up with. Hope whatever you decide on works out well for you. - Jonathan

[Bill C]

I forgot to mention that the connection for the starlink is temporary. Each time I move campgrounds I have to disconnect it.

I also ordered a flagpole to mount it on, and like the idea that JohnC3 posted:  I will run it in the top seal of the slide.

FYI: The wire from the Starlink is not coax, so running it using the outside TV coax will not work.

 

Thanks for all the good suggestions.

Bill

[Jim McGarvie]

Initially I tried running the cable through the seal on the bedroom slide, but it was too difficult getting the connector on the end of the cable through the seal. I followed the example of someone else who puts the router in a basement compartment that has a 120 VAC receptacle, and run the Starlink cable into that compartment. Piece of cake, and the router is plenty powerful enough to give a strong WiFi signal both inside the coach and outside.

 

[knightmovesrv]

also just put my router in the curb side basement comp with the 120 volt receptacle. No issues with connectivity or speed. 2 tvs, 2 computers, and 2 phones.

also just put my router in the curb side basement comp with the 120 volt receptacle. No issues with connectivity or speed. 2 tvs, 2 computers, and 2 phones.