If you’re constantly in motion and need Starlink internet on the go, the Starlink wedge mount is the perfect accessory for the Flat, High-Performance Dish.
The Starlink wedge mount is a simple accessory designed to keep your Flat, High-Performance Dish stable on your RV or any steep surface in a traveling vehicle.
It keeps the dish steady without ruining your car’s aesthetic or aerodynamics.
We’ll break down how to install it on a flat surface and let you in on a neat trick that doesn’t involve drilling.
Table of Contents
- Wedge Mount for Starlink
- Starlink Wedge Mount Benefits
- How to Install Starlink Wedge Mount
- Cable Routing after Wedge Mount Installation
- Final step: Starlink Installation
- Quick Non-Penetrative Hack Using High-Powered Magnets
- Conclusion
Wedge Mount for Starlink
Starlink introduced the Flat High-Performance Dish around 2022. It’s a bigger, more powerful dish than Starlink’s other dishes for residential subscribers. And for good reason.
The high-performance dish is meant to keep you connected on the move.
Getting a stable Starlink connection on the move can be challenging. Starlink’s residential dishes cannot maintain a connection with low-earth orbit satellites as you move.
Therefore, the Flat High-Performance dish is specially designed to track and maintain signals on the go.
However, with movement comes a need for stability. That’s where the wedge mount comes in.
The wedge mount is designed to hold the Flat High-Performance Dish in place and keep it flat as you move.
The wedge mount keeps the Flat High-Performance Dish on RVs, private planes, and maritime vehicles angled so the dish can maintain a wide field of view.
Also, it is built to be minimally invasive, although it’s still designed as a permanent fixture.
Starlink Wedge Mount Benefits
The flat dish and wedge mount can replace bulky satellite dishes
Convenience
Before Starlink introduced the flat high-performance dish, you’d have to uninstall and re-install your Starlink satellite dish on your RV.
The procedure took time and needed you to find clear locations to park your vehicle/RV.
However, the wedge mount is a permanent fixture that keeps the dish in place wherever you go.
Mindful design
Since the dish is designed for flat surfaces, it might be vulnerable to water pooling and subsequent water damage.
The wedge mount has a permanent 8-degree tilt that keeps water off the dish. It keeps your signal uninterrupted and lengthens your dish’s durability.
Easy installation
The wedge mount is an easy-to-install accessory that only needs drill and patchwork. It comes with installation hardware and an easy-to-follow manual.
It is also designed to expose minimal cable. The helps in cable routing to keep your cables free from weather damage.
How to Install Starlink Wedge Mount
There are three installation methods that cater to different surfaces. The wedge mount’s box includes the following items.
- Starlink wedge mount
- Two shoulder bolts
- Two ½” machine screws and four 1” machine screws
- Four sealing washers
- A tube of silicone sealant
- Cable pass-through kit
- Thread locker
- Four lag bolts
- Four blind hole nuts
- 10 washers
- Four lock nuts
You will also need the following installation tools.
- Drill
- Pencil/marker
- Socket, 7/16” wrenches
- Socket
- 2mm, 6.5mm, 13mm, 19mm spade bit
- 3/32”, ⅛”, 3/16” hex keys
- Screwdriver
Installation Option 1: Using Machine Screws and Nuts
This option is for surfaces you can access from the back. Surfaces must be 0.3” thick
- Place the wedge mount with the low end facing forward.
- Mark the wedge mount’s four holes, ensuring the mount is placed squarely on the surface.
- Drill ¼” holes into the marked areas. Wipe debris from the installation surface.
- Insert sealing material (silicone sealant) into the drilled holes.
- Lay the wedge mount, aligning the mount’s holes with the drilled holes. Apply the sealant on the mount’s holes, ensuring they are stuffed to overflow.
- Insert washers in the four machine screws. Coat the screws’ threads in the sealant.
- Insert the machine screws through the mount holes and into the drilled holes.
- Put a washer and nut on all the machine screws and tighten them with the 7/16” socket and wrench.
- Tighten only slightly to avoid possible damage.
Installation Option 2: Using lag bolts
This option is for wood and plywood surfaces. Surfaces must be 0.25” thick minimum.
- Position the wedge mount squarely on the clean flat surface, ensuring the low end faces forward.
- Mark the mount’s four holes and remove the mount.
- Drill 2mm holes into the marked points and clean the surface.
- Put sealant/rubber sealing washers into the holes and place the mount. Ensure the mount’s holes align with the drilled holes.
- Apply sealant on the mount’s holes.
- Insert lag bolts with a washer into the holes.
- Drive screws into the holes with the 7/16” socket. Ensure they fit only 90% in.
- Tighten the screws with the socket wrench. Ensure the screws are not overly tight.
Installation Option 3: Using blind hole nuts and machine screws
This option is for composite surfaces between 0.19 and 0.31” thick.
- Use the wedge mount as a guide to mark the four corner holes.
- Remove the mount and drill 13mm holes into the marked points. Clean the surface.
- Seal the holes and put in the blind hole nuts.
- Put a washer into the machine screws and coat the threads in sealant.
- Insert the screws into the mount and blind hole nuts.
- Tighten the screws with the 7/16” socket wrench
Cable Routing after Wedge Mount Installation
Neat cable management
The wedge mount kit comes with a cable pass-through kit. The kit lets you route the Starlink cable through an exterior surface. It’s convenient for keeping your cable work tidy. Alternatively, you can route your cable to the interior and go straight to installing the Starlink dish.
- Drill a clearance through the wedge mount’s hole in the middle using the 19mm spade bit. Clean the debris off the surface.
- Use soapy water to wet the drill tube and drill a clearance hole in the rubber plug.
- Cut the rubber plug to the outer wall.
- Insert the cable from outside through the hole.
- Place the sealing rubber gasket around the mounting hole.
- With the cable and rubber gasket in place, join the plastic base’s halves to the rubber gasket. Ensure they align with the gasket holes.
- Use the four wood screws to screw the base into place.
- Insert the rubber plug around the cable. Press the plug into the base, ensuring about 1.5 inches of cable hangs outside.
- Align the inner and outer shell holes and combine the outer shell’s halves to sit on the base.
- With the base complete, apply the sealant to the machine screws and tighten with your hand until you feel it fit snugly.
Final step: Starlink Installation
- Assuming the surface is clean, lay the Flat High-Performance Dish on a clean surface.
- Use the thread locker to wet the shoulder bolt threads. Drive the shoulder bolts into the threaded holes close to the dish cable port.
- Tighten the bolts with the ⅛” hex key.
- Ensure the shoulder bolts align with the keyway at the bottom of the wedge mount.
- Push down the Starlink and slide it forward until it locks securely.
- Use the thread locker to wet the ½” machine screws’ threads. Install them in the holes farthest from the dish cable port. Secure the Starlink with the two washers.
- Tighten the screws with the 3/16” hex key. Ensure you don’t overtighten.
After installation, reconnect the Starlink cable to the Starlink’s port at the bottom.
Quick Non-Penetrative Hack Using High-Powered Magnets
Puck magnets for non-drill installation
You can install Starlink permanently with the wedge mount on your car without drilling screws into your car roof.
Get high-powered magnets like Mutuactor magnets for off-road vehicles from an online retailer. Ensure they have female threading and are rubber-coated.
The magnets come in packs of two or four. They have shoulder bolts with washers that go into the shoulder holes of the wedge mount.
Secure the magnets into the shoulder holes after you’ve slid the Starlink dish into place. Place on your car’s or RV’s roof, ensuring the downward end faces forward.
However, only use this method temporarily. While it does work, permanently drilling the wedge mount is much safer for you and other road users.
Conclusion
Starlink is advancing at blinding speeds to the benefit of its subscribers.
Accessories such as the wedge mount make in-travel satellite internet access more convenient for an incredibly mobile population.
With proper installation, the wedge mount will keep your dish secure and keep you online even during emergencies.
