Starlink Mini Install, Operation, and Lessons Learned

[Str8Shooter]

I'm sharing my experience with 2 days under my belt with Starlink and hope to learn from others how to make the F-150 Starlink Mini experience better.

Power input - Purchased the Starlink Mini Car Adapter from Starlink. It comes with an 12V adapter, 5 meter cable, and lets you use your 12V cigarette lighter plug, or the USB-C connector that plugs into the 12v adapter if the USB-C outlet can supply 100w.

• Reason: The 12V outlet is the only outlet on your truck that stays on after you turn the ignition off that can provide enough wattage for Starlink. The AC outlets all turn off immediately and the F-150's USB-C outlets do not provide enough wattage. The 12V stays powered a long time and lets you make brief stops with ignition off for at least 20 minutes to an hour or so without having to boot your Starlink back up.
  • This also allows use of the longer 15 meter cable and AC adapter that comes standard with the Starlink Mini to be dedicated for a campsite that has lots of obstructions so you can move the antenna off the roof into a clearing.
  • I only want to use my power station when I am at my campsite.

Mounting - I'm using the Savage UTV F-150 Starlink Mini mount and Anti theft metal mount as seen in picture below.

• Note: You can use the plastic kickstand that comes with the Starlink antenna, but since the kickstand no longer have the holes pre-drilled from Starlink you will have to drill the holes yourself. Savage UTV provides a template to help you drill the holes for the plastic kickstand. The metal anti theft mount I purchased with my Savage UTV F-150 mount is the way to go in my opinion - Solid connection, pre-drilled, and no need to worry about possible stress cracks with plastic.

Cable Run - If you purchase the Starlink Mini car adapter you might as well run it right through the brake light and into the cab under the headliner. It's very simple because the brake light is right at the edge of the headliner. You can barely see the cable under the brake light.

Android Auto - I needed to turn off the wireless app projection in settings under Connectivity on the Sync screen and just run AA over the phone or connect via a USB-C cable when running Starlink.

• Bottom line is you can't have 2 Wi-Fi connections to your phone.
• Microphone - I also have to use my phones microphone when using the USB-C cable for some strange reason (AA defaults to phone mic on USB). 8/31/25 update - It's working fine with the USB-C cable now. See post # 10 for more info.
• Output sound (music, etc) comes through Bluetooth with no issue
• Display works with the USB port that is located under the Sync display only, but a few times since I installed Starlink 2 days ago I have had to remove the F150 from settings in AA on the phone, clear cache, and re-add the truck back in AA. Hopefully, future software updates will allow Sync, Starlink, and AA to play nicer with each other. 8/31/25 update - it's working fine with the USB-C cable now. See post # 10 for more info.

Here's some settings under Intelligent Wi-Fi on my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra that I used and seem to work great for transitioning seamlessly between Cellular and Starlink.

• Switch to mobile data - On
• Switch to better Wi-Fi networks - Off
• Turn Wi-Fi on/off Automatically - Off

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[JoeRedFly]

Thank you, good info. I hadn't thought about the dual wifi issue. Hopefully my phone uses the truck mic when cabled in and I won't have any issues.

 

[Str8Shooter]

Thank you, good info. I hadn't thought about the dual wifi issue. Hopefully my phone uses the truck mic when cabled in and I won't have any issues.

One thing I forget to mention. If you don't turn off Wi-Fi projection on your Sync system it is impossible for your phone to stay connected to Starlink. AA will force the phone to use the Sync Wi-Fi projector.

 

[holto01]

I have the same setup on my 2023 PB minus the 12V power supply and love it. I think I am going to buy that 12V adapter today . I have no issues with using the PB mic while cabled in to CarPlay. I had to turn off wireless projection a while ago due to continuous Bluetooth disconnects and resets. It was so frustrating. Apple replaced my phone and I am still having the same issue with the resets. Car is out of warranty and I doubt if it were Ford would replace the infotainment system. Love the Starlink Mini when I travel. I am currently keeping it on the $5 pause plan except when I travel. The mount is solid and we don’t hear wind noise from the antenna or mount.

 

[Sojourner]

GREAT write-up. Thank you.

Is the anti-theft mount you mention below the $60 add-on that Savage UTV sells with the mount? (See my screenshot, below.) If not, what? TIA

The metal anti theft mount I purchased with my Savage UTV F-150 mount is the way to go in my opinion - Solid connection, pre-drilled, and no need to worry about possible stress cracks with plastic.

 

[Str8Shooter]

GREAT write-up. Thank you.

Is the anti-theft mount you mention below the $60 add-on that Savage UTV sells with the mount? (See my screenshot, below.) If not, what? TIA

The short answer is yes, but I didn't get it from Savage UTV. So, funny back story that actually gives you more buying options based on my lessons learned. I ordered both the Starlink Mini and Savage UTV F-150 mount the same day without the $60 add-on metal anti theft mount from Savage UTV. That's because the "outdated" install video on Savage UTV's website showed how easy it was to repurpose the plastic kickstand. Also, a bunch of old unboxing videos of the Starlink Mini showed the holes predrilled on the plastic kickstand leading me to believe the plastic kickstand was meant for this type of use.

• The Starlink Mini arrived 4 days before the F-150 mount. That's when I noticed for the 1st time that the plastic kickstand that came from Starlink had no holes anymore. My research led me to believe that Starlink removed the holes because they were worried about stress cracks.
• I live on the East Coast and it took about a week for the F-150 mount to get here from the LA area. I didn't want to wait so I searched Amazon and found what appeared to be the same exact anti theft mount under a different brand name. I bought it from Amazon and it arrived next day and that is what I installed. Interestingly the box it came in was from a company called Stargear. Anyway, it worked perfect with the F-150 Savage UTV mount. Stargear has a bunch of things they sell for Starlink and I think Stargear may be where all these anti theft mounts may be originating from.

 

[Nomis]

I'm running a mini in my tremor too. For those of you who have a moonroof, you can stick it to the underside and it'll get signal right through the glass.

I also had to turn off wireless Android auto for my phone to connect to the mini.

 

[Bobcatou]

Very nice job

 

[ttnuagmada]

Sync4 will fight you to the death over that AA wifi signal

 

[Str8Shooter]

AA worked perfect today using the USB-C connection method. My truck's steering wheel mic button, voice through the trucks speaker when I say "Hey Google", and bluetooth for sound over the truck's speakers all worked together. Maybe my software settings finally cleared all the phone, Sync, and AA caches properly and will hold from this point on.

 

[ttnuagmada]

AA worked perfect today using the USB-C connection method. My truck's steering wheel mic button, voice through the trucks speaker when I say "Hey Google", and bluetooth for sound over the truck's speakers all worked together. Maybe my software settings finally cleared all the phone, Sync, and AA caches properly and will hold from this point on.

Yeah it works fine through USB-C, but my god, if you're connected via wifi, and want to try to connect to another wifi, it will fight you to the death over it. I have a dashcam that I occasionally connect to over wifi. It's always a hassle.

 

[Str8Shooter]

Yeah it works fine through USB-C, but my god, if you're connected via wifi, and want to try to connect to another wifi, it will fight you to the death over it. I have a dashcam that I occasionally connect to over wifi. It's always a hassle.

You are 100% right. I have a dashcam too and it is a PITA to remember to turn off the Sync wifi projector. My phone always connects to whatever Wifi I choose, except when I enable the Wifi projector on Sync. If the Sync wifi projector is enabled, my phone will only connect to the Sync wifi. Like you said, Sync fights and 100% succesfully steals the wifi control. If I select Starlink or the dashcam on my phone...it will not make a sucessful connection. I guess that is the nature of the beast with AA and sync wifi.

No biggie, I can live with AA on USB, or just use AA directly from my phone without USB. In blackout areas Starlink wifi is more important.

 

[Str8Shooter]

I'm running a mini in my tremor too. For those of you who have a moonroof, you can stick it to the underside and it'll get signal right through the glass.

I also had to turn off wireless Android auto for my phone to connect to the mini.

What mount are you using if any? Can you put the Starlink Mini between the sunshade and the moonroof to keep it from falling down? Is that a good option? Does the Starlink interfere with opening or shutting the Sunshade? Any problems with heat build up next to the moonroof turning off Starlink, or ever loosing suction from the suction cup if that is what you are using?

I guess for those of us without a moonroof the way to go for inside the cab location would be the dashboard, but it would probably have slightly more signal obstacles.

I'm curious to hear more about the lessons learned from folks that went the inside the cab route.

 

[Larry Irwin]

AA worked perfect today using the USB-C connection method. My truck's steering wheel mic button, voice through the trucks speaker when I say "Hey Google", and bluetooth for sound over the truck's speakers all worked together. Maybe my software settings finally cleared all the phone, Sync, and AA caches properly and will hold from this point on.

Great post, which I sure wish I had read earlier. I just spent over 4 hours fighting with my Starlink installation and AA. Looking forward to trying it with a USB cable tomorrow.

 

[Sig Oris]

Curious about antenna alignment

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