STARLINK

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last updated 24 Jun 2026 Where to Order:

Starlink.com Starlink is a division of SpaceX.
100 Mbps $55/mo, 200mbps $85/mo
T-Mobile T-Satelite
Installers:
Starlink for Homes | Starlink
Nationwide Starlink Installation and Starlink Installers USA - MobileTechs 1-888-973-9855
(844)-800-7332 | Order #1522621
Starlink Installation | OntechSmartServices.com | Mobile Techs
A division of ProSat">ProSat Solutions
Ryan (877) 309-1050
Installation on a roof: $439
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Installation on a pole:

Parts	
?              $85
150ft cable	 $79
8 ft pole	 $40
cement	         $10
Total equipment	$214
Labor 	        $325
Total	        $539
They also do an in-site inspection  $200
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If you pay for the install your site doesn't allow it you get all your money back.
Ryan said they have to install the dish pointing in North orientation.
I checked this and Starlink recommends it for N. California .
This is because the satellites over the ocean are under utilized.
DIY install
pipe mount youtube
Accessories:
Standard Accessories | Starlink
AI Google search for How do tree installations affect Starlink signal performance? See more from starlink support below:
Tree installations generally improve Starlink signal performance in wooded areas by elevating the dish above the canopy, provided the mount is stable and the line of sight is clear. Impact on Signal Quality
- Clear Line of Sight: The primary benefit of tree mounting is overcoming obstructions. Starlink requires a clear view of approximately 100° of the sky to track satellites effectively. Trees block these millimeter-wave signals, causing packet loss, buffering, and slow speeds. Elevating the dish above the tree line restores this critical visibility.
  Objects that obstruct the connection between your Starlink and the satellite, such as a tree branch, pole, or roof, will cause intermittent outages and dropped packets.
- Performance Gains: Users who switch from ground-level or roof-level installations (blocked by trees) to treetop mounts often see speeds increase from 10–30 Mbps to over 120 Mbps with significantly fewer interruptions.
- Sway and Movement: Concerns about tree sway affecting the signal are largely unfounded. Professional installers in Tahoe report that trees swaying even 4 feet in either direction do not disrupt service. The Starlink phased-array antenna is designed to track satellites dynamically and can compensate for minor movement, similar to how mobile devices maintain connections while in motion.
Starlink Support
Get the Apps: iOS, Android
Select a Location:

Installation:

you will need to use the provided cable that comes with the dish. It's just some sort of CATx cable (not COAX) but it's shielded, beefy, etc.

Tips at Starlink support:
Check your location:| starlink.com/support/
Download the Starlink app first.
iOS Android

The app will help you find an unobstructed install location, manage your account, test your connection, and browse the shop.

Select a Location
Use the app to find the set up location that will deliver the best service. Your Starlink needs a clear view of the sky so it can stay connected with satellites as they move overhead. Objects that obstruct the connection between your Starlink and the satellite, such as a tree branch, pole, or roof, will cause intermittent outages and dropped packets.
In one support documentation they say,

"Starlink must be 100% unobstructed for best performance. Even small obstructions in the field of view will have a negative impact on the quality of the connection, including intermittent outages, dropped packets or sessions, and a reduction in overall average bandwidth capacity."

Below they say.

"Starlink terminals automatically switch between satellites in real time to address any degradation in the link"

Each dish should have clear view of the sky from around 20° elevation (above the horizon), with a full 360° azimuth (rotation). If there are obstructions to the field of view, multiple dishes can be used, and load balanced with a 3rd party router. However, any dish with obstructions will result in lower than the rated performance (i.e. bandwidth throughput) from that dish. It is of utmost importance to install in a location with a clear view of the sky.

Obstructions Explained:
Starlink is built to deliver reliable high-speed internet, even when a customer’s view of the sky isn’t perfect. Trees, buildings, and other obstacles can temporarily block the connection to a given satellite, but the system is designed in such a way that these are generally imperceptible to the user. A given user terminal in the United States for example has 10-30 satellites in view, providing diversity to route traffic via a satellite with a stable and unobstructed connection. Starlink terminals automatically switch between satellites in real time to address any degradation in the link – this happens both proactively, for fixed installs, and reactively, for mobile terminals and unpredicted issues.
As a Starlink terminal communicates with satellites overhead, it continuously builds a real-time obstruction map, allowing Starlink to dynamically understand its environment. With this information, it can proactively select the best and most stable connection. These proactive satellite switches are imperceptible to the user and occur many times per minute – with Starlink’s low-Earth-orbiting satellites rapidly transiting the sky, it’s a natural part of the system. For dynamic obstructions, such as those that are encountered by mobile terminals, the system reactively switches in a timescale of 10s to 100s of milliseconds (ms), allowing a connection to remain stable. The dynamic nature of starlink.combined with the many paths for the system to route traffic provide a high degree of resiliency in obstructed and changing environments.
Additionally, to help customers get the most out of their service, the Starlink app includes a built-in tool to preview the install location and guide customers to the best placement with the fewest obstructions. After setup, the Starlink app provides a live obstruction map that shows exactly where signal blockages are occurring and how they may affect the experience, so that customers can make informed decisions about optimizing their installation. Starlink also measures uptime at a 10 Hz rate from every terminal, transparently reporting any outage at the 100 ms level and above in the app.
As we continue to improve our software systems and launch more satellites, Starlink becomes even more robust. With a denser satellite network, and increasingly advanced algorithms, our system has more paths to route around obstacles, making service more resilient, even in challenging environments.
Learn about Starlink beam switching here.
Other features:
Snow Melt:
The Starlink user terminal (Dishy) does not contain a dedicated resistive heating element or heater coils. Instead, it generates heat through its phase-array antennas and amplifiers by intentionally running them in a less efficient mode or boosting power output, which causes the electronics to radiate waste heat. This process, known as "Snow Melt Mode," is designed to melt snow and ice from the dish face to maintain signal integrity during precipitation or heavy cloud cover. The dish detects when signal strength drops due to obstruction and automatically increases power consumption to generate this heat. Users can manage this function via the Starlink app with three settings:
- Automatic: The default setting where the system activates heating when it detects signal degradation or specific weather conditions.
- Pre-Heat: Intentionally runs the electronics at higher power to heat the dish surface before anticipated snow or ice accumulation.
- Off: Disables the heating function entirely to minimize energy usage, suitable
for regions without snow or ice. While effective for snow, this heating mechanism can cause the dish to overheat in extreme summer temperatures (above 104°F / 40°C), potentially triggering a "Thermal Shutdown" where the device goes offline until it cools down.
Software update:
Starlink software updates are 100% automatic and typically occur overnight between 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM, requiring no user action if the dish is powered on with a clear sky view. You can manually initiate an update immediately if a notification appears in the app, or change the update window via Settings > Starlink > Software Updates.

use the Starlink app (iOS, Android), select “Check for Obstructions”
Sign up for Starlink email updates