We are using the standard Starlink Gen 3 in our RV for Internet. I am viewing sites at a campground for this summer and it looks like I will need more than the supplied 50 ft of cable.
Has anyone used a standard weatherproof cat 6 cable for the Gen 3. $115 seems excessive for a 150' cable with a couple rubber boots?
The router is protected in the RV storage compartment and with the dish connection being pretty well isolated from the weather. I suppose I could use the 50 ft of Starlink cable from the dish to a weatherproof coupler and from there to the router with standard cat 6.
I was wondering if I could save a bit if cash for something else for the trip.
The service is suspended but I put the dish in the front yard, connected the Starlink cable and the then used a regular coupler and a 25 ft cat 5e cable I had laying around and I immediately connected to the satellites and it downloaded an update without issue. I can't check speed without resuming service but it looks like I can use 100' outdoor cat 6e with a waterproof coupler.
Unless someone sees anything I'm missing I think I'm going to order the cable and coupler and do a test run on our next trip this month.
Cables are how most companies make profits. $115 is insane and reminds me of the prices of Monster Cable that Circuit City and Best Buy always pushed.
I agree with your approach and recommend trying it like you are at home and return if it doesn’t work. This said I don’t expect you to have any issue because Cat6 is Cat6.
The Starlink cable comes back as Cat 6a. Theoretically, cat 6 should work based on the throughput but I'm going to order a 100 ft cat 6a pure copper stranded patch cable with a cat 6a waterproof connector to join the Starlink cable. This way all exterior connections are waterproof and, when I only need 50 ft, I can use the mfg cable. Less than $50 vs $115.
Thanks for the reply. It's much appreciated.
And yes, I remember all of the hype over monster cables. I always used lamp cord for speaker wire and good quality patch cables back in the day when you could go down to Radio Shack to get parts and pieces.
I grew up in a very small town and our Radio Shack franchise was actually the electronics department of a "Kmart" sized department store. I even worked at that department store during the time of the battery club but don't remember it.
Hell, I am still using the Optimus subwoofer I bought for $100 when the store closed in 1989.
Just a final follow-up. I added 100' of Cat 6E cable and joined it with the 50' Starlink cable using a waterproof connector. We have been using it for a few days now at the campground and everything has been fine. No different than using the 50' cable alone.
Thank you. I did look up the specs before purchasing but the price difference going with 6E wasn't much different. If I remember correctly when I looked up the Starlink cable it was 6E.
The one key difference I see between the Starlink cable and the outdoor 6E I bought is flexibility. The OEM Starlink cable is definitely more flexible. Especially in this cold snap we are seeing. What I have done is wind both cables on a cable reel to help keep them from kinking.
I pull enough cable to get to Dishy McFlatface and then run the other end through an opening I drilled into the storage compartment. I just leave the excess on the cable reel.
Everything fits nicely in a smallish $12 Lowe's tote for storage and traveling.
The only downside is the cost of the roaming service itself. But it's worth it to have reliable Internet without relying on my phone hotspot all the time
I am not running speed tests that often but see similar numbers here in South Florida when I run them. I expected them to be lower now with the snowbirds here but haven't experienced that.
I think the top download I've seen is around 300 because I remember it being similar to what I get at home on spectrum.
