Tips for doing your own Heavy-duty Adjustable Eave Mount installation for Starlink

4/26 – 4/27 – This page is currently under construction.
We will be adding photos and other information as soon as we can!
This information was posted as a courtesy to inform you how we usually do installations using this mount.  Use this information at your own risk!
We are not responsible for your safety or damage to your property or Starlink system!

Preparation:

In order to perform a Starlink installation on our Heavy-duty Adjustable Eave mount, you will need a few basic components.
(you can click on the images below for more information)

Heavy-duty Adjustable Eave Mount

Mast

Pipe Adapter for Starlink

You will also need a few basic tools and some installation accessories depending on you want to finish off your installation!
(These tools and accessories may change based on your building material, outside and inside walls, and more.)

Tools

• Extension Ladder (to reach a few feet above roof peak to install eave mount)
• Step Ladder (to assist in the installation of the Starlink cable run)
• 5/16″ wrench or socket (for eave mount lag bolts)
• 1/2″ wrench (for tightening QADAPT onto mast)
• torpedo Level (for eave mount and optional wall plate)
• stud finder (finding studs for eave mount and for optional wall plate
• drill w/ a long 1″ bit and other bits (for pilot holes if necessary)
• Optional: drywall saw if installing a low-voltage box for point-of-entry
• Optional: screwdrivers for wall plates (if installing low-voltage box for point-of-entry)

Recommended Accessories

• a friend or qualified family member to help you perform the installation
• clips for running Starlink cable from the antenna to the modem
• silicone sealent and steel wool to fill point of entry hole
• rubber or plastic hose or tape to go over the Starlink cable to protect it from sharp edges
• black electrical tape (to secure the Starlink cable to the wire or string if necessary)
• zip ties or something to secure the “service loop” and remaining cable inside
• pencil for marking hole locations on studs or solid facia and hole for optional wall box
• wire or string for pulling Starlink cable up though mast and adapter
• 
  Optional: low-voltage box for point-of-entry
  
• 
  Optional: brush wall plate cover for low-voltage box
  

Planning:

1.  Determine which eave you are going to install your Starlink system on.  (refer to Starlink app)
2. Determine where you want to place your Starlink modem in your home and make sure you have enough Starlink cable to reach from the antenna location to the modem location. (higher up, and centrally located is best for adequate WiFi coverage.) If your building is wired for ethernet, some people choose to use the network adapter from Starlink to tie into the ethernet though-out the building.  In order to do so you will need to have the modem close to an ethernet jack or use an ethernet cable to tie it in.
3. Make sure you have the correct length of mast to go with your roof pitch and the height you want your Starlink antenna to be above your roof line.  (Normally a 3′ mast is enough, but if you have an A-frame building or want your antenna higher, for snow, etc, then a 4′ or 5′ might be recommended.)
4. Make sure your facia will support this mount properly and the weight of the mount, mast, and antenna.
5. Consider the length of your mast and optional support struts for use with it. (we recommend support stuts for use with 4′ – 5′ masts)
6. Determine your Starlink cable run path from the antenna to the modem and plan for protecting the cable from any sharp edges, etc.
7. If you are running the Starlink cable inside the mast and adapter to your antenna, make sure there is a 1″ hole approximately 1″ above the bottom of the mast to do so.  (We will do that for you for free upon request when you order the mast from us.)
   
8. Plan for safety in all aspects of the installation.

Assembling the Heavy-duty Adjustable Eave Mount

Large Bracket Assembly

1.  Open up and lay out the adjustable eave mount components, bolts, etc.
2. Place one of the larger bracket halves on top of the other half with the backs matching up.  Line up the center holes at whatever length you want the lower bracket to be.
3. Insert the two small carriage bolts in the outer two holes on the bottom of the brackets and tighten accordingly.
4. Find the center two holes on the bracket and put two long stove bolts through the back of the bracket.
5. Put one of the pipe clamps onto those bolts, put the nuts on, and tighten them just enough to hold the pipe clamp on.

W-Bracket Assembly

1. Put the long stove bolts through the backside of the W bracket.
2. Put the small pipe clamp piece on them and put the nuts on just enough to hold that clamp in place.

Installing the Heavy-duty Adjustable Eave Mount

Safety

Do not attempt installation or dismantling if there is any wind or on a wet day.

Use adequate and skilled help in working with this mount.

If you are in doubt of your abilities, STOP what you are doing and ask someone for help!

We usually start by installing the W-Bracket at the peak of the roof.

W-Bracket Installation

1. Center the bracket and make sure it’s level. Mark the two holes.
2. Drill pilot holes into your facia to avoid splitting the wood, etc.  (we recommend using a bit about half the size of the lag bolts for the pilot holes)
3. Used the included lags to attach the W-Bracket to your facia. (Do not over-tighten to avoid stripping out the holes.)

Large Bracket Installation

This is the hardest part of the installation sometimes:

TIPS

Have someone on the roof to help hold the bracket or one end of the bracket.

or

Have someone on another ladder to help hold the bracket or one end of the bracket.

or

You could install your mast into the W-bracket and snug it down just enough to hold the mast.
Insert the mast into the pipe clamp on the large bracket and tighten it down to the large bracket.
You can loosen the top clamp on the W bracket now to slide the lower bracket up or down until you have it in position.
Make sure the mast and lower bracket is level, centered, etc.
Tighen the clamps on the W-Bracket to hold the Large Bracket in place.
Make sure it’s level and centered, mark the holes or just drill the pilot holes, and install the lag screws.

STANDARD INSTRUCTIONS

1. Insert the pipe with the lower bracket attached into the upper bracket.
2. Raise or lower the bracket until it aligns with the roof facing an the mast is level.
3. Tighten the bolts in the upper bracket to hold the lower bracket in place.
4. Mark the holes and drill the pilot holes.
5. Insert the lag screws and tighten them accordingly.
6. Make sure all of the bolts and nuts are tightened down.

TIPS

It’s at this point, we usually loosen the mast to turn it so the hole is towards us to make it easier to run the wire or string down through the mast to help pull the cable run up through it and the adapter.

We bend the wire over the top of the adapter so it won’t come out easily while we are doing other things.

Drilling the hole for the Point-of-Entry into the Building

If you are going to install a low-voltage box inside, we recommend you do that first!  (Scoll down for those instructions first)

If no Low-voltage Box

1. Use your stud finder to avoid studs and existing wiring.
2. Check outside to make sure nothing is in the way outside.
3. We recommend drilling a tiny hole first to make sure you can tell where the hole is going to be before drilling the larger 1″ hole
   (that way, you can move up or down a bit if necessary)

If you’ve Installed a Low-voltage Box

1. We recommend drilling a tiny hole out from the center of your new box first to make sure you can tell where the hole is going to be before drilling the larger 1″ hole. (that way, you can move up or down a bit if necessary)
2.  We go outside and drill into the inside to avoid damaging the siding.  Make sure you don’t go deep enough to hit or damage the edges of the hole you made in the drywall.

Installing the Low-voltage Box

There are many ways to install a low-voltage box in an existing wall made of drywall, sheetrock, paneling, wood, etc.  This is just how we do it.  You can watch YouTube videos to learn other methods, tips, and tricks.

1. Mark the spot where you want the low-voltage box to go, making sure there is nothing outside that’s going to be in your way or that you might drill into.
2.  You can use most low-voltage boxes, like the one we offer, as a template for the hole.
3. Use a drywall saw or a razor blade to follow the lines and cut the hole in the drywall.

Running the Starlink cable

1. Push the antenna end of the Starlink cable end down flat and stick the cable through the outlet cover, through the low-voltage box, and through the hole in the drywall to the outside. (make sure to protect the ends of the Starlink cable)
2. Feed enough cable out to reach your antenna along your chosen cable run.
3. Go outside and run the cable up to the eave mount and attach the end of Starlink cable to the string or wire you put down through the adapter, mast, and out the hole in the mast.  Apply some tape or something to secure the cable to the wire temporarily.
4. Pull the wire and get your Starlink cable up though the hole in the mast, up the mast and out the top of the adapter.  Leave about 6″ up there.  We use the wire to secure the Starlink cable to adapter bolts temporarily while we go get the Starlink antenna.
5. Secure the cable temporarily near the base of the eave mount also, so it doesn’t try to pull out of the mast or damage the cable.
6. You will want to protect the cable where it comes out of the hole in the pipe temporarily by wrapping some electrical tape around the cable or putting a piece of hose over the cable or something.  We will re-do this later on in the right place.
7. We do not secure the cable until we have connected the Starlink antenna.
8. Go get your Starlink antenna as it’s time to connect the cable to the Starlink antenna, and snap it into place in the top of the QADAPT pipe adapter.
9. Once everything is secured, make sure you protect the cable at the new location where it exits the hole in the mast.  We’ve used everything from a 2″ piece of rubber hose or clear plastic hose, or the plastic cable look from Harbor freight, to do so.
10. Starting at the eave, we recommend leaving about a 12″ loop up under the eave, called a service loop. Tape it or secure it with zip ties, and use wire clips or something to hold it up to the eave making sure the wire coming out the hole in the mast is still protected.
11. Use wire clips or staples, etc. to secure the cable along your intended cable path from the antenna down to the point-of-entry.
12. Once the wire is tight stick the remaining cable into the hole and inside of the building.
13. Be sure to go below your hole first and then back up to it so moisture doesn’t follow the cable down into the hole.
14. At this point, we take a small piece of steel wool and wrap it around the Starlink cable until it’s bit enough to fill the hole.
15. Push the steel wool inside the hole just far enough so that you have enough room to put a layer of silicon over it to seal the hole completely.

Connecting the Starlink Modem

If you are using the optional Network Adapter

1. Plug the Starlink cable into the Network adapter.
2. Plug the cable on the network adapter into the bottom of the Starlink modem.
3. Plug your ethernet cable into the Network adapter or you can do so later if you wish.
4. Plug the Starlink modem power cord into the bottom of the modem.
5. Plug the Starlink power cable into your outlet.

If you are not using the optional Network Adapter

1. Plug the Starlink antenna cable into the bottom of the Starlink modem.
2. Plug the Starlink modem power cord into the bottom of the modem.
3. Plug the Starlink power cable into your outlet or leave it unplugged until you are ready to bring it online.

Powering up & Connecting to the Starlink Modem

1. If your Starlink modem is not powered up, power it up.
2. Give the modem a few minutes to power up and start the WiFi connection.
3. If you’ve already been using your Starlink system temporarily, you should be good to go.  If not, please proceed to your Starlink app.
4. Use the Starlink app to start the setup process.
5. At some point, it will ask you to find and connect to the Starlink WiFi which is usually called “Starlink.”
6. Follow the instructions on the app to rename the WiFi and set a password if you wish and if you haven’t done that already.
7. Continue through any additional instructions in the app.
8. As of the date of these instructions, you will need to log into the app using your Starlink username and password if you want to do things like turn on or off the heater or set it to automatic, and other things.