Can you run Starlink mini on the 48v power feed?

[ABILISK]

So people actually do this. I feel like I would have heard by now if it’s an issue.
I’m going to split the frunk feed to my 220w solar input on the river 2 pro and the Starlink. Really no reason to run down the power station with it. Anyone see an issue with that?

Have you had any luck with this? If you’ve attained a working setup, photos would be appreciated. Personally I’m not even trying to split the feed between two things right now, I just want to power a mini from the frunk.

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[hemiarch]

Have you had any luck with this? If you’ve attained a working setup, photos would be appreciated. Personally I’m not even trying to split the feed between two things right now, I just want to power a mini from the frunk.

Not yet. Collecting supplies though. Will post pics as soon as I do it.

 

[ABILISK]

Not yet. Collecting supplies though. Will post pics as soon as I do it.

Gotcha. I’m in the beginning stages of researching this, so this may or may not make any sense, but give me your thoughts on this tentative plan:
1) Install a crossbar with a mini mounted on it in the highest position (covering the light bar feed on the roof)
2) Run a power cable from the mini down the right side of the windshield into the frunk
3) Remove frunk liner to get the feed exposed, following these steps

Aaand here’s where we leave my comfort zone. How does one connect the Starlink cable to the frunk feed? I assume, and correct me if I’m wrong, that you cut the end of the Starlink cable and splice it into the frunk feed.

Would I need these? Something else?

Any issue with just using the cable provided with the mini for this project, cut to size? Can that cable handle the voltage from the frunk feed or would I need something beefier? Any considerations once in the frunk? Like don’t let the cable touch X/Y/Z because it’ll fry it or anything?

 

[hemiarch]

Gotcha. I’m in the beginning stages of researching this, so this may or may not make any sense, but give me your thoughts on this tentative plan:
1) Install a crossbar with a mini mounted on it in the highest position (covering the light bar feed on the roof)
2) Run a power cable from the mini down the right side of the windshield into the frunk
3) Remove frunk liner to get the feed exposed, following these steps

Aaand here’s where we leave my comfort zone. How does one connect the Starlink cable to the frunk feed? I assume, and correct me if I’m wrong, that you cut the end of the Starlink cable and splice it into the frunk feed.

Would I need this? Or maybe these?

Any issue with just using the cable provided with the mini for this project, cut to size? Can that cable handle the voltage from the frunk feed or would I need something beefier?

Looks reasonable to me though @CT_AZ_4x4 or @mongo are likely more qualified to assess our plan.
I bought one of these
https://a.co/d/7MEJb0g
But this actually might be better
https://a.co/d/9hdfHd9
I was going to install it in the frunk bucket to make the frunk supply useable for many things without having to remove the tub again. I was even going to make a little label that says 48v up to 400w
in your case I would then use something like this:
https://a.co/d/9QA0n4J
Or in my case a split cable.
This connector seems pretty firm and durable but you could just as easily do a regular Anderson powerpole like I bought or xt60 or mc4. Just depends on your plug preference. The mc4 is the most weatherproof but we’re talking inside the frunk so not so crucial I don’t think.
I’m going to run mine into the cabin to run it on the dashboard protected by cabin overheat protection but you could just as easily go the cantrail to the roof feed area.

now if you don’t care about using it for other stuff like power stations, you don’t have to do the plug of course. Just run the feed up to the roof.

 

[ABILISK]

Looks reasonable to me though @CT_AZ_4x4 or @mongo are likely more qualified to assess our plan.
I bought one of these
https://a.co/d/7MEJb0g
But this actually might be better
https://a.co/d/9hdfHd9
I was going to install it in the frunk bucket to make the frunk supply useable for many things without having to remove the tub again. I was even going to make a little label that says 48v up to 400w
in your case I would then use something like this:
https://a.co/d/9QA0n4J
Or in my case a split cable.
This connector seems pretty firm and durable but you could just as easily do a regular Anderson powerpole like I bought or xt60 or mc4. Just depends on your plug preference. The mc4 is the most weatherproof but we’re talking inside the frunk so not so crucial I don’t think.

Then what do you get to splice into the power feed to plug the cable into?

 

[hemiarch]

Then what do you get to splice into the power feed to plug the cable into?

just a solder connector from the red and black of the feed to the red and black at the back of your plug. I think in mine I’m going to put a longish wire there so the frunk bucket can easily be removed again by me or by the service center.
It’s just rolled up in there with taped up ends like the roof supply.
Has a green cable as well but we have no use for that I can think of.

 

[mongo]

So you're saying I should go test the 250W of power resistors I picked up last week in parallel with the Tesla lightbar?
OK!
For science!

 

[hemiarch]

So you're saying I should go test the 250W of power resistors I picked up last week in parallel with the Tesla lightbar?
OK!
For science!

 

[mongo]

Wait, are you saying I need to buy a Mini for testing along with a mini-freezer for cold testing? And then some 3rd party lightbars for the Cybar project?

And then start a YouTube channel to subsidize everything???

Sounds too much like work, going back to sleep instead.

 

[hemiarch]

You can just start a debunking YouTube channel.
I would watch it.
“In today’s episode, mongo takes on claims of nuclear fusion…”. That kind of thing.

 

[mongo]

Just tested lightbar in Both mode at 100% and switched in/out 200W of resistive load with no errors/ faults.
Don't know what the Mini inrush current is, but even in the worst case, turning on the lightbar at 0% should work fine.

 

[hemiarch]

So I take that to mean if you wired something like this in with the roof lghtbar it would come on with the factory lightbar and the car would not freak out because it’s “checking for excess draw” or anything?

https://mandronline.com/products/te...uQeQZBvj5FNjJUmGAYwtxLEyEHYan9lkaAgU1EALw_wcB

and that means you can still use the frunk feed for continuously charging a power station and running a Starlink.

 

[mongo]

So I take that to mean if you wired something like this in with the roof lghtbar it would come on with the factory lightbar and the car would not freak out because it’s “checking for excess draw” or anything?

https://mandronline.com/products/te...uQeQZBvj5FNjJUmGAYwtxLEyEHYan9lkaAgU1EALw_wcB

and that means you can still use the frunk feed for continuously charging a power station and running a Starlink.

Correct, truck doesn't seem to care about other stuff connected with the lightbar (in a short time scale at least, them 50W resistors get hot fast). So you could mini+lightbar up top.
Frunk feed is a separate 400W from the roof.

That light bar is 12V, would you feed from power station?

 

[ABILISK]

So I’ll ask a (potentially) really stupid question now. I had an extra OEM Starlink power cable so I sliced it open to take a look. Looks like this inside, with a group of wires in a red sleeve and a group of wires with no sleeve.

Could this be spliced into the frunk feed? With the red-sleeved wires spliced to red and the no-sleeved wires spliced to black?

 

[mongo]

So I’ll ask a (potentially) really stupid question now. I had an extra OEM Starlink power cable so I sliced it open to take a look. Looks like this inside, with a group of wires in a red sleeve and a group of wires with no sleeve.

Could this be spliced into the frunk feed? With the red-sleeved wires spliced to red and the no-sleeved wires spliced to black?

I would think so, but if you have a meter to double check the connections...

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