The Starlink Performance Kit has a new option for DC power which has been a long-requested feature for boats. I cut apart the DC cable, test both AC and DC power, and investigate some of the specs.
If you prefer a video format, there's one above!
Advanced Power Supply
At the heart of all of this is the advanced power supply. There are a few things I noticed when digging into the specs:
- DC power can't achieve the same maximum as AC power
- Starlink recommends 20 volts minimum DC power for full functionality
We'll delve into both of these below.
From the Durability Guide:
"Starlink Advanced Power Supply DC input was qualified for input voltages from 10.5V to 57V. However, it is recommended to power the system at DC voltages above 20V when possible. At lower input voltages, output power will be reduced to limit the total amperage from the power supply to less than 20 amps. In these cases, user terminals demanding high power (very high throughput with snow melt active) may throttle due to the power limitation."
I'm super happy that the power supply will survive down below 12 volts to a low of 10.5 volts. This will come in handy when your batteries are low, or a big appliance kicks off.
What is interesting is that Starlink recommends using a minimum of 20 volts for best performance. Anything less will reduce the overall DC amperage draw to 20 amps, and reduce your overall wattage. It also will reduce potential performance and snow melt.
In my case, I am supplying around 12 volts DC power, so I will only be able to achieve about 230 watts if I estimate that point on the graph above. While I will likely need snow melt during the winter, and I would like higher throughput (I assume this comes with the newer v3 satellites and gigabit speeds), I think I'd rather have better power usage as a trade off.
If I wanted to get to the higher output range, I could throw a 12 to 24 volt converter in the mix and provide the power supply with something more than 20 volts, but now we're converting power, and there will be loss.
Also, for my boating profile, being at sea level all of the time, I don't get huge snowfall, so I may not need as much snow melt capacity as someone who is at a higher elevation with higher snowfall totals.
I also have not seen any performance impacts to using the power supply with 12 volt DC as you can see above. One of the highest speed test results I've ever seen with any Starlink dish aboard a boat - 438 Mbps download speed!
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AC Power Testing
AC power testing was pretty straightforwards. I used a Kill A Watt meter to record how much the system was using. I did 40 tests and came up with these general averages:
- Boot up: 25 watts
- Searching for satellites: 78 watts
- Normal use: 40-50 watts
- Speed test: 85 watts
DC Power Cable
The provided DC power cable appears to have XT60 ends. I chose to cut the cable and investigate the wire inside.
The wire inside appears to be 10 AWG or something similar. It is not tinned, so I recommend trying to keep it as waterproof as possible if you cut it by using heat shrink butt connectors or something similar.
I chose to use 10 AWG marine-grade wire to extend this wire down to a DC panel. I also installed a blade-type 20 amp fuse in the wire as close to the power supply as possible.
I chose a 20 amp fuse because the Durability Guide indicates the max amp draw for the power supply at anything less than 20 volts is 20 amps of DC. I still sized my wire at 10 AWG to cover the max of 25 DC amps.
DC Power Testing
DC power testing was a little more involved. I used a voltmeter to measure the real-time volts and a clamp meter to monitor the DC amperage, and a I did 40 tests and came up with these general averages:
- Boot up: 25 watts
- Searching for satellites: 95 watts
- Normal use: 40-50 watts
- Speed test: 92 watts
So it used a bit more power than the AC option during the most intensive things, but still pretty close overall.
Results
DC power testing has shown that on a 12 volt DC system, the Starlink Performance Kit uses between 2 and 8 amps of DC power. This is without using snow melt or any other options. This translates to 25-96 watts.
AC power testing shows a range of 25-85 watts of power usage.
You might conclude that AC power is slightly more efficient, but the above does not take into account inverter inefficiencies, and the fact that you need more components to run off of AC power, most notably the inverter itself.
Generally speaking, running the Starlink Performance Kit off of DC power is going to be slightly more efficient than on AC power provided by an inverter. However, running it at anything less than 20 volts DC power limits the total power available, which may reduce performance or things like snow melt.
I have not seen any reduction in performance by running on DC power, and I assume Starlink may mean that the future gigabit speeds may be reduced, as those probably require more power.
Conclusion
If you have DC power available, I would recommend using that over AC power for several reasons:
- More efficient than using inverted AC power due to losses in inverters
- Simpler - internet will still work even if inverter fails
However, if you require significant snow melt capabilities, and are powering it from a DC power source that is less than 20 volts, you may wish to use AC power.
If you have a 24 volt or higher DC power source, I would definitely recommend running the system from DC power.
In all cases with DC power, ensure that you have an appropriate sized set of source wiring and a proper fuse. If you don't know what that might be, engage a qualified electrician (did you know I'm one!?) to ensure you don't cause a problem or worse! Also, try to get the Starlink Power Supply as close as possible to the DC power source so that voltage drop is minimized.
Archived Community Comments
These comments were posted on the SeaBits forum before February 2026. Scroll down to join the current discussion.
Great test and great article, thanks! Impressive download speed. Do you also have an idea about the upload speed with this new kit? Thanks!
Here’s a speed test I just did while replying to your message:
The upload is generally between 15-20Mbps which is in-line with all of the other dishes I have online right now (Standard, Flat High Performance).
Thanks! I’m looking forward to the next generation which claims higher upload speeds
I’m curious what the higher performance satellites (v3?) combined with this dish will do. Perhaps we’ll see faster upload speeds…
The major upgrade we’re all waiting for
They said these speed increases would come from the v3 + new antennas, curious if they take this one into account as one of those new antennas for the v3.
They have taken that into account and made this statement in their announcement email as well as online:
“The Starlink Performance Kit is currently capable of download speeds up to 400+ Mbps for fast, reliable connectivity whenever you need it. Starlink is focused on making network enhancements which will enable gigabit speeds starting in the most remote places on Earth with the Performance Kit. Service plan upgrades will be available in 2026. No hardware changes needed.”
Great article. I am currently using the mini on my sailboat and it uses significantly less power and has just adequate performance. It would be interesting comparison to see some specific numbers. Thanks again
What specifically would you like to see compared? The power usage of the mini vs. this one?
The power (ac/dc) comparison and throughput for each. The value seems good for recreational use but probably not real suitable for business purposes. For most, it may be good enough.
Gotcha. My mini is dead and I am quite a ways away from somewhere where I can get a replacement shipped to me. Maybe someone with one can do some testing for me so we can add the data together!
I have seen more and more of the mini on lower power and smaller boats, and I think it is a great way to have good connectivity on board without a lot of additional equipment.
Thanks for the info on the power kit. It took me a minute to realize that the mini is not included in the suitability of the power kit.
Starlink now offers a 12V plug and a USB-C cable for connecting the mini to your boat’s power. What are your thoughts on this newish hardware? I have just acquired my mini. At the dock, it works well on AC. The next step for me is to use DC power at anchor. The hardware to use is my query.
Hi John,
I’d need to know a little more about your power system and boat before I could answer definitively. For instance, do you have an inverter? You could continue to use the AC power solution if so, and it would be the easiest way to continue using the Starlink Mini.
If you don’t have an inverter for AC power while away from the dock, then a DC solution is required. Starlink did come out with a 12V cigarette lighter adapter to USB-C power with a cable that might work.
I also just got back from a big boating trade show where there were several boat-specific versions of this that provide a more stable output power to ensure the Starlink works even if your batteries are lower than normal, and the DC power cable run is longer. I’m working on getting those written up soon on the site!