What did you do with your Grenadier today?

[parb]

This looks great, I'm looking to do something similar in the future (for now I'm just using mine as a mobile unit). A few questions if you don't mind:

1. How did you run the wiring, where does it get power from?
2. How much effort would it be to attach/detach the dish from this mount, e.g. when using it at home vs. on the road?

It has to be opened with a Allen wrench, 8 bolts to get the starlink off the roof. I opted for that, I think it's gives me some better chance of keeping it vs if it's. Clamped to the roof handles or has a quick mount. someone will try to steal it if its not bolted on. I need to take my grenadier to work for two months starting in february and i can totally see someone trying to steal my starlink while parked in the parking garage... Its also why i put it so centered on the roof rack, makes it harder to see.

I used the power cable from dva mechanics. I think owl has one as well. These cables plugs into one of the power ports on the roof and directly into starlink. When using the front left side power plug i have about 8-10" of slack in the cable to the starlink, it gives you a decent amount of freedom to move it around. The starlink consumes about 30w of power so not a whole lot.

FYI I am working on a solution for having my ARB roof light, Stedi rear light bar and the Starlink on the same circuit. Something both functional and decent looking. I suck at paint so its a 50/50 how the paint will come out -the rest i feel pretty good about. Stay tuned for next weeks update. I was building brackets and painting them today, they will be installed next week and wired up. I did a test run of it yesterday so i know it works electrically, now i just needed to make it look prettier than the raw metal i tested everything with...

 

[parb]

My OCD self decided to powder coat my hi lift in the same color as the ladder. Took apart the hi lift and took it to a place near where I live to have it sand blasted and powder coated. 4 days later the hi lift looks like this mounted on the back of my Grenadier...

Pure vanity of course...

 

[CrazyOldMan]

It has to be opened with a Allen wrench, 8 bolts to get the starlink off the roof. I opted for that, I think it's gives me some better chance of keeping it vs if it's. Clamped to the roof handles or has a quick mount. someone will try to steal it if its not bolted on. I need to take my grenadier to work for two months starting in february and i can totally see someone trying to steal my starlink while parked in the parking garage... Its also why i put it so centered on the roof rack, makes it harder to see.

I used the power cable from dva mechanics. I think owl has one as well. These cables plugs into one of the power ports on the roof and directly into starlink. When using the front left side power plug i have about 8-10" of slack in the cable to the starlink, it gives you a decent amount of freedom to move it around. The starlink consumes about 30w of power so not a whole lot.

FYI I am working on a solution for having my ARB roof light, Stedi rear light bar and the Starlink on the same circuit. Something both functional and decent looking. I suck at paint so its a 50/50 how the paint will come out -the rest i feel pretty good about. Stay tuned for next weeks update. I was building brackets and painting them today, they will be installed next week and wired up. I did a test run of it yesterday so i know it works electrically, now i just needed to make it look prettier than the raw metal i tested everything with...

I know it belongs on another thread - but have you looked at an interior mount for the starlink receiver inside the cargo area window? I know it’s not optimal - I just saw someone do that (because of the theft risk) and I was curious how it worked in terms of reception.

 

[Asnes]

Camping near Flagler Beach in Florida.

 

[HugoB]

I know it belongs on another thread - but have you looked at an interior mount for the starlink receiver inside the cargo area window? I know it’s not optimal - I just saw someone do that (because of the theft risk) and I was curious how it worked in terms of reception.

Interesting - do you have a link to where you saw this?

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Interesting - do you have a link to where you saw this?

I don’t - it was probably 6 months ago - maybe on YouTube - someone mounted it inside the window of a truck - I don’t even remember what kind. Sorry. I just remember it was on a vertical (side) rear window. Which made me wonder about the directional sensitivity of the receiver, and if it’s not that sensitive, and if glass doesn’t impair reception, wouldn’t that be the preferred mount? I don’t know. I’m not using one - interested, but don’t want a bunch of crap on my roof and a WeBoost works for the most part for what I’m doing.

 

[mcdoogs]

I have a regular sized starlink I use with my travel trailer, and a few tree branches in between it and the sky are enough to negatively affect service. I would not place many bets on the performance of a smaller unit mounted vertically inside a vehicle.

 

[Dopplemax]

Camping near Flagler Beach in Florida.

Nice! I have a place in New Smyrna Beach. With all the snow we have right now in VA, I might need to make a trip down.

 

[Dopplemax]

Installed Kaon interior molle panels and ceiling shelf as well as Owl aluminum grab bars.

 

[ZEN_OWT]

Installed the starlink mini on the bison gear roof rack. DVA cable and striker fab mount. Works excellent, anchored it into my roof rack with pre-drilled holes!

I used three washers for each m6 bolt as a poor man's standoff. Worked really great.

Really low, sits behind the low profile light bar.
View attachment 7884135
View attachment 7884136
View attachment 7884138
I opted for the style with the apple tracker in it.

What M6 bolts specifically do you use in the rail. I got some cheap hammer heads from amazon but they rust too easy. Looking for another solution for my bison rack.

 

[parb]

What M6 bolts specifically do you use in the rail. I got some cheap hammer heads from amazon but they rust too easy. Looking for another solution for my bison rack.

I got these from amazon. They have not been horrible: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CQJZKYSK/?tag=globalgrena0b-20
For the bolts i used these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CSD65FVB/?tag=globalgrena0b-20
The bolts have worked out well for me. I particularly like that washers comes with them. I obviously aren't using the nuts.

The bolts linked above are 16mm. I also needed to get some shorter bolts, these 12mm from the same company has worked well

Amazon.de : M6 x 12mm Flanged Button Head Socket Cap Screws Bolts, Nuts, Flat

I've had them on for a couple of months and they have worked out really well.

I need to order some better bolts for my hi-lift jack. I got those bolts from the local hardware store and they are atrocious, rust way too easily.

 

[parb]

I know it belongs on another thread - but have you looked at an interior mount for the starlink receiver inside the cargo area window? I know it’s not optimal - I just saw someone do that (because of the theft risk) and I was curious how it worked in terms of reception.

i bought a mount for attaching to the moonroof of my volvo xc90. I would only put it behind a regular tinted glass/plastic type of roof which doesn't dampen the signal too much. I can't imagine this would work well without a clear image of the sky.

on my roof i ordered the optional plexi glass cover from striker fab to protect the starlink. I park my cars under trees and certain times of the year i get a lot of sap, i can't imagine that is great for the antenna.... The plexi cover doesn't appear to attenuate the signal, i get the same signal strength as when it was placed on the roof without the mount.

One of the reasons i wanted the mount was that it does a great job to hide that it is a starlink. It doesn't broadcast out starlink to a casual observer. And the roof is pretty tall so it would take some real interest to be up there. And even if you where up there you'd have to have an allen key with you. I feel pretty good about the security of this mount.

 

[Clark Kent]

I did a 350km (~220 mile) round trip in my Grenadier today to visit a 79yo friend who is two years into a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease; also called ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease. He has read the Grenadier story and wanted to know all about it. Unfortunately his condition has deteriorated to a point where he is unable to leave his elevated house to go for a ride.
He is a self-taught engineer, toolmaker, welder and mechanic. A talented inventive man who is known as a go-to for solutions to tough engineering problems. If he doesn't have a required tool or jig he'll make one. He is one of those irreplaceable old-school guys that everyone wants to know if they have a curly problem to solve.

His long term automotive project was restoring a Mk 8 Davrian fibreglass tubbed sports car built in the UK in the early '70s. Older UK guys might remember the Davrian. They had a bit of a cult following. A bit like the Delorean but on a smaller production scale. He got as far as fabricating and fitting a new chrome-moly engine sub-frame to bolt up a Toyota 4A-GZE supercharged 1600cc engine picked from a wrecked MR2, plus fabricated new trailing arm suspension with coil overs. All before his failing health stopped him from making trips to his beloved shed. The Dav' will not get finished.

I finally got agreement from him today to let me go into his shed unescorted (!!) to do an inventory and photo catalogue of his tools, parts and materials so he and his family can commence an estate sale. Until today he was resisting this in the hope he might hang on long enough to get some more time to work on his many projects. A emotional day today to again face his mortality and approaching fate, but also a relief that someone like-minded has stepped up to help his wife and daughters deal with "the shed problem".
He told me today that he cannot afford to waste a single day because he doesn't have many left. His speech will go soon and then communication becomes harder. His voice has been recorded and digitally synthesized in preparation for this stage.

My work is definately cut out for me over the next few weeks. He has a LOT of stuff, but it will be personally rewarding to help this talented man in a way that his family and carer team can't. I'm fortunate to be on an extended voluntary work break (I'm not ready to say I'm retired) so I have plenty of time to help.

The Grenadier connection? It's a bit tenuous but it will do some runs to the dump and metal recyclers as part of a shed cleanup.

Name withheld for privacy reasons.

 

[CrazyOldMan]

I dunno - plinkin’ around in the garage of an old engineering buddy? That’s a good Grenadier story either way. I’ll remember him at mass this weekend - and maybe some of our Irish buddies on the Forum could put in a good word with St Patrick, the patron saint of engineers. The room prepared in the father’s house for your friend is probably a cluttered up old workshop - sounds alright to me.

The Story of St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Engineers

When you think of St. Patrick’s Day, you probably think of crowds of jovial people wearing green, but did you know that St. Patrick is also considered the patron saint of engineers?

online-engineering.case.edu