2023 Entegra Anthem W Starlink installation

[Semperfi81]

Recently purchased a 2023 Entegra Anthem W and looking at options. Dealership quoted 10 hours (est. $2000.00) to install Starlink RV mobile in Phoenix area. Any better option out there on installation. Thank you

[brobox]

Congratulation on the new coach. Here are several posts how Entegra owners installed theirs. https://www.google.com/search?q=Ente...earch=irv2.com

[Jimjensen]

Originally Posted by Semperfi81

Recently purchased a 2023 Entegra Anthem W and looking at options. Dealership quoted 10 hours (est. $2000.00) to install Starlink RV mobile in Phoenix area. Any better option out there on installation. Thank you

I’m all ears on this. I would love to know how they’re running the cables and where on the roof they’re mounting the dishy ( not much room at the front of my CS). I’m assuming the router is being placed in the passenger side front cabinet?
Is it NIRVC that you’re talking too? Thanks.
JimJ

[Semperfi81]

Yes! 10 hours at $199.00 per hour.

[tesseract]

We don't use the OTA antenna or cable tv (streaming only), so I hijacked the co-ax in mine and put my router in the bay with the coax inputs to use when using an external dish/service. Then I used a co-ax to ethernet adapter on that end to plug up to the ethernet port add-on for the router, and another one behind my tv where I have my poplin router installed. This get's my starlink up to my primary load balancing router/antennae via wired connection, and I was able to do it all with zero modifications.

[Gary.Jones]

Tesseract

I wanted to compliment you on that setup! That is a great example of rededicating some equipment for a new task and new situation. I'm bettin' there are going to be a bunch of owners that will want to hear even more on what you did and how you did it. You had all the right stuff you didn't need and repurposed it for what you did need. Nice job!

And you've already given me a roadmap of a solution if I decide to follow in your footsteps and adopt the new system.

Gary

[BHutting]

Originally Posted by tesseract

We don't use the OTA antenna or cable tv (streaming only), so I hijacked the co-ax in mine and put my router in the bay with the coax inputs to use when using an external dish/service. Then I used a co-ax to ethernet adapter on that end to plug up to the ethernet port add-on for the router, and another one behind my tv where I have my poplin router installed. This get's my starlink up to my primary load balancing router/antennae via wired connection, and I was able to do it all with zero modifications.

Tesseract.... Your application sounds like a great method for getting the system to the front of the coach. If I understand your method, using a Starlink ethernet adapter and then converting the ethernet output to Coax so I can use the antenna input as the conduit to the front of the coach. Is the system performance OK going through the Coax? My system should arrive next week and I'm ordering parts for poll mounting. Thanks for the input!

Bob Hutting

[philnail]

It took all of a three hours to mount the Starlink antenna. 10 hours sounds like they are trying to rip you off a bit. 🤣🤣

On my Anthem I mounted it on the rear of the coach and since we have a half bath I dropped the connection down thru the roof into the half bath cabinet then routed it to a cabinet in the main living area.

I also went with the Starlink residential setup as I ends of doing the same thing except you can’t suspend the service.

I built mine setup using an accuator that will raise and lower the antenna from inside the coach. When we get ready to pull out I go onto the Starlink app and stow the antenna. Next I press a switch inside the coach which will lower the antenna. That’s it.

If you are installing the starlink flat antenna then 2 hours tops to install and run the wire.

[ATTACH]

[tesseract]

Originally Posted by BHutting

Tesseract.... Your application sounds like a great method for getting the system to the front of the coach. If I understand your method, using a Starlink ethernet adapter and then converting the ethernet output to Coax so I can use the antenna input as the conduit to the front of the coach. Is the system performance OK going through the Coax? My system should arrive next week and I'm ordering parts for poll mounting. Thanks for the input!

Bob Hutting

I bought full gigabit co-ax adapters, so I have plenty of headroom for throughput on what Starlink is capable of. No performance degradation like the old 10base coax adapters used to have back in the day.

[BHutting]

Originally Posted by tesseract

I bought full gigabit co-ax adapters, so I have plenty of headroom for throughput on what Starlink is capable of. No performance degradation like the old 10base coax adapters used to have back in the day.

Thanks for the information. I'll be using your method!

[voltdoc]

Originally Posted by BHutting

Thanks for the information. I'll be using your method!

Pretty sure your 2016 is like mine and that coax terminates at the antenna switch over the door. But there is another coax that runs from there to the TV area. I don't think you would want that switch in the loop, so you would probably want to disconnect both coax from the antenna switch and butt them with a high frequency F coupler.

I also keep my Starlink router in the cord reel bay when in use, but I wanted to keep the OTA feed. My router is in the front overhead compartment, so I just ran some CAT5 from the cord reel bay, up the frame rails and came in under the dash and up the A pillar. It wasn't that difficult. I have some photos of how I did that if you are interested.

Running a cable directly to the TV area would be significantly more complex because of the slide.

[tesseract]

Originally Posted by voltdoc

Pretty sure your 2016 is like mine and that coax terminates at the antenna switch over the door. But there is another coax that runs from there to the TV area. I don't think you would want that switch in the loop, so you would probably want to disconnect both coax from the antenna switch and butt them with a high frequency F coupler.

I also keep my Starlink router in the cord reel bay when in use, but I wanted to keep the OTA feed. My router is in the front overhead compartment, so I just ran some CAT5 from the cord reel bay, up the frame rails and came in under the dash and up the A pillar. It wasn't that difficult. I have some photos of how I did that if you are interested.

Running a cable directly to the TV area would be significantly more complex because of the slide.

I did keep my switch in the loop, but have to keep it off or it borks the signal. A coupler to bypass the switch is a great idea

[BHutting]

Originally Posted by voltdoc

Pretty sure your 2016 is like mine and that coax terminates at the antenna switch over the door. But there is another coax that runs from there to the TV area. I don't think you would want that switch in the loop, so you would probably want to disconnect both coax from the antenna switch and butt them with a high frequency F coupler.

I also keep my Starlink router in the cord reel bay when in use, but I wanted to keep the OTA feed. My router is in the front overhead compartment, so I just ran some CAT5 from the cord reel bay, up the frame rails and came in under the dash and up the A pillar. It wasn't that difficult. I have some photos of how I did that if you are interested.

Running a cable directly to the TV area would be significantly more complex because of the slide.

Photos would be great. I appreciate your suggestion on the high frequency F coupler!

[voltdoc]

Originally Posted by BHutting

Photos would be great. I appreciate your suggestion on the high frequency F coupler!

Here is a link to a photo album of how I routed a bundle of CAT5 cables from the mid bath to the front of the coach. You can probably just ignore the first few slides, they show how I got wiring down the wall from the Firefly panel into the Aquahot bay. Also year/model/floorplan will have variations. For example, your year doesn't have the slanted wiring trough panels along the frame rails.

If you are just running one CAT5, you may be able to get away without much drilling. That cable is small enough to just push thru the foam around nearby penetrations.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xjMavWpwYM9GGJHu6