SpaceX has introduced a new standard package for Starlink residential users, which includes a streamlined, non-motorised dish with a more robust architecture and a quicker Wi-Fi router.
The new dish is rectangular but installed with an attachable kickstand rather than a cylindrical pipe stem slotted into a large four-leg base.
It employs software-assisted manual placement rather than motorised automated orientation to align itself with Starlink’s satellite fleet.
The current Standard Actuated dish boasts motors that automatically change the dish’s orientation based on a sky scan.
By eliminating the motors from the hardware and asking users to manually change the orientation based on sky scans, SpaceX cuts down on complexity and parts costs, potentially paving the way for cheaper units.
Another improvement with the new kit is its 110-degree field of view, likely because it is about 8cm longer than the standard activated dish.
However, the kickstand measures 142mm, and the thickness of the kit is 39.7mm — for a combined length of 181.7mm.
That means the new Starlink kit will occupy much less vertical space, as the old base design put its top surface 343mm above the ground.
The fixed Standard dish also gets an IP67 Type 4 protection rating as opposed to the IP54 of the previous model.
In addition to being more dust-resistant, it has a higher waterproof resistance and boasts a rated wind speed tolerance of 96km/h.
