Pricey Starlink universal power supply finally supports DC input from batteries or solar

Buried in all the excitement around the release of the first Starlink satellite Internet dish capable of gigabit speeds was the concurrent launch of Starlink's first universal power supply, too.

The PSU comes bundled with the pricey new Starlink Performance Kit that costs $1,999, but is the most rugged dish that SpaceX has ever produced and can even withstand the powerful vibrations caused by a landing rocket.

For the first time, its power supply allows DC input as well, not just the AC power of the type that comes from home outlets, so it can power the dish with electricity derived from batteries or solar panels directly.

Starlink universal AC/DC power supply price and specs

• $200
• 90V to 264V AC input
• 10.5V to 57V DC input
• LAN port
• 4.6 pounds weight
  

Besides being bundled in the Performance Kit, the new Starlink Advanced Power Supply can be bought separately and is compatible with the $349 Starlink Standard Kit, too.

Needless to say, the highly mobile Starlink Mini Kit doesn't need it as it has a built-in DC power supply, albeit with a narrower, 12-48V DC input range.

The universal Starlink AC/DC power supply is priced at $200, which is not cheap. It, however, removes the need for the DC-to-DC adapter that Starlink sells for $110, or for third-party solutions. 

SpaceX also equipped the Starlink Advanced Power Supply with several value-added features to justify its relatively high price. The PSU comes with a microcontroller that can display power and Ethernet metrics or grid brownout, as well as detect connector moisture. It also comes with a LAN port for third-party routers, or for direct Starlink and network switch connections.

The AC input has been tested with 90-264V inputs for compatibility with global single-phase grid voltages in the 47-64Hz frequency range, or with ± 5% tolerance built in.

Despite that the Starlink Advanced Power Supply has been certified for DC input ranging from 10.5V to 57V, Starlink advises using DC voltages over 20V, if available. "At lower input voltages, output power will be reduced to limit the total amperage from the power supply to less than 20 amps," warns Starlink, so dishes requiring high power while melting snow and delivering high throughput, for example, may throttle their performance.

The only ho-hum part about the new Starlink universal power supply, besides its high price, is its weight. It clocks in at the whopping 4.6 pounds, which is more than three times heavier than Starlink's standard AC power supply unit.