The improved battery-powered Starlink Mini is here

for me Starlink mini It has changed radically The way I live. This is the biggest reason I can do it Remote work From my converted truck, providing fast, reliable internet in places where traditional 4G and 5G data signals can’t reach. Pikdu The latest Link Power battery It makes the smallest Starlink station better by freeing it from power cables for hours at a time.

Although this may not seem like a big deal, I assure you it is. For example, I can park in the shade and put the Mini away to avoid trees and other obstacles, as long as I’m within reach of its Wi-Fi signal. It even works on my dashboard without any long cables getting stuck, providing reliable data for navigating remote mountain passes while my wife works from the passenger seat.

I’ve been testing PeakDo’s second-generation LinkPower 2 battery over the past few weeks while traveling around the French and Spanish Pyrenees mountain range. Price $219 — Up from $119 for last year’s modes – Annoying, but I can also see many Starlink Mini owners paying this premium.

Like its predecessor, the LinkPower 2 battery is placed directly into the back of the Starlink Mini like a standard SpaceX mount. The connection is solid, but I wouldn’t trust it without the cage if you plan to use it on the roof of your moving vehicle. PeakDo provides a compatible suction holder If that’s your thing.

A short, cylindrical DC-to-DC cable connects the 99Wh battery to the Starlink Mini for truly wireless Internet connectivity. The unit is the same size as the original and can still be controlled remotely via Bluetooth Web application (iPhone users need to download Special application).

In addition to USB-C, the LinkPower 2 adds native DC drum inputs that are compatible with the Starlink Mini’s power port. This allows you to charge the battery using the power cable that comes with the Starlink dish. It can also be charged using a new separate magnetic dongle, included in the box, which can save your Starlink Mini from a devastating drop if the charging cable accidentally snags.

A new battery bypass mode lets you power Starlink Mini directly when the LinkPower 2 is connected to a power source. This reduces battery wear and helps keep temperatures low, without having to disconnect the battery every time.

During testing, I consistently got about 5 hours and 30 minutes of runtime with a fully charged LinkPower 2. That’s an hour longer than the original LinkPower I tested last year. And leaving a LinkPower battery—either first- or second-generation—connected to the Starlink Mini provides more options for keeping the dish powered indefinitely, including from USB plugs installed in your car, an old power bank, or even solar panels.

For example, on a sunny day, I was able to extend the StarLink Mini’s runtime to more than seven hours by connecting a small foldable solar panel that produces a steady 7.3 watts to the LinkPower 2’s USB-C input. The Starlink Mini pulls an average of 18 watts in rural areas, and the USB-C plugs installed in my truck produce 28 steady watts to easily make up for that when placed on a dashboard.

Without a LinkPower battery connected, the Starlink Mini must be connected to an AC outlet or a powerful power bank capable of 100W (20V/5A) because “Starlink Mini will not work with USB PD ratings of 65W or less“.

By default, the LinkPower 2’s battery charging via USB-C is 65W, and it takes about an hour and forty minutes to fully recharge. You can also set the maximum charging rate to 100W in Expert mode if you want to speed up the charging process while potentially degrading battery life. USB-C charging is the fastest, followed by 57W charging via a DC cylinder jack, and 55W charging via the magnetic dongle. In a pinch, the two-way USB-C socket also allows the LinkPower 2 to act as a traditional power bank to charge your phone or laptop at up to 65W.

PeakDo claims to have an IP65 rating against dust and water ingress. This means that it must withstand rain when stationary, but not when mounted on the roof of a moving vehicle. The rating also does not apply when charging cables expose the unit’s ports.

I like this battery so much that I’ve left the LinkPower 2 plugged into my Starlink Mini for the past few weeks, even when I override it with external power. The power bank adds an extra 667 grams (1.47 lbs) to the 1.1 kg (2.43 lbs) Starlink Mini, making it feel solid, but not too heavy to handle with one hand. I also attached a magnet I bought from Amazon to a battery tripod to make sure it wouldn’t blow off my roof – maybe it wouldn’t, but if it did, I’d be in a world of hurt without my Starlink connection.

When I reviewed the original LinkPower last summer, it cost $119, so move on $219 for LinkPower 2 This is certainly a concern, especially when reputable 99Wh power banks with 100W USB-C PD outputs cost so much Less than half that. The original The LinkPower 1 is still available, and is now priced at just $159. I’d recommend buying the cheaper version unless you really need that extra hour of battery life, the separate charging dongle, or the battery bypass feature available on the LinkPower 2.

Photography by Thomas Ricker/The Verge