Electrical
- Pack voltage
- 51.2 V nominal · 16S LiFePO4
- Rail
- 57.0 V regulated
- Connector
- 5.5 × 2.1 mm barrel into Gen 3 router
- Dish link
- Proprietary PoE, router to dish
- Array
- 2 × 220 W N-type TOPCon
- Usable energy
- 4.61 kWh at 90% DoD
- MPPT
- 150/35
Accessory · Starlink Standard
Native 57-volt solar for the Standard dish.
A 48-volt LiFePO4 pack and N-type array that feed the Gen 3 router directly. No inverter. No wall brick. About fifteen percent of the energy stays in the battery instead of becoming heat.
- Dish load
- 60–95 W
- DC rail
- 57.0 V
- Chemistry
- LiFePO4 16S
- Path
- Native DC
01 · Kits
Three packs. Same 57-volt rail.
All three skip the AC brick. Pick a climate and a duty cycle — the energy day below updates live.
24 h
Holds
Always-On · Caribbean · Open sky. Holds through the night with margin.
02 · Energy day
A day on the 57-volt rail.
Cosine sun, heat derate, MPPT and wiring losses, then a regulated 57 V feed into the Gen 3 barrel jack. Starlink nameplate is 75–100 W; this climate uses a field load of 60 W.
- Harvest
- 1.89 kWh
- Dish load
- 1.50 kWh
- Min SOC
- 61%
- This hour
- 201 W
- Pack
- 83%
- DC saved
- 214 Wh
into the pack
at the rail
over 48 h
load 63 W
3.84 kWh
vs inverter + brick
Harvest vs loadAlways-On · bars harvest · band load
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Heat derates the array. No snow melt. Fit a Type 2 SPD — afternoon cells are violent.
03 · System
One rail. No inversion.
The Gen 3 router wants 57 volts on a 5.5 × 2.1 mm barrel. A 16S LiFePO4 pack already sits in that neighborhood, so HelioDock regulates instead of inverting. Path efficiency 96% versus about 84% through a sine inverter and the stock brick.
Stage
57 V rail
Isolated buck-boost holds 57.0 V ±0.5 V into the Gen 3 router barrel (5.5 × 2.1 mm). Boot inrush ~160 W for a minute; continuous headroom is 200–300 W depending on kit.
- PV string → MPPT → 16S bus → 57 V converter → router barrel → dish PoE
- Fusing: ANL on the battery positive, DC breaker on the rail
- Ground the frames. Bond the enclosure. SPD to earth, not to hope.
Shade the pack. Never a sealed box in the sun. 50 °C charge cut is the safety, ventilation is the habit. Fold the array when the watch is posted.
04 · Spec
Always-On bill of materials.
Hardware estimate $2,890 USD, unpacked. Local freight, racking labour, and earthing are on top. Compatible with Starlink Standard · Gen 3 / 4X — not a Starlink product.
| Item | Spec | Qty |
|---|---|---|
N-type TOPCon module 220 W · 30 V Vmp · MC4 | 220 W · 30 V Vmp · MC4 | 2 |
LiFePO4 pack 16S · 51.2 V · 100 Ah · 5.12 kWh | 16S · 51.2 V · 100 Ah · 5.12 kWh | 1 |
MPPT 150/35 · 48 V battery | 150/35 · 48 V battery | 1 |
57 V buck-boost 200 W isolated · barrel 5.5×2.1 | 200 W isolated · barrel 5.5×2.1 | 1 |
BMS 16S · Bluetooth · 50 °C charge cut | 16S · Bluetooth · 50 °C charge cut | 1 |
Type 2 SPD PV + DC bus | PV + DC bus | 1 |
PV wire + MC4 6 mm² · 12 m | 6 mm² · 12 m | 1 |
Battery cable 25 mm² · ANL 125 A fuse | 25 mm² · ANL 125 A fuse | 1 |
DC breaker 32 A double-pole | 32 A double-pole | 1 |
Enclosure IP65 aluminum · vented shade box | IP65 aluminum · vented shade box | 1 |
Array mount 15° tilt · quick-release pins | 15° tilt · quick-release pins | 1 |
Install envelope
- Mass
- 61 kg dry
- Ingress
- IP65 enclosure · MC4 PV · gasketted pack
- Tilt
- 15° operating · fold-flat on Storm
- Thermal
- Pack in shade · 50 °C charge cut
- Bonding
- Frame, enclosure, SPD to earth rod
- Not included
- Dish, router, mast, earthing rod
- Duty
- Outdoor accessory. Indoor brick retired.