When Starlink was launched in Australia a couple years ago, it became an absolute game-changer for caravanners. That’s old news. But since then, a number of companies have sought to address a couple of key issues, specifically the fact that Starlink is made to run on 240V power, which isn’t particularly convenient for us caravanners.
The latest innovation to aid Starlink access when on the road is called the Cosmo. Made by Cowfish Technologies, the company behind the VanConnect 5G mobile internet system, the Cosmo allows caravanners to operate their gen 3 Starlink router on 12V power. It is, essentially, a special power supply designed specifically to run a gen 3 Starlink router from your van’s house batteries.
For gen 2 Starlink, Cowfish offers a special Starlink Integration Kit, which works in conjunction with Cowfish’s VanConnect 5G router.
But the Cowfish Cosmo provides a direct 12V power supply to the gen 3 Starlink router you’ve already paid for, without requiring a separate 4G or 5G router.
UNDERSTANDING COWFISH COSMO
The Cosmo is a small unit measuring 110x120x40mm. Ideally, you’d mount it near your Starlink router, since the Cosmo will be powering it. But you do need to consider access to 12V power.
Cowfish provides two connectivity solutions in the box: a power cable with blank ends that could be wired directly to the fuse panel and a power cable with an Anderson plug – whichever works best for your van is the one you’d use.
Then, it’s simply a matter of mounting it to the wall with some screws, connecting it to power, and plugging it into your gen 3 Starlink router.
Now, you might have noticed that I’m being specific about gen 3 Starlink. That’s because the Cosmo is only compatible with the latest iteration of the Starlink router. The power supply for the gen 3 unit is external to the router, meaning it can use the 12V Cosmo as an external power supply.
But here’s a touch that I thought was pretty neat: Cowfish has developed a bracket to firmly hold the Starlink router in place – the router simply clicks in. What’s more, the bracket colour-matches the router perfectly and, in general, looks like something of which Elon Musk himself would approve – it’s a perfect fit for the router.
Why is running Starlink on 12V important, especially when most vans have inverters these days? Of course you could do that. However, it is inefficient, and the name of the game when caravanning is power efficiency. Essentially, gen 3 Starlink routers require 57V. By using an inverter, you’re converting the voltage twice, 12V to 240V, and then to 57V. Much better to do it only once.
CONNECTION TO THE DISH
Now, if you were to have a new van built, the best bet would be to have the manufacturer install Starlink provision during the build stage. Basically, you’d want them to fit the data cable with corresponding RJ45 connections – one on the outside of the van, and one on the inside for the Starlink router.
It can certainly be done as a DIY job on an older van or – better still – have a specialist do it for you. Either way, there’s some good news: Cowfish provides a special waterproof external RJ45 connection. It includes a plastic ‘shroud’ that clamps to the data cable, a bit like a hose fitting, and includes a silicone seal.
Let’s talk about what you get in the Cosmo kit. It’s available in a basic format, which includes the Cosmo unit itself, plus the three aforementioned options to power it. However, you can also purchase a Cosmo Premium kit, which includes the Cosmo unit, the special router bracket, and the weatherproof RJ45 external connection point and internal point.
COSMO MINI
I mentioned Cosmo Mini earlier. This product, as the name suggest, is a power supply for the Starlink Mini system, which is a combined dish and router. As Cowfish Technologies Evert Smit said, a huge problem that caravanners face when using Starlink Mini is voltage drop. Starlink Mini has a power input of between 12V and 48V, though it works more reliably at the higher end of that voltage spectrum. However, when the dish is placed a good distance from the power supply, loss of voltage over that distance is likely to cause power disruptions.
The beauty of Cosmo Mini is that it’s designed to accommodate voltage drop. That’s its purpose. Mount Cosmo Mini to a convenient place within your van, near a 12V input, plug it in, and run the supplied power cable to the Starlink Mini dish. The Cosmo Mini will provide the appropriate voltage input, meaning those power disruptions become a thing of the past.
There are some aftermarket kits that you can buy with Anderson plugs, etc., that claim to address the voltage drop issue with Starlink Mini, but this is probably the most reliable and complete system on the market.
To power the Cosmo Mini kit, you get a power cable with blank ends that could be wired directly to the fuse panel, or you could opt for a power cable with an Anderson plug or a cigarette style plug
SUMMING UP
The Cosmo system provides the ultimate solution to powering a gen 3 Starlink router off 12V, without the need for anything else, while always providing the correct voltage (57V at 7A), thereby ensuring optimum efficiency.
If reliable mobile internet that you can access anywhere you go in Australia is important to you, you can’t go past Starlink powered by Cosmo. Further, for the convenience and efficiency that it provides, it is well priced. And best of all, it requires no special skills to install, especially if you already have your external and internal data points sorted. Simply mount the Cosmo, connect it to a 12V source, plug it into your Starlink router, and get connected. It’s that easy.
More information: www.cowfish.com.au
PRICING
Basic Cosmo kit: $299
Premium Cosmo kit: $324
Cosmo Mini: $169
