Placing a Protective Cage Over Outdoor Starlink Antenna

[Mad Pup]

Greetings and hallucinations ladies and mantlepieces, I would like to enquire whether my newly ordered Starlink outdoor antenna would still be able to function normally if I place a wire mesh cage around it, so a to protect it from semi-wild troops of monkeys that share a passion for destroying property as a sporting activity.

After the monkeys chewed through the main charging cable connecting my rooftop solar panel array to the battery banks, I knew the roof would not be a good place to install my new Starlink antenna.  Even though I plan to install the antenna on a 6-foot stand in the yard, I can rest assured the monkeys will devote much deep thought and do their utmost to take that antenna apart unless I fortify it with a cage made of light wire mesh. 

My question therefore is whether this idea of installing a protective cage around the Starlink antenna will result in any degradation in the antenna's signal reception capability.  For the cage's construction, I will ensure that the framework of the cage is set far enough to the side of the antenna such that it's line of sight to the sky is not obstructed by the metal frame of the cage.  Also, I have read that the standard 75-foot Starlink cable is NOT rated for burial underground in a conduit , yet I do intend to protect the Starlink signal cable with a conduit as it runs along the ground, again to prevent those dastardly monkeys from trying to sever the cable as another of their deranged experiments.  I cannot bring myself to shoot these furry vandals,  hence my writing this forum in search of assurance that my work-around idea of placing a protective cage over the antenna will not  create signal interference to degrade the bandwidth.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts that can be shared on this unique challenge that I face as I await delivery of my first ever Starlink gear out here in the sticks of the Third World. 

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by Mad Pup

[RicochetStarlink]

9 hours ago, Mad Pup said:

I would like to enquire whether my newly ordered Starlink outdoor antenna would still be able to function normally if I place a wire mesh cage around it, so a to protect it from semi-wild troops of monkeys that share a passion for destroying property as a sporting activity.

@Mad Pup,

The Starlink antenna is pretty touchy about obstructions (e.g., buildings, tree limbs, anything overhead really) because they affect the line-of-sight to the satellite(s).

Though I'm no expert, it seems to me that any wire cage structure of any kind that, in your words, goes "...over the antenna..." will create a Farraday cage effect that will, to some extent or another, interfere with the signal.

This is probably a question for Starlink support... or your own trial-and-error. 

However, semi-wild troops of property-destroying monkeys notwithstanding, I think I'd look for another way to protect the antenna. For example, maybe you could put an electric fence around the pole on which you mount the antenna, but not up to the height of the antenna itself? And perhaps 6 feet is not high enough... maybe 10 or 20 feet?

Hope that helps.

[Mad Pup]

6 minutes ago, RIcochet said:

@Mad Pup,

The Starlink antenna is pretty touchy about obstructions (e.g., buildings, tree limbs, anything overhead really) because they affect the line-of-sight to the satellite(s).

Though I'm no expert, it seems to me that any wire cage structure of any kind that, in your words, goes "...over the antenna..." will create a Farraday cage effect that will, to some extent or another, interfere with the signal.

This is probably a question for Starlink support... or your own trial-and-error. 

However, semi-wild troops of property-destroying monkeys notwithstanding, I think I'd look for another way to protect the antenna. For example, maybe you could put an electric fence around the pole on which you mount the antenna, but not up to the height of the antenna itself? And perhaps 6 feet is not high enough... maybe 10 or 20 feet?

 

Hope that helps.

This reply is appreciated,  Ricochet, even though the caution about my wire mesh cage idea means I'll need to do a careful rethink.  I do like the idea of an electric shock deterrent , so I'll think of a safe way to set up something along those lines.   Much obliged sir, and I expect  I''ll be back with questions once my new Starlink system arrives and I get to testing it out.