Starlink Mast Height Calculator
Starlink needs a 25° clear cone of sky to lock onto the constellation. Trees and rooflines steal that cone fast. Plug in three measurements and we'll tell you exactly how high to mount the dish.
Consider a guyed telescopic mast (12-20 ft) or relocate the dish further from the obstruction.
What's actually happening
Starlink satellites pass on tracks that require the dish to see down to about 25° above the horizon in southern Canada. Below that angle, the dish hands off too aggressively and you lose your stream every few minutes.
The math is simple trigonometry: at 40 ft from a 35 ft tree line, your sight line at 25° rises to ~18.6 ft over that horizontal run. If your dish is mounted at 6 ft, you're looking at the top half of the tree — not the sky behind it.
When this matters most
Cabins on wooded lots — black spruce in NL averages 40-60 ft. You almost always need 6-12 ft of mast above the ridge.
Lodges with ridgeline rooftops — even a 4 ft rise above the peak makes a real difference if the dish sits on the lower slope.
RV camps under canopy — push the dish on a ground-stake pole away from the trailer, into the clearing.
Don't trust the math alone
Always run the free Starlink app's "Check for Obstructions" AR scan from the exact install spot. The math gets you the right gear; the AR scan verifies the actual satellite tracks for your latitude on the day of install.
Not sure which kit fits your trip? Rent a Starlink Mini in Newfoundland for $45/day before you commit to hardware. Cancel free up to 48h before pickup.
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