If you bought Starlink’s $1,999 Performance dish, or the new “Advanced Power Supply,” expect to receive replacement power cables for free.
SpaceX has identified a quality-control issue with the waterproofing on the cables after releasing the new dish and PSU back in June.
“In December 2025, Starlink began issuing free replacement AC and DC power cables to customers with Performance (Gen 3) kits and/or Advanced Power Supply Units,” the company wrote in a support page on Starlink.com.
(Starlink.com)
SpaceX found the cables “do not meet our quality standards,” the company wrote. The Gen 3 Performance dish, which bundles the Advanced Power Supply, was designed to operate in harsh environments, including in extreme weather and on boats.
“The Advanced Power Supply Unit was tested and qualified to IPx8 water ingress protection,” the support page adds. “However, due to the identified potential issue, affected units may be more susceptible to water ingress if submerged or exposed to powerful water jets.”
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(Starlink.com)
The support page goes on to suggest the issue became apparent when the cabling was used in wet environments. “To ensure continued product reliability, please install the replacement AC or DC cables included in this package for each affected Advanced Power Supply Unit on your account,” the notice adds.
The company posted the support page when the Advanced Power Supply has mysteriously disappeared from the online Starlink shop, where it was originally sold for $200. SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the quality-control issue might explain why the product was delisted.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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