What is this antenna/sensor doing on this Model 3?

[Vinc]

I bumped into this Model 3 today, with some very odd sensor or antenna attached to back of the roof, driver's side. A dark round rod, a couple of inches thick and about a foot tall, with a bit of an edge around the top.

My first thought was that it could be some sort of municipal vehicle (Los Angeles) measuring air quality. But it is very odd that the car did not have any markings or special plates and, most importantly, that it had a custom matte silver paint job. Kind of fancy for a car just doing that.

Any thoughts? Perhaps it is doing some autopilot testing? You could see some bulkyish equipment on the back seat through the rear window. The part seemed pretty firmly attached and there were no cables visible anywhere, unlike some other cars that I have seen carrying testing equipment.

Or maybe it is an aftermarket accessory that I am not aware of for... I don't know... vaping?

 

[MichaelP90DL]

CB radio? LOL

 

[Vinc]

That would be HILARIOUS! Just imagine what the dashboard would look like...

Or perhaps it is a truly devoted SiriusXM fan.

But in all seriousness, since there are no cables visible, either this thing does not need cables (bluetooth? WIFI?) to talk to the rest of the equipment, or somebody drilled through the glass. And I don't think the latter is even possible.

 

[boaterva]

It could have a pass through cable (signal passes through the glass) that lets you not need a physical cable. But I still don’t know what it’s for. I think I saw those back in the day for antennas for transmitters so it might (?) be a ham radio or other sort of personal radio. That’s the only thing I can think offhand.

Anyone else?

 

[qdeathstar]

maybe a remote control antenna to increase smart summon range. should save you a lot on airport parking,

 

[Rothgarr]

Remember in the 1980s when you could buy fake car-phone antennas right next to the car air-fresheners?

 

[boaterva]

Remember in the 1980s when you could buy fake car-phone antennas right next to the car air-fresheners?

I was thinking of that... but who would know or care today?

 

[boaterva]

maybe a remote control antenna to increase smart summon range. should save you a lot on airport parking,

Interesting but not sure how you’d hook into the car’s systems (in the mirrors). I think you’d need to hook it into the MCU actually. And Smart Summon is limited by distance, not signal. So, gonna say nope.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Maybe some sort of commercial antenna for communications on a specific bandwidth.

More far fetched would say that it is a die hard AM radio listener.

 

[qdeathstar]

Interesting but not sure how you’d hook into the car’s systems (in the mirrors). I think you’d need to hook it into the MCU actually. And Smart Summon is limited by distance, not signal. So, gonna say nope.

It would simulate your phone. So the car thinks you are close.

 

[TEG]

I bet some people would like to have a long range Wifi antenna to be able to get software updates (and watch Tesla theater) even if their car is parked far from their Wifi access point...

 

[GreenT]

As a (retired, but not silent key) "HAM", my money is on a 2m/440 ham radio antenna ... like

You are being redirected...

 

[Runt8]

It would simulate your phone. So the car thinks you are close.

Not sure how a single antenna is going to do this. Off the top of my head this would require spoofing GPS along with a host of other things. So in the words of a very smart person: “gonna say nope.”

 

[justsomeguy]

maybe a remote control antenna to increase smart summon range. should save you a lot on airport parking,

The easier way to do that is to leave a phone in the car and have a remote control app on it

 

[AZstealth]

Looks like you're in LA, but it could be some sort of research? I saw some vehicles in Ann Arbor with similar types of antennas and they were part of a UM study.

http://www.aacvte.org/connected-technology/

 

[KenC]

For $20 you can get a cellphone signal booster that will turn 1 bar into 5 bars!

 

[qdeathstar]

Not sure how a single antenna is going to do this. Off the top of my head this would require spoofing GPS along with a host of other things. So in the words of a very smart person: “gonna say nope.”

Nah, he ain’t that smart. It only looks like an antenna. It’s not an antenna. It’s a phone replicator.

-fin

 

[qdeathstar]

-

For $20 you can get a cellphone signal booster that will turn 1 bar into 5 bars!

Of gold, but let’s keep it our secret.

 

[Vinc]

As a (retired, but not silent key) "HAM", my money is on a 2m/440 ham radio antenna ... like

You are being redirected...

This looks a lot like it indeed! But would it work through the glass without drilling for cables like somebody suggested?

 

[Runt8]

Nah, he ain’t that smart. It only looks like an antenna. It’s not an antenna. It’s a phone replicator.

-fin

uh huh