Metal roof rather than glass on the Cybertruck

[TechOps]

No clue what police are using Teslas.

The absolute best location for an antenna is the middle of the roof. There are glass mount antennas, but they degrade performance. You really don't want to reduce your ability to communicate during a SAR event. I have the primary antenna in the center of the F150 roof and the secondary is on a fender. It is compromised, but it is secondary, so not as big an issue.

In short, this is one of the items that is making me think whether I want to go through with it. The new F150 hybrid is threatening 25-26 MPG with more than 400 horse, so that might be a contender. I still like the simplicity of a pure EV, though. I am still watching the Rivian too.

A metal roof is nice, but not needed, for RF communication. It's very easy to add a ground plane to an antenna where none exists (e.g. on top of a glass roof). It's called an artificial ground plane and there are various ways to accomplish it (google).

You should honestly just choose the vehicle that is best for your needs. There are hundreds of thousands of people in line to get the CT, so if you opt out for something that fits you better, it will make you happy, and also make someone else happy a day earlier. Win-win.

Advertisement

 

[ThomasG]

Im sure if you look you can find a better example. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to find a place to mount these, just need to put a little thought into it.

Sorry but the way radio works is pretty much defined by physics. The best place for a mobile two-way radio antenna is the center of the roof. It is the highest spot which matters for line of sight communications and it provides the best ground plane. Off center locations affect the direction of the strongest signal and we need omni coverage. I therefore join those who would like the option of a metal roof. I may still buy a Cyber Truck, but every vehicle I've purchased for the last 40+ years has had to accommodate comm gear as a journalist, SAR person and amateur radio operator. This has meant multiple antennas and radios. This hardly matters to most people, but it does matter to me and the F150 with the 40/20/40 seat allows me to yank the middle seat and install a console for comm gear.

This is by no means disparaging the glass roof. It is actually pretty cool, but I would be nervous about cutting holes in it.!

 

[ThomasG]

A metal roof is nice, but not needed, for RF communication. It's very easy to add a ground plane to an antenna where none exists (e.g. on top of a glass roof). It's called an artificial ground plane and there are various ways to accomplish it (google).

You should honestly just choose the vehicle that is best for your needs. There are hundreds of thousands of people in line to get the CT, so if you opt out for something that fits you better, it will make you happy, and also make someone else happy a day earlier. Win-win.

I'm very familiar with adding ground planes. It is often done on RV's and camper tops for mobile ICP's. The issue still comes back to the best spot is the center of the roof for propagation and line of sight. Cutting that hole in the glass roof is probably not a good plan. The couplers for glass mount antennas are often very lossy and don't work through some types of glass with metalized coatings. As noted elsewhere, I still like the Cybe Truck for a lot of reasons and thankfully have a lot of time to decide. My F150 should be good for another two years which gives Ford time to fix and repair their hybrid and my number to come up for the Cyber Truck. I will really have to see one, though, to be convinced.

 

[Ehninger1212]

Sorry but the way radio works is pretty much defined by physics. The best place for a mobile two-way radio antenna is the center of the roof. It is the highest spot which matters for line of sight communications and it provides the best ground plane. Off center locations affect the direction of the strongest signal and we need omni coverage. I therefore join those who would like the option of a metal roof. I may still buy a Cyber Truck, but every vehicle I've purchased for the last 40+ years has had to accommodate comm gear as a journalist, SAR person and amateur radio operator. This has meant multiple antennas and radios. This hardly matters to most people, but it does matter to me and the F150 with the 40/20/40 seat allows me to yank the middle seat and install a console for comm gear.

This is by no means disparaging the glass roof. It is actually pretty cool, but I would be nervous about cutting holes in it.!

Sure.. there is obviously an optimum location. My point is a lot of vehicles, not just the CT, do not allow you to use this optimum location. You will be able to find another way. It not like if its not in the center of your roof its not going to work AT ALL.

 

[Crissa]

You know, there are adhesives and metal coatings for glass that can be used. Or you could mount it to a roof rack. There are so many solutions that aren't 'hey the roof is flat metal and the highest point' that ever cab needs to have a metal roof.

We don't even know the properties of their new armor glass. It might be perfect for the ground plane, being a weird metal ceramic. We just don't know.

-Crissa

 

[TechOps]

Sorry but the way radio works is pretty much defined by physics. The best place for a mobile two-way radio antenna is the center of the roof. It is the highest spot which matters for line of sight communications and it provides the best ground plane. Off center locations affect the direction of the strongest signal and we need omni coverage. I therefore join those who would like the option of a metal roof. I may still buy a Cyber Truck, but every vehicle I've purchased for the last 40+ years has had to accommodate comm gear as a journalist, SAR person and amateur radio operator. This has meant multiple antennas and radios. This hardly matters to most people, but it does matter to me and the F150 with the 40/20/40 seat allows me to yank the middle seat and install a console for comm gear.

This is by no means disparaging the glass roof. It is actually pretty cool, but I would be nervous about cutting holes in it.!

Yes, we can agree with the way radios works being defined by physics, and OK maybe the "best" place for a mobile antenna is the center of a metal roof. But it can work equally or almost as well in other locations if properly implemented, and LOS with a strong signal can easily be established with the antenna mounted in other locations... but if you are after a flat, metal roof, the CT is not the right vehicle for you. I definitely do not recommend trying to cut a hole in the angular armor glass roof. That would not end well.

 

[VI Tesla]

I'm kind of concerned about solar heat gain in the cabin with the glass roof. I frequently spend time in very hot areas of the US and it's incredible how fast interiors heat up even with traditional metal roofs. Glass is magnitudes worse for heat gain. I had a vehicle with a sunroof back in the day and it was miserable during the height of summer. If there is no option to not get a glass roof, I'm sure there will be some sort of reflective wrap that can be installed over the glass to help cut down on heat gain. People are already planning on wrapping the CT, so I'm sure there's going to be some type of hi-tech help for the roof. I know the MX has a similar heat gain issue with the wings. I've seen MX's with diy foam covers in the wings and Tesla sells a full set of window shades for the MX for about $80.

One massive advantage to EVs is you can sit there in a line up with the AC running. Yes it does use energy but not as much as you'd think. We routinely sit in ferry line ups, for the trip across on the ferry and have the interior is nice and cool. Coudn't do this with OCE as they won't let you have engine running do to confined space concerns.
also with the Tesla app you can set the interior to cool ahead of you getting there.
There's also a setting that will automatically cool the interior if it gets above 40degrees celsius, while the vehicle is parked.

 

[ThomasG]

Sure.. there is obviously an optimum location. My point is a lot of vehicles, not just the CT, do not allow you to use this optimum location. You will be able to find another way. It not like if its not in the center of your roof its not going to work AT ALL.

That's why I have not purchased a number of vehicles I otherwise really liked. I have a strong desire for an off grid vehicle and will have to weigh if the trade offs merit it. A metal roof would really tilt things.

 

[ThomasG]

You know, there are adhesives and metal coatings for glass that can be used. Or you could mount it to a roof rack. There are so many solutions that aren't 'hey the roof is flat metal and the highest point' that ever cab needs to have a metal roof.

We don't even know the properties of their new armor glass. It might be perfect for the ground plane, being a weird metal ceramic. We just don't know.

-Crissa

And that is something I am waiting to see, but the issue is how does the RF signal get from the antenna to the radio? Can we cut that hole for the NMO mount in the roof. I suspect that might not be a good idea.

I may well decide that I am willing to forgo optimum RF propagation for the other advantages, but when the OP started off with the question of a metal vs glass roof, I had to chime in as liking the option. Other stuff comes up as well. Where do you hang the radios inside the vehicle so you can use them? It appears there will be space in the CT. The F150 with a 40/20/40 seat allows you to toss out the center seat and mount a console. Up until the 2021, the options I wanted (blind spot, all round camera, adaptive cruise) precluded this seating configuration. I can get it on the new 2021, so it is back into contention.

All of this is juggling the compromises and figuring out which one will be best. I have a strong desire for something that costs less to run than my 2012 F150 V8 and ideally, not dependent on "grid" supplies of fossil fuel. The CT gives me that. On the other hand, the F150 hybrid is alleged to do 25+ MPG and there is an EV version coming. Competition is good. Tesla does good stuff as I sit under one their solar installations, but it may not be the answer for everyone. Time will tell. The metal roof, however, would remove one of my concerns.

 

[Crissa]

Why do you need to put the hole in the middle of the roof, anyhow? Cable routing is cable routing. It's not like there won't be points for a cable to enter the cabin.

The Cybertruck also has a huge dash an headspace, so you can probably fit whatever you want without needing a console.

We won't really know until it comes out, and we'll have months to figure out routing before even the first fifty-thousand have been sold.

-Crissa

 

[ThomasG]

Why do you need to put the hole in the middle of the roof, anyhow? Cable routing is cable routing. It's not like there won't be points for a cable to enter the cabin.

The Cybertruck also has a huge dash an headspace, so you can probably fit whatever you want without needing a console.

We won't really know until it comes out, and we'll have months to figure out routing before even the first fifty-thousand have been sold.

-Crissa

Placement of antenna?

 

[Crissa]

Placement of antenna?

That's what the adhesive is for?

-Crissa

 

[mTacoma]

As a contractor, I depend on a back rack for carrying timbers that can be up to 1000lbs, and 20’+ long. It’s a little jarring dropping these on my truck with a fork lift. A small mishap could mean a broken window. I hope we will have an option to swap the window for a solid body panel. I’ll also hope there will be allowances in the design for third party ,heavy duty roof racks.

 

[MEDICALJMP]

No clue what police are using Teslas.

The absolute best location for an antenna is the middle of the roof. There are glass mount antennas, but they degrade performance. You really don't want to reduce your ability to communicate during a SAR event. I have the primary antenna in the center of the F150 roof and the secondary is on a fender. It is compromised, but it is secondary, so not as big an issue.

In short, this is one of the items that is making me think whether I want to go through with it. The new F150 hybrid is threatening 25-26 MPG with more than 400 horse, so that might be a contender. I still like the simplicity of a pure EV, though. I am still watching the Rivian too.

There are a number of police departments using glass roof model 3s. Before you give up on the idea I suggest you reach out to one or more of them to find out what they are doing and how.

The YouTube Channel NOW YOU KNOW featured one department on their show and the police spokesman discussed their use. Watch that episode, then contact that department with your concerns. They seemed to be eager to speak with other departments. I would also suggest contacting the YouTube channel directly with your question and they will probably be able to direct you to other departments that use a Tesla. They may even like your question enough to feature that has a show.

 

[Luke42]

Why do you need to put the hole in the middle of the roof, anyhow?

Because the roof is half of the antenna. The.visible part of the antenna is the other half.

The NMO through-hole connector makes the connection between the antenna ground wire and the car body. This is what turns the car body into half of the antenna. This is why the NMO connector is such an elegant solution.

If you don't have a flat metal roof to work with, then you have to build the missing half of the antenna somehow or other.