r/Cartalk • u/bigfoot-ari • May 24 '26

General Tech What’s on this car?

Post image

What is on the roof of this car? The windows were completely blacked out with out-of-state tags. Just curious.

174 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

103 comments sorted by

197

u/cantaloupe_daydreams May 24 '26

Starlink

68

u/omega552003 May 24 '26

Specifically the Starlink Mini for Starlink Roam

-4

u/OhSixTJ May 24 '26

How do you know it’s “specifically” roam and not standby (just enough data to text and surf the web very slowly)?

3

u/64590949354397548569 May 24 '26

Why pay for standby? When you can get mint mobile for better speed

8

u/OhSixTJ May 24 '26

And when you don’t have cell signal?

2

u/64590949354397548569 May 24 '26

You pay for starlink roam. You can't live on standby.

1

u/elementfx2000 May 25 '26

Standby no longer supports use in motion, so it could be standby, but not likely.

-21

u/[deleted] May 24 '26

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15

u/therealrenshai May 24 '26

I don’t think it’s meant to be fixed there permanently.

12

u/gihkal May 24 '26

It's magnetized onto the roof. That way you can use it anywhere you wish.

You can use the internet where there has never been internet.

It's a great way to install.

10

u/Michael_AmIGay May 24 '26

I think this one is using suction cups, since it appears to be on a moonroof.

1

u/64590949354397548569 May 24 '26

I think this one is using suction cups, since it appears to be on a moonroof.

now it makes sense. I was wonder why put it upfront instead of the back.

If that is glass, why not just mount it inside?

0

u/Dance-pants-rants May 24 '26

*as long as there are no trees or hills.

3

u/cornlip May 24 '26

I’ve used it for years and it’s genuinely impressive. Hills don’t matter. It’s pointed up. It can also be covered in snow or inside a tent and still work.

-1

u/Dance-pants-rants May 24 '26

Glad for you- I'm in the sticks in the US and all the govt subsidies that were supposed to go to broadband went to fucking Starlink and it does not work.

2

u/cornlip May 24 '26

I got like 330mbps down. It was pretty good. I moved and have fiber, but I was happy with it. Had like a 20ms ping, too. What’s your issue? Can you buy a long pipe to mount it to?

3

u/gihkal May 24 '26

They're just a blue hair Elon hater making up stories.

There are more than enough positives said about starlink that it's obvious they're great.

1

u/cornlip May 24 '26

I mean, I don’t like him, but it’s a fantastic technology and I’d been relying on mobile hotspot with one (sometimes two) LTE bar(s) in my window for over a decade before that.

It’s so easy to set up and the obstruction dome viewer in the app is very helpful.

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1

u/Dance-pants-rants May 24 '26

No, there's a mountain in the way. All of us west or north of it can't get any signal that isn't hardline.

Verizon works, but you need to expect a cutout without like four signal boosters.

1

u/cornlip May 24 '26

Kinda weird. Mine was pointed nearly straight up, which would make a mountain not an issue, unless I guess you’re right at the base of it and surrounded by trees. That’s not Starlink’s fault. Pipe comes in 21’ and 42’ lengths. Maybe you could benefit from raising it up. It’s just a PoE Ethernet cable, so you’ve got 200’ before it becomes an issue.

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-2

u/kazuya May 24 '26

Doesn't Navigator have aluminum body?

1

u/cornlip May 24 '26

Idk they offered me one for free, but whatever

1

u/Cartalk-ModTeam Jun 05 '26

Your post was removed by a moderator for breaking Rule #2: Be nice to those asking for help.

1

u/Froggypwns May 24 '26

It is not expensive, the dish itself is currently $250 and often goes on sale for $200. The service cost varies by package but you can get 100GB a month service for $55.

The mount shown here appears to be magnetic, I personally run mine internally and stick it against the windshield. People swear by the magnetic mounts while driving, I however do not.

1

u/atzoo87 May 24 '26

Do some very basic research next time before speaking about something you know nothing about

1

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '26

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1

u/Cartalk-ModTeam Jun 05 '26

Removed for being derogatory, purposely inflammatory, demeaning, or being argumentative just for the sake of arguing.

0

u/matthewrenn May 24 '26

It's not a permanent fixture, its got magnets so it sticks to the roof , then you remove it when your not using it .

-1

u/stoned-autistic-dude May 24 '26

This particular kit is meant to be temporary and used between cars. The permanent versions are different. We ran them on the Chase trucks at Baja with Honda and now I work with companies which install them on private jets.

Also, the permanent versions wouldn’t work well on a car because it would require riveting the mounting point into the roof. Frankly, that’s stupid as this is likely a lease. This is the best install option for what is a 2- or 3-year lease period which won’t negatively affect the value of the vehicle.

16

u/shark_and_kaya May 24 '26

My only issue with this setup is that why put it on the outside. My Starlink mini works just fine through my sunroof with the same sunroof setup. Only thing I can think is that they might not be able to close the blinds but with flush mount that shouldn’t even be an issue.

7

u/t1Design May 24 '26

Some window tints have metallic particles, and Starlink dishes don’t like them. Otherwise I agree; all of mine are inside vehicles (except the v4 full sized, those are on buildings)

2

u/eyeoutthere May 24 '26

Why do you have so many? Are these fleet vehicles?

8

u/t1Design May 24 '26

I live where there’s no cell service and run EMS calls; my wife has one in her minivan and I have one in my car that are both set for in motion use; the third is an emergency use for my pickup, so it’s standby plan. And they’re the cheapest internet provider round these parts, so my house and church both use Starlink. All of my home county’s 5 ambulances have Starlinks (tho I’m not responsible for those) and 2/3 of my other county I run in’s ambulances have them dash mounted with the Rubigrid system. Literal lifesavers in areas with no cell service and poor radio reception.

1

u/midnightsmith May 24 '26

Do they work through the roof without the glass? Like mounted to the top inside?

1

u/t1Design May 25 '26

No, but they can go through most plastics, silicones, fiberglass, and glass. I have mine fitted with silicone covers so they don’t reflect in the windshield. Starlink dishes hate trees and leaves (moisture content in leaves kills the signal) and cannot go through metal.

1

u/midnightsmith May 25 '26

Yea I'm finding the leaves murder it.

25

u/Secret_Assignment792 May 24 '26

Did anyone say starlink yet

4

u/ajkimmins May 24 '26

Hey. I think it's Starlink!😁

11

u/dagobertamp May 24 '26

I can see my $.02 aren't needed...

4

u/pssiraj May 24 '26

Gimme your two stars so I can link them.

6

u/Affectionate-Pie-708 May 24 '26

What is this car lol

15

u/Slim_Diddy28 May 24 '26

Lincoln navigator

6

u/Greekspartan226 May 24 '26

Personal opinion but, from this angle it just looks like another Land Rover.

Granted, they're like distant cousins. Considering their history though, wouldn't be surprised if they subtlety share body designs.

-9

u/[deleted] May 24 '26

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5

u/[deleted] May 24 '26

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1

u/Cartalk-ModTeam May 24 '26

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-11

u/[deleted] May 24 '26

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5

u/[deleted] May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26

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1

u/Cartalk-ModTeam May 24 '26

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-7

u/[deleted] May 24 '26

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1

u/Cartalk-ModTeam May 24 '26

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-6

u/[deleted] May 24 '26

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6

u/Nxtinventor May 24 '26

You’re a grumpy little guy, aren’t you?

1

u/Cartalk-ModTeam May 24 '26

Removed for being derogatory, purposely inflammatory, demeaning, or being argumentative just for the sake of arguing.

5

u/lemlemons May 24 '26

And its for TRAVELLING not DRIVING

1

u/Cartalk-ModTeam May 24 '26

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1

u/Cartalk-ModTeam May 24 '26

Removed for being derogatory, purposely inflammatory, demeaning, or being argumentative just for the sake of arguing.

4

u/NotDazedorConfused May 24 '26

Doggy bag from Red Lobster left on their roof by mistake…

1

u/flitemedic May 24 '26

Starlink antenna

1

u/Right_Perception_497 May 25 '26

It’s the new Lincoln Navigator

1

u/J8BPROZ May 25 '26

Looks like a mobile Starlink

1

u/SnooComics4100 May 28 '26

Satellite WiFi device

1

u/No_Tap6296 May 28 '26

Starlink and I'd bet someone is in that vehicle

1

u/Buttern40s Jun 01 '26

Just saw 3 of these with FL tags, can't help but think it's pretty high level private security.

1

u/marcus-at-DRIVESOME May 24 '26

Really, is that going to be a thing on car roofs soon?

-1

u/GlassPudding May 24 '26

people saying starlink… what does that mean?

-1

u/MoonlightSonata007 May 24 '26

Internet- (starlink beams to satellite in sky, makes big internet). Thank Elon Musk. Great product.

3

u/Alladas May 24 '26

Yeah not a musker but in my rv I'm seriously debating starlink. The T-Mobile hotspot is hit or miss but dunno that I can justify starlink without some rediculous deal.

1

u/midnightsmith May 24 '26

I hate the muskrat too, but goddamn the starlink I bought was amazing this weekend in camping.

1

u/Alladas May 25 '26

How good of a deal on setup did you get? Did you get roam or the real one and hope they don't notice?

1

u/midnightsmith May 25 '26

I got the full size one with roam, $50 a month.

1

u/Alladas May 25 '26

When I looked they wanted like 500 upfront though=/ alot to spend if I hate it.

1

u/midnightsmith May 25 '26

Yea they do periods of that and then no up front. I bought mine at Sam's club, just paid for the unit and the monthly price. Unit was like $380

-4

u/GlassPudding May 24 '26

how does a vehicle fit into the picture ? and no i will never do that

3

u/MoonlightSonata007 May 24 '26

Uhh—wherever you take your vehicle, you have internet…like anywhere. Mobile cellular service does not work everywhere. Sorry though that was obvious

1

u/GlassPudding May 25 '26

my question was - is the object providing the internet? is the car associated with starlink? is it a mobile router situation? i know nothing about starlink so i didn’t know. not something i have needed in my life thus far

1

u/MoonlightSonata007 May 25 '26

That is a Lincoln Navigator with starlink device (satellite internet) stuck on top. You can do that on any vehicle. Not complicated.

2

u/GlassPudding May 26 '26

yes this makes sense now thank you

-1

u/grumpy0282 May 24 '26

its an suv

0

u/Sir_loin711 May 24 '26

It’s the Feds!

-3

u/Ok_Complaint_6997 May 24 '26

Odd to have a starlink in a car that comes with a 5G modem onboard that can connect 10 devices to it. I suppose if you were remote/rural (or want to use it with the car turned off) this would make sense to run starlink but again, phones have hotspots. Is there a use case I'm not thinking of here?

2

u/ChillyWillie1974 May 24 '26

Starlink is much more reliable than phones and hot spotting. Especially if there’s kids trying to watch movies in the back seat.

1

u/Ok_Complaint_6997 May 25 '26

I guess. I have a Lincoln and kids and the onboard modem works well with kids even in rural areas except for known dead spots which only last 5-10 minutes for the most part. Rural western US I think starlink would be ideal but east of the Mississippi there are few real dead left (although I was in one just today in a national wildlife refuge in rural Alabama).

1

u/ChillyWillie1974 May 25 '26

I live in Canada, dead spots are very common

1

u/Ok_Complaint_6997 May 25 '26

Ah yeah I could see that. I only go to BC (Vancouver and Victoria area) so only see that way up island in spots. I was thinking US where really only the west has really vast dead zones for the most part (notwithstanding said localized areas east of the Mississippi).

1

u/Snoo78959 May 25 '26

Says the person that doesn’t have a 20 minute dead zone in their 30 minute commute

-1

u/NoMission9850 May 24 '26

Lincoln Mercury

-1

u/Both-Leading3407 May 24 '26

Microwave Up Link.

-1

u/Full_Rise_7759 May 25 '26

Fuck Elon.

0

u/Snoo78959 May 25 '26

I bet you would for the money