I posted this pic in my prior thread. Thought I’d pick your brains again . . . This boxcab is made of steel, and the partitions inside are also steel, as is the roof.

I’m wondering what kind of r/c signal will penetrate it. I tried a small LED remote keyfob device and got nothing. Is there an r/c system with a proper aerial that I can drape outside?

Applying what I’ve heard from and read by RC boaters, the best bet would be to mask antenna in plain sight as piping on roof, though not doubled back on itself like air cooling coils: the longer the straight run of antenna the better.

I don’t know quite enough to be certain whether you have in the body essentially created a Faraday cage.

Hi Pete, I have had the best range success using the Revolution 2.4GHz with the 3" antenna. I am amazed how well it works inside the tender of my die cast USA Hudson. Over 90’ range. I mount the receiver off the floor about 2-3 inches. Then point the antenna to the sky.

Also installed the AirWire in the USA Trains Hudson using the optional extended antenna mounted vertically inside plastic tubing. Then set the output power to full. The Revolution still has twice the range. The AirWire uses a 900 Mhz radio frequency. In my experience the three 2.4Ghz systems I offer get more range inside a metal shell.

With the Revolution you can mount all the gear inside. It is best for the antenna to point to the sky rather than laying parallel to the earth or the metal body. You can try the Revo RX inside the shell for a range test.

Don

I mount the receiver off the floor about 2-3 inches. Then point the antenna to the sky.

Don - you are saying the antenna is still inside the tender?

The Deltang made 2.4 GHz Rx’s I use in my RCS systems work very well inside Live Steam locos.
There are two versions. One with a short wire antenna on the end of the Rx pcb that works pretty well inside most metal tenders and metal loco bodies.
I mount the RX and antenna hard against the metal tender side if the antenna cannot be exposed. Apparently the RF signal is actually inducted into the metal and rebroadcast from the metal the couple of millimetres to the antenna.
The same pcb uses a shielded cable with just the last part not shielded for longer range if needed. This is exposed to the atmosphere.
When painted flat black the actual receiving part of the antenna is pretty well invisible.

Tony are you talking https://www.gscalegraphics.net/store/c1/Featured_Products.html ?

Hi Pete, yes I am saying the antenna is still inside the loco.

Also my apologies to Tony, I have his gear to sell and his radio is 2.4Ghz which can be used inside your loco. In fact his new gear is quite small and very powerful. You can see it below and on my web site. I am currently installing the RCS Omega3v9 inside a brass MOLO Buffalo Shay.

Don

On my Hudson, running AirWire (900 MHz), I built an external antenna and disguised it among the boiler piping. It works really well. I’ve since painted it black.

This arrangement could be used on the roof. I’m going to do one of these for my RDC one of these days.

Thank you all. I will have to experiment.

Has anyone tried the fire stick method where the antenna is coiled around a plastic or wooden rod. Now it could fit inside a plastic barrel.