Hiding a Wi-Fi antenna used to extend Legacy signal

Ron-

I’ve got the same issue and I’m considering just leaving it behind a Water Tower the is approximately center of my layout.  I like your paper towel roll idea though.  I’m still trying to get a handle on how much these antennas help or hurt signal quality.  

I’d love to hear what you end up going with.

Tim

Better yet, make it part of the scenery. Lionel offered a cell tower that just might be able to contain/support your wifi antenna. If yours is a vertical, get one of Lionel's floodlight towers, remove the lights and their power rods from the inside of the structure and put the antenna there.

Depending upon its size and shape, you could disguise it to look like a telephone pole or street light or hide it inside a grain silo. Just make sure that whatever you hide it in will not interfere with the signal.

Ron,  I had some difficulty with reception after 25'... especially, through a stud wall and inside a 21' tunnel.  I grabbed a dual band high gain (10-12dbi) antenna from an old router and stuck it on the legacy base.  No problem at 40' now, including the tunnel.  If you have a router with the same connection as the base, pull an antenna off the router and test it.

Could you install a WI FI repeater extender?

Charlie

@PRRMP54 posted:

Better yet, make it part of the scenery. Lionel offered a cell tower that just might be able to contain/support your wifi antenna. If yours is a vertical, get one of Lionel's floodlight towers, remove the lights and their power rods from the inside of the structure and put the antenna there.

If the antenna is inside one of these metal towers, would that not act like a Faraday Cage in reverse?  No signal getting out?  If this would work that would be a great idea.

Thinking about it, maybe make a radio tower out of stiff craft paper or real thin wood dowels.  There are several images on line for towers in the late 40s that would work.

Overall, some good thoughts.

@CAPPilot posted:

If the antenna is inside one of these metal towers, would that not act like a Faraday Cage in reverse?  No signal getting out?  If this would work that would be a great idea.

Thinking about it, maybe make a radio tower out of stiff craft paper or real thin wood dowels.  There are several images on line for towers in the late 40s that would work.

Overall, some good thoughts.

The one that I am thinking of are plastic, had eight lights at the top, and are about 12 inches tall and ¾ inch square. The same tower was also used for a microwave dish. Lionel may have also used the basic tower for other scenic items. Two examples that I have are the #190 Railroad Yard Floodlight and #199 Microwave tower.

@PRRMP54 posted:

The one that I am thinking of are plastic, had eight lights at the top, and are about 12 inches tall and ¾ inch square. The same tower was also used for a microwave dish. Lionel may have also used the basic tower for other scenic items. Two examples that I have are the #190 Railroad Yard Floodlight and #199 Microwave tower.

Looked them up and they are great.  Thanks.