RF transparent can?

wkearney99

Senior Member
This looks interesting, Leviton 49605-30W RF Transparent Structured Media Enclosure with Door, 30"
http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ProductDetail.jsp?partnumber=49605-30W&section=63337&minisite=10251

Anyone seen one? It's not coming up in searches on a few of the usual online retailers.

I'm interested in putting a couple gizmos upstairs somewhere, in order to get a bit better wireless coverage. The main wiring panels are down in the basement and that's not terribly conducive to extending coverage for stuff like a Lutron car visor remote. But before I just nail 'em up on a wall, a box like that might look better.
 
Generic plastic box....no different than those that ICC offers.
 
I don't know...what is buried and hidden in a closet, like above the header doesn't bother me. That's where I typically hide stuff in a lot of instances, usually there's 1-2 feet of dead space there anyways.
 
Where's one that size from ICC? I've seen smaller ones from them in plastic, but this one's 30". That'd be plenty of room for the a RA2 repeater, VCRX and a possible Wifi access point I'd like to move. Plenty for the boxes themselves but also plenty of room for their attached antennas.

I prefer to avoid depending on gear going 'undisturbed' up in a closet. Especially stuff with antennas. The ones on the RA2 gear are not particularly robust. Best for out situation to button it up. YMMV, of course.

I've got a spot either in the laundry room or a nearby closet that would probably work nicely with a box like this.
 
I use wiring/utility closets - the wall that the door is on inside the closet is usually about as safe as you'd get as nobody would ever even notice something above/next to the door.
 
When environment is of concern (for my RF engineering side of the business), I use plastic boxes to add visual deterrent/weatherproofing/security/etc.  
 
Here in the Midwest for a bit did install a couple of POE AP's in the walls behind the in wall speakers.  Speakers are big and there is much room in the cavity.  What remains today is still a couple of RF antennas in the walls close by in the cavity but easy to access.  I went to one AP in the attic for the time being.  Following the Ubiquity thing will probably move the attic Ubiquity AP to the second floor ceiling in the near future.  I am though at one AP today for all of the wireless stuff in "production".  In the early 2000's though did start the wireless thing here in the midwest using Cisco POE AP's which worked fine.
 
In Florida (can in closet in the clost thing)  I mounted the AP above the cans in the closet which is in the center of the house and it works fine there.  I did build an area above in the attic with lighting where all of the LV chases drop to the cans and do also have antennas there going to the cans.  This is the "neat" set up with an HAI OPII can and a Leviton Can in the wall of one closet.  The Leviton can has stuff in it; now over 5 years and functioning still fine (antenna amps, switch and router stuff).  It is a "LAN in a CAN" there but only some 12 wired LAN connections.  Very good WAF; and built such that is it untouchable.
 
I am currently starting to play with the 802.11 AC stuff for Gb(?) near wireless speeds but am not depending on it for media streaming (never have nor never will) and the such; more to see if it works; "a la" Almond + which is a tiny device stuck in the multimedia cabinet for the time being. Even saying this I am testing wireless tabletop tablets which will be using 801.11AC stuff; streaming live TV HD stuff on them as it works fine right now on the wired network.
 
Yeah, don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to convince anyone that using cans is required or anything. Just that I'm leery of putting stuff with antennas on it onto a bare wall in a closet with other uses. If only because I want to avoid making repeated work for myself when someone breaks it (cleaning folks, family members, guests, etc).

I have seen situations where people have used smaller boxes and poked the antenna up out of the box. And that's a really clever way to approach the problem and save some wall area by using a box just large enough for the gear. I'm sure there's a code violation in there somewhere, but I'm not rattling that saber... The downside being you lose a lot of flexibility with regard to moving the antenna. But then you're not going to get "a lot" more by using a larger can, especially not when you look at the size of the ones on new AC gear.
 
The ones on the Netgear R7000 are 6.5" tall! Still, with a larger can that ought to allow about [acronym='Press Alt-248 on your windows keyboard to get the degree symbol']40°[/acronym] of tilt.  
 
If only because I want to avoid making repeated work for myself when someone breaks it (cleaning folks, family members, guests, etc).
 
In a commercial environment the AP's installed were above drop ceilings or just mounted high up.
 
The innocuous Ubiquity AP's mounted on the ceiling look like smoke detectors.  The tiny HAI wireless receivers also are very innocuous and tiny.  Initally did also put these in wall cavities and in the last couple of years just mounted them in the attic space with the rest of the stuff there.  RF is RF is RF.  While the footprint can be predicable; other stuff affects it anyways.  I have two RFID (well three) receivers in the house; antennas are buried in wall cavities and plastic boxes.    I also have RFID "tags" buried in the headliners of the automobile adjacent to the metal and they work fine with the RFID reciever inside of the sprinkling system plastic can today (and for years now). 
 
I would be concerned leaving an Almond Plus with touchscreen being utilized as a combo router/AP and automation box sitting around.  It looks nice but really is something you just configure and leave alone or remote to it.  Test one is behind glass doors and no one touches it today.
 
Here the cleaning folks do touch the multiple tabletop touchscreens all the time when cleaning.  My new grandson has fun with them.  That said though he has his own little android tablet and netflix on it; so he really doesn't pay attention much to the tabletop touchscreens.I could probably make them squawk instead of click when touching them.  Lately just internet streaming Brazilian radio stations when the cleaning folks are here.
 
Heh, the drywall and insulation crews seemed to favor what I can only describe as 'hispanic polka music' during the construction.  The cleaning lady seems to like the Bossa Nova station on Pandora.  
 
I'm currently using a plastic Channel Vision C-0113 12" enclosure with hinged door, for my RA2 Main Repeater.  But, looks like it's been discontinued.  I drilled a hole in the top, for the antenna, so I could also fit a wireless router in there too.  I bought this from Automated Outlet a few years ago.
 
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Any plastic enclosure will work; those Leviton look fine.  Most any Leviton vendor can special order anything for you.
 
Spiwrx could prob order you one.  Worthington/ASIHome and Automated Outlet could prob do it too.
 
You could flush mount it in the wall, above a closet door.  Or, use a steel enclosure, and extend the antenna out the top (behind drywall).
 
I'd have to go through cut sheets and the like, but the cheapie mass market ICC panels are plastic.
 
I'd mount above the door into a closet first...then if being hidden is paramount... well, a plastic enclosure.
 
You can always extend an antenna out of the enclosure. Technically not a code violation. The only issue arises if you have a unit with ground plane antennas or other multiple antennas.
 
OpenHouse makes a 12" recessed plastic box that may work for some installations if it's big enough.
 
Another option I use in certain environments is the Orbit 57095 enclosure - it has a power outlet inside of it... meant to be used with conduit but I wire in a cord with a strain relief and mount electronics inside them when I have no better options.  Not as good as a real nema enclosure but they work for certain items (I use them mostly for housing POE injectors for outdoor radios) but have put a radio or two in them as well.
 
Already have one of those orbit boxes outside, for the sprinkler system (yet to be installed). Nice, but a bit bulky for going inside the house. Flush in the wall is sorta the point.
 
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