Is there any possibility I can disable/remove the PCB antenna and replace it with a custom one, like a directional helical antenna? Can I just solder it on? I am an absolute beginner and have no real idea of how this works.
How to attach a custom built antenna to the NodeMCU (ESP-12E)
#nodemcuantennaesp8266pcbpcb-antenna
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Next I thought that cutting the trace on the bottom side of the board leading to the antenna (shown in red) would surely do the trick but again I was wrong; it would still connect if I was within a foot or two of the Xbox One. As an aside, what exactly is that trace's functionality?
The red line you cut IS the antenna path. But not it's radiation source. The reason it now only connects at 1 foot instead of its usual range is because you crippled it. Two ways to completely (for practical purposes) remove the signal is depower the entire antenna/wifi section, which the sub-board is, or connect the antenna trace to ground.
For theory, Antennas should be a full or 3/4th or 1/2, or 1/4th of the wavelength for optimum propagation. Just because it is not that size does not stop it from working, it just stops it from working well. Your antenna is now a few millimeters long instead of a few inches.
This switch is based on a design from an article I wrote about diodes. The 50 Ohm resistor makes the switch absorptive for the transceiver, so that it doesn't short the output. The receiver can be shorted with a reflective switch. This will improve the isolation, which will help keep power from the transmitter from overloading the receiver too much.
PIN diodes make good RF switches. They have low on-resistance and low off-capacitance, and are usually lower cost than IC RF switches. The inductors need to be high-impedance at the signal frequencies. They need to be high-impedance at the frequencies of interest. The 2.2uH chokes in this schematic are not optimized for your application. If you can tolerate a little bit of loss, a 1K or 2K resistor is a lower-cost and easier-to-design substitute for the choke.
More details are in The PIN Diode Circuit Designer's Handbook from Microsemi.
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Best Answer
You could try but that what involves cutting the old pub antenna trace and soldering onto the ground and the existing trace. It may not work well.
A better choice is to get a esp module with an external antenna connector like a u.fl connector. A wemos d1 mini pro or a clone is compatible with the nodemcu and includes more features for cheap.