[Al Skierkiewicz]

While the CIMs are mostly steel the RFI from the brush assy. still will be emitted from the motor through the end bells and the wiring. Twisting the motor wires and making them short runs to the speed controllers helps a little.
The radio has two antennae, one on each side of the box. These are required for the 802.11 standard, they are not either/or (diversity). To insure maximum connectivity and throughput, your radio should be mounted away from surrounding metal of any kind and higher up in your robot. When metal is in close proximity to the sides of the radio, the antennae become detuned and output power is affected. When metal is close to the top, the same occurs. What you are trying to achieve is that the radio can 'see' the field antenna while you drive.