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by Amateur Radio AB9IL

Belkin F5D7050 External Antenna Mod

Part 2: Connecting Coaxial Cable and Attaching the Antenna

Many USB wireless adapters have very good electronics paired with rather poor antennas. While these devices are adequate for very local networking, they are capable of much better performance when connected to a high quality external antenna. The Belkin F5D7050 is commonly available and provides uncommonly range and speed performance with the modification described here.

This is part two of the modification procedure; please review part one before continuing.

5. Carefully prepare one end of the coaxial feedline for soldering to the board (keep it neat and avoid long leads).
6. Connect the center conductor to C11; solder the shield to the ground plane.
7. Wire or glue the pigtail to the circuit board. Make sure it will not flex or rip loose.

8. Carefully cut a gap into the enclosure to accomodate the pigtail, then re-enclose the circuit.

    

9. Connect the adapter to the antenna; the modification is complete.

Above is an example of the modified F5D7050 and external antenna in operation. Some aiming will be necessary to peak the signal and maximize data rates.

Note: This modification is quite similar to the one for the Linksys WUSB54GC. Look at that page, and become familiar with the general concepts adding an external antenna to a wifi adapter or router.