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T-Deck Plus shipped without an antenna, what do i need to install one? (lemmy.world)
submitted 5 months ago by to c/meshtastic@mander.xyz
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I recently bought a Lilygo T-Deck Plus and had assumed it would include an antenna, since i ordered it with an external antenna. Today it arrived and apparently doesn't come with any external antenna, just a hole in the top with a rubber bung where one would go.

I had heard the antenna it comes with isn't very good, so i bought a Stubby from ZBM2 Industries. What i need to know is what connector piece i need to go between the antenna and the circuit board. The little brass-colored thing that the antenna screws onto. What's that part called and is there anything i should watch out for when finding one? Or should i just take my antenna and T-Deck into a hardware store and ask around?

Also, on another note, the reset button is too easy to press. If i take out the cover and just leave the smaller actual button will i need to worry about dust getting in thru the hole, or is that safe to do?

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[–] 3 points 5 months ago (2 children)

It sounds like they sent you the wrong model. If there is no external antenna connector (brass coax connector on top) there will be an internal antenna, but no easy way to connect an external one. The good news is that it should work without any modifications.

If you want a better antenna, it's going to take some work. There is a tiny connector on the board where the internal antenna is attached. You can easily buy an external antenna connector that will come with a short cable that has a matching connector. You can detach the internal and attach the external in its place. Then you would need to drill a hole in the case where you would mount the external antenna connector.

You might be better off contacting LilyGo and ask them to take a return and send you the version you ordered.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 5 months ago (1 child)

    I'm not sure whether it has no internal antenna or whether there's just no other nodes around. Inside it looks like the one in this tutorial, except that i have a T-Deck and not a T-Board. The antenna cable already there doesn't look like it connects to anything, unless the cable itself is the antenna.

    There's already a hole where an antenna connector should go, i just don't have a connector since one didn't come with the antenna i bought.

    I could contact LilyGo but i don't want to wait for shipping a second time if i can just fix what i already have instead.

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  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago

    Okay, they did send you the wrong model, but the process of adding an external is less difficult than I thought. I didn't realized the cases came with a hole there either way. You can follow the instructions that were provided by just some guy in this thread. Good luck!

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