I broke the ipex 1 connector on my FEPRC Nano 2.4GHz receiver after attaching a new antenna connector to it. I think it happened while trying to remove the heat shrink from the receiver so I could replace it. I had cut a little bit off the heatshrink to get to the connector, but after connecting it, which was very difficult for me, I realized I needed to replace the heatshrink rather than just patch it with a new piece.

So, how does one connect and disconnect these connectors?

I saw this at Ipex 1 vs Ipex 4 - Selecting the Best Coaxial Connector for your RF:

Quote:Serviceability: When deployed in the field, U.FL/IPEX/IPX connections require a special tool for extraction, to avoid damage to the connectors. Servicing MMCX connections does not require any special tools.

(Underline mine)

When I search at Amazon, I can't find any such tool.

Very carefully? Pull straight up to remove, push straight down to install. Some bent nose tweezers are helpful if you don’t have long enough fingernails.

(27-Jun-2023, 09:17 PM)Lemonyleprosy Wrote: Very carefully? Pull straight up to remove, push straight down to install. Some bent nose tweezers are helpful if you don’t have long enough fingernails.

I was doing it as carefully as I could. I don't recall disconnecting it being that hard, but maybe I damaged it when I did that.

I was unable to push the female connector on the antenna wire into the male connector on the board using fingers or tweezers. I had to put the board down on my work surface, and use something hard to push the female connector onto the male connector. It seemed to work.

I had snipped a little of the heatshrink away to do this. After I had removed the rest of the heatshrink, I noticed that the metal collar of the mail connector had ripped off, and was still inserted into the female connector on the antenna wire. It was a pain to get this out, but I manged to do it by very carefully using my small wire clippers, touching only parts of the collar I was trying to get out.

I have the new wires in a new harness I built soldered to the geprc nano rx pads--super easy, and fun, to do the soldering; it was more difficult to get the female pins into the JST connector, but I managed with needle nose pliers and tweezers.

I just need to put the heatshrink on (the provide it), thread the antenna wire back through the mount, connect the ipex connetor, place the rx in its shelf, then reassemble everything (again!).

I just don't want to break the connector when ...

I stopped at the end of the last strikeout, threaded the wire through the mount, and gently pressed the connector pieces together, just using my fingers. I must have damaged the male part on the board when I disconnected it, making it hard to connect the new female half, and ending up ripping off the metal collar.

It would be nice to know a technique to disconnect them without damaging the connectors. Supposedly there is an Ipex connector tool, but I can't find one.

Like this?

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Hir...gKNovD_BwE

I couldn’t find anything similar on Amazon, although to be fair, I didn’t look too hard.

Edit- u.fl and ipex are the same thing.

It shouldn’t take that much force to push on or pull off, so as you said, it was probably bent/damaged.

Be aware that there are different sizes and specifications of IPEX / U.FL connectors, so if you get a connector that isn't an exact match for the socket it could end up being too tight of a fit to get back off again without a risk of ripping off the socket, or it might not even connect together in the first place. It can be a bit of a minefield. Most people just assume that any IPEX / U.FL connector is compatible with any IPEX / U.FL socket. Not true unfortunately so when you buy an antenna for a socket it can end up being a gamble as to whether the match is correct.

Below are a couple of links to past posts detailing this...

• https://intofpv.com/t-happymodel-moblite...#pid137175
  
• https://intofpv.com/t-vista-u-fl-to-rp-s...#pid148376
  

(27-Jun-2023, 10:42 PM)Lemonyleprosy Wrote: Like this?

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Hir...gKNovD_BwE

I couldn’t find anything similar on Amazon, although to be fair, I didn’t look too hard.

Edit- u.fl and ipex are the same thing.

It shouldn’t take that much force to push on or pull off, so as you said, it was probably bent/damaged.

Thanks. I found it on Amazon, but it's like $40, I'll pass.

I'll just wait until next time and see if I can extract it more easily. As you said, it was easy to push the new ones together, so I'm good for now.

(27-Jun-2023, 11:57 PM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: Be aware that there are different sizes and specifications of IPEX / U.FL connectors, so if you get a connector that isn't an exact match for the socket it could end up being too tight of a fit to get back off again without a risk of ripping off the socket, or it might not even connect together in the first place. It can be a bit of a minefield. Most people just assume that any IPEX / U.FL connector is compatible with any IPEX / U.FL socket. Not true unfortunately so when you buy an antenna for a socket it can end up being a gamble as to whether the match is correct.

Below are a couple of links to past posts detailing this...

• https://intofpv.com/t-happymodel-moblite...#pid137175
  
• https://intofpv.com/t-vista-u-fl-to-rp-s...#pid148376
  

Thanks. The female connector was on the antenna that came with the same receiver I'm using, the GEPRC Nano 2.4GHz receiver. The only difference I noted was that the length of the antenna wire was much shorter. I didn't examine the connectors under a microscope or anything, but I assume GEPRC would use the same connectors on the same RX, but maybe that's a bad assumption.

At any rate, I just replaced the RX, and fortunately didn't ruin the antenna connector in removing the metal collar from the board connect from it, so pushing the two connector pieces was easy using the all new parts.