I’m reading a couple of posts about switching from using the PCB antenna to using the external antenna socket. A few posts refer to removing capacitors from the board (like using a solder iron I think). Is that really how other people are doing it? I’m afraid to screw it up. I’d like to maximize the radio though.
Just wanted to confirm with folks in this group.
That’s what you need to do.
There is a smt capacitor that links from the cc1352p to the pcb antenna. It’s necessary to de/resolder that smt cap to switch to the external antenna.
Shame there is no software selection.
Just to get this confirmed. The cap needs REMOVED if using the external antenna?
I guess you might have figured it out already but just answering anyway.
The OP says ‘de/re solder’, so desolder from current position (feeding the onboard PCB antenna), then turning 90 degrees, and resolder, to connect the source RF track signal to the SMA antenna.
On the photo you can’t see the situation AFTER the cap has been desoldered and correctly resoldered.
Follow the red line track and you can see the electrons flowing (or not) 
Which cheap cable/antenna can I use?. Do you have some eBay URL where to obtain that. I have one 2.4/5GHz Dual Band M.2 IPEX MHF4 U.fl Cable to WiFi RP-SMA Pigtail Antenna Set (link) but that seems not usable.
Well, today I tried to de/re solder the smt capacitor. It was a truly difficult procedure… I think I bricked my cap. Signal quality strength dropped in half compared to the PCB antenna… oops.
Does anyone know:
Found it via documentation of TI website.
Specification/type/etc of capacitor:
What I can see is that both metal parts, due to my soldering efforts 
, is completely gone…
Reference link for others. Personally didn’t know the existence of this thread until I got into issues/problems. Github issues are closed sometimes and as a consequence “lost”.
Therefore see also https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt/issues/2162 (question about ti cc1352p-2)
