I think that is wise, at least until someone with better SMD skills than mine can define and adjust the problem areas. Three places where these conflicts do occur are around the USB connection., the spot where the primary antenna exits and the spot where the Bluetooth exits to its squiggly antenna right outside the shield.
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Upon further review, I do see the honeycomb pattern on my two goTenna Mesh devices with serials starting with MX180.
For me it is impossible to see the pattern when the white leds are on. Much easier when only the red leds are on. I had to tilt the device through different angles in order to see the pattern.
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Does anyone have any pictures posted of the gotenna mesh external sma connection? I have been looking at this, it looks like a great Mod to do. Just wondering, thanks all
73’
Bobby -KE7FEI
Hi Bobby,
The first 3 are photos of one of my SMA modded Gotenna Mesh units. The last 6 images I pulled from online someplace and are what I used as a guide in my mod. Ignore the contact that is marked green. Solder the center wire of your mini coax across C50 (marked in red) to bypass it. Alternatively you can remove C50 and then bridge the gap with solder. You will also want to sever the circuit board trace to the internal antenna. The outer sheath of the coax should be soldered to the ground plane as indicated in the photo below.
Hope this helps. Good luck on your modding!
Jim - KH2SR
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Hey Jim!
Thank you so much for the pictures and information, I will be working on something coming up and this is going to help a lot of people out. Btw I bought one of your KeyChain QRP rigs some time ago, love that damn thing!! HI HI Thank you again for getting back with me, have a great weekend!
73’
Bobby KE7FEI
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Cool! Glad my photos could be of help and I’m glad you like my little KeychainQRP HF Transmitter invention!
73!
Jim - KH2SR
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Just curious do you gain much by removing/jumping c50?? And will external antenna mod in pic have similar results???
Dany
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You might not get good SWR that way.
Can you comment on how this mod turned out? I just cracked open my GTM and if it isn’t necessary to jump C50 I’d rather not bother with pulling the RF shield off in order to get to it.
I’d be interested in how your method is functioning as well. I just cracked open one of my GTM’s and I’m at the point of considering whether to remove the shield to continue or not. Any help would be appreciated.
David, KG5CHK, WRBR467
Hey Dennilee,
yes those are, and come tomorrow I will be adding a external port from that location. Yes I will have pictures and what not just in case. I know this has been a few years old. But good times 
Have a good one!
-Bobby
KE7FEI
Hey David,
Did you ever remove the shield? What did ya do if and when you did? Did you add a external antenna port? Just wondering 73’s
Bobby
KE7FEI
I bought 6 of these Mesh Units with the hopes of converting 2 of them into stationary Nodes with higher gain antennas. I cracked one open today and ended up using a dremel tool to carefully cut about .25" off of the top of the heat shield and then pried it off. The more I look into this, I honestly think I wasted $$ and should have spent it on a project like Meshtastic. $30 hardware and open source software and iphone app. Since it uses off the shelf cheap TTGO T Beam hardware you can easily add higher gain antennas. Gotenna has definitely moved on from these to mostly support the Pro line. I don’t blame them. Heck if I had $$$$ I’d buy 3-4 of them and they would probably work perfectly for my use and would be extremely easy to convert one into a Node.
So did you attach the external Antenna? Where did you end up soldering?
I’m still waiting for the sma connector to arrive in the mail from bangood.
Great. Would you post some pictures of the final result?
So did you attach the external Antenna?? I see its been since March, how did it go? I cracked mine open, the SMA pronged connector did not like the board, so I’m going to go a different route
-Bobby