Hardware Accidentally my Wifi antenna. How to proceed?

[codezer0]

so, in repairing, and replacing the shell of my 3DS XL, I accidentally pinched the antenna wire for its Wifi, so that means no wifi or streetpass for me.

Way I see it now is either... order a replacement antenna, which would be fool proof, but require disassembling the shell... and potentially run the risk of breaking it in part because it was such a pain in the butt to disassemble the old shell to begin with.

Or... I could try splicing some fresh wire to that antenna; not have to take apart the whole thing, but not knowing how to get it to work. I still have my wire cutters/strippers from my practice soldering kit. but not sure how to proceed.

Thoughts?

 

[Deleted User]

I'd say the second one, since it kinda seems more safe-ish?

 

[codezer0]

I'd say the second one, since it kinda seems more safe-ish?

It definitely is the more attractive option for me; I'm just not sure what kind of wire I need to splice in there.

 

[codezer0]

Well, spoiler alert.

If you're thinking of doing as I did... don't. The Wifi antenna's wiring is not the kind that is spliceable, at all.

So begrudgingly, even after spending the cost for the wiring, I now have to eat that, and buy the replacement antenna anyway.

And what's more distressing... trying to follow the disassembly guides for the shell online, NONE Of the written guides tell you how to take apart the hinge properly. And the only videos that do show it, don't show what the heck goes on with where you have to push to get the hinge to separate without breaking the thing.

So how do I do that now?

 

[rasputin]

When i had the same problem, i used a old ds wifi board and wire. I fished the wire through the battery compartment and situated the board behind the rear panel thing. It bulged the back slightly but works well.