Ok, so the WiFi needed upgrading...

After adding the pigtail adapter, my WiFi strength has increased drastically!

Have fun with it!!

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/4875/1001369ve.jpg
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7676/1001371z.jpg
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/6492/1001372w.jpg
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http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5690/1001374l.jpg
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/3295/1001376.jpg
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8361/1001378x.jpg
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I realized that my details did not post.
In order to get the back to sit flush again, I use a pair of snips and clipped off all the plastic that was not needed from the piece that holds the speakers. I basically clipped everything but the small area around them.

The white "divider" in the center needed to have a notch cut into it to allow the cable to be placed in the notch so as not to press on the back panel.

But I like my N80 the way it is!

Yeah, that's just a typo in the title. An admin could fix that easily.

As for the pigtail, I don't like that. I prefer the compact wifi antenna idea that someone else had here not long back. The trick is, I'm not brave enough to mod my n810 and add the boosted antenna.

You have a link to the compact ant?
I have done 2 other mods to the Wifi..

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=30032

There you go, sir. On a side note, given the amount of free space inside that upper area, I wonder if some kind of mod couldn't be made to use that as well, possibly even for extra storage.

Your next mission, should you decide to accept it: do the same for GPS.

Cool,

Did anybody do anything similar to the n800?

Texrat, that'd be awesome. There's just one catch. Doesn't the GPS have a self contained antenna-on-chip? And if it does, then hacking that will be a bit problematic. Then again, what do I know? But given what I've seen so far, even if you could get to the GPS chip and extend the antenna, where would you put it?

Does this affect the reception when there is no external antenna hooked up or do you after this really need to use that external antenna?

Yea, you'll need the antenna unless you're in the same room as the access point. I did something similar to my Zaurus a few years ago.

@gmgfarrand

Did you cut the traces to the built in antenna? You might get a better signal if you do. Pretty easy to do, just use an exacto knife to cut it. If you want to go back, just solder bridge the cut.