Use this easy modification to put less strain on your field monitor’s sideways HDMI port

Feelworld makes some pretty decent monitors for the money. I have the Feelworld FH7 and the new super-bright Feelworld FW279 – we’ll have a full review on the FW279 coming soon (review here). But HDMI socket placement always seems to be an issue with many monitors. On the FH7, the HDMI ports are underneath pointing straight down, but they’re very close to the mounting thread, making it a very tight fit for HDMI cables.

The FW279 shifts them over to the side, which makes connectivity much easier, but brings another challenge. Namely, gravity. The lateral strain on the socket caused by the weight of the cable can potentially weaken the socket over time. This simple modification by Johannes Gauder solves that issue with just a few cheap components.

The list of items required to perform the surgery is quite small and inexpensive.

• HDMI ribbon cable (20cm)
• 2x M4 screws (6mm long)
• 0.8mm aluminium sheet
• Epoxy glue
• 20mm heat shrink tube (2:1)

The only really difficult part of the process is cutting the piece of aluminium to the right size and shape. And then, of course, you need to drill the appropriate holes. But if you have a 3D printer, you can quickly design up a part in something like Fusion 360 and just print it. Printing it will take longer, but it should do the job just as well if you use something durable like PETG or ABS.

The process basically involves using the HDMI ribbon cable to extend the HDMI socket from the side to the back of the unit, via the aluminium plate mounted to the VESA screws next to the battery mounting plate. This then gives you the downward-pointing HDMI socket, but it’s nowhere near the mounting thread, as it is with the FH7.

The socket end of the HDMI ribbon cable is epoxied to the aluminium plate, and then heatshrink is used to neaten it up and cover any sharp edges on the aluminium. The two M4 screws are then used to mount it to the back of the monitor. The cable then winds its way around the monitor and plugs into the HDMI input on the side.

It’s a quick and simple modification that doesn’t void your warranty and can be done for $20 or less if you shop around or already have the epoxy, M4 screws and heat shrink laying around and decide to 3D print the plate rather than cut it from an aluminium sheet.

While the Feelworld FW279 is shown in the video, you should be able to do this with just about any monitor. As long as it has the standard VESA mounting holes on the back, the measurements for the plate should be the same, too.