To replace or change FASST antennas you need the proper tool:
http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSea...?name=H9159-ND
I have been using long antenna since day one - homemade. This micro-coax has about 4 dB per meter drop. I added 240 mm or about 1 dB. As Phil Kraft said long ago, you need about 40 dB link margin. So 1 dB ain't squat. The U.FL connectors are fragile and can be easily trashed if you pull and tug on the coax. That's why you need the tool to replace or change the antennas.
Finally, if you use the standard antennas and stick them next to metal or bundle them up with servo wires, RANGE WILL BE REDUCED. People seem to have forgotten what an antenna is all about. If you duct tape satelllites onto your battery packs, you won't get much range either. I cringe whenever I see most 2.4 GHz installations of any brand.