The Hackberry Pi is a nifty, cyberdeck. If you are looking for a portable, every day use Raspberry device, then look no more... except one little thing. It uses a "weird" battery format, for today standards, the BL5C. The idea behind the use of the BL5C battery is good, i get it. It's small, compact, makes the device very slim and pocketable and you still can find them in the market. But even so, this is not for me. Having a device that uses a "special" type of battery, means that in my bag, i have to carry more batteries and batteries, that are not used from any other of my devices. The 18650 is the type i prefer and all my devices (flashlights, power banks, HTs etc.) use this type or can be charged by USB. So i had to find a way to make the HBPi, to use 18650s also. I tried to use it, in conjunction with a power bank, but it got too heavy and bulk. So, it's time for a 18650 mod...
If you follow this guide, you and only you, are responsible for damaging your device!
The battery compartment of the HBPi is 72mm X 50mm, which is more than enough to host two 18650 batteries. So i needed a way, to put those without damaging the board and also in a secure way, so that they don't drop or something. I don't have a 3D printer, so printing a new back cover, was out of question. Also i wanted a way, that it would be permanent, in case i change my mind on the future and revert back.
The 18650 battery is 65mm wide and a battery holder for them is about 75mm, which doesn't fit, inside the HBPi. Also there must be some space for cables. The solution i found, was to cut the battery holder in the middle, so it will be sorter and also leave some space for the cables to pass from there. So i cut it.
A test to fit the holder and measure cable length...
From the schematics of the HBPi, i didn't see the middle pin of the BL5C battery connector to lead anywhere. So i just solder the plus/minus of the battery holder to the original battery connector pins, of the HBPi. Hot glue to everything, to keep it in place and you are ready... honestly.
Because there is a gap at the bottom of the battery holder, i added some foam and closed it with duct tape, temporarily until i find a better way to do so.
As you see in the video, the HBPi, works fine and now the capacity depends on the 18650 batteries i use. Because the battery holder connects the two batteries in parallel, you can also hot swap batteries, on the fly! and of course double the capacity.
Should you do it?
Advantages...
- Increased capacity
- Hot swap-able batteries
- 18650s are everywhere
- If you know how to solder, is easy enough
- The mod, is not permanent. You can revert back as you were. You may only need to re-print the back case of the device. Nothing else.
- Still easy to use
Disadvantages
- Compared to the use of the BL5C, the device now is more bulky and not pocket-able.
- I don't know if you use the device with one hand, but if you do the mod, it will be harder to do so
- It's a bit ugly. Unless you have a 3D printer and print a nice back case and cover, it will not look good. If you have and printed a new case, tell me so!
