The ARP MiniPak Battery Extender

Required Components

Here is the list of parts I used to build my MiniPak battery extender :-

Surprised? Yeah, the whole enchilada won't cost you the kitchen sink. All in all, you need to spend less than RM 13 or USD 3.50 and that includes the NiCads as well. Isn't that affordable?

Of course, the quality of the components leaves much to be desired. The batteries have a very low capacity while the wire I bought is something no one back in Malaysia would even consider. As for the battery holder, it is a two cell thick type, which is really bulky and it has exposed contacts (more on this later). Unless you live in Manipal, India, you can do a lot better.

I recommend that you get a single layer battery holder which would really cut down on the thickness. Also, unless you are looking to get as much voltage as possible with 1.25V NiCads, it's generally best to buy NiMH batteries instead. And let's not forget the DC power plug I'm using. It's a straight plug which means it will stick out of the Pocket PC for some distance. If you can, get one that lies flushed to the casing when plugged in.

By the way, when buying batteries for this project, make sure you get batteries with the same voltage and capacity. It would be best, of course, to use a set of identical batteries. But if you have to mix and match, make sure their voltages and capacities are similar.

Top - The 2-cell thick battery holder. Note how thick it is Left - Two of the Sanyo NiCd batteries

Now, get your soldering iron, some solder (and flux) as well as a wire cutter and let's get down to work!