Hi,
Tried to wire a battery pack for the ultra miniature PICO P1. Used two 3V CR2032's with a diode. I did a voltage check on the battery pack with the diode and got 5.8V. Ooops, too much voltage. Instructions say you have to use between 4.5 and 5.5V max. Turned the diode around and got 4.5V. O.K. great. Wired the P1 turned the switch on, I supplied and nothing. I had covered the diode with heat shrink tubing I hadn't applied heat to and slid the tubing to reveal I HAD THE CATHODE WRONG! Shoot! So I carefully tried to desolder the diode from the board and tore a trace and a surface mount resistor flew off to outer Mongolia. One needs to be aware that you will need a small soldering iron. I had an WLenk 25watt with an ultra fine tip of 1/32". Be advised you will also need a good light source and I used a circleline flourescent lamp with a magnifier on it. A good lamp with headband magnifier should suffice. You will also need a small, fine vise or a soldering holder to secure the P1. Very carefully solder some small solid hookup wire to the P1 FIRST! Use solid hookup wire of about 27 gauge. (About the size of the leads on a diode.) I've found that the stranded hookup wire will tear easily under repeated stress in the packs on my FM bug transmitters I am going to use for tracking. Once you have the leads on the P1 in place. NEVER, I REPEAT, NEVER try to desolder them. Don't do the same stupid mistake I did. I had added a small slider switch from Radio Shack on the negative side. If one uses a battery holder you can just pop the batteries out. I was going to suggest to PICO in a pissy manner that they should have supplied the unit with leads but as you can see, one can start there and you can install them yourself. I was trying to save space and soldered the diode to the + terminal of the P1. My mistake. As far as battery packs go, I simply J & B welded two CR2032's by the edges. It is very secure and the pack hasn't shorted out in over two weeks. Make sure when you make the pack you use a wooden clamp or a couple of layers of tape to protect against shorting out the pack in a metal clamp. I had planned to simply desolder the wires from the batteries when they wore down and resolder them to a new pack. I see now at PICO there is a battery holder available with a diode. Either that wasn't there when I ordered the first week the P1 was available or I missed them at the bottom of the screen. Emailed PICO to see if I could get a break on a replacement but I really have no grounds to deserve one. Folks who are considering the unit should just try to avoid my mistake. Eventually I will get to try one someday. (After I save up again.)
Best regards, Kurt Savegnago