I decided to set up my long dormant Pandora today, which meant charging the battery. Unfortunately, I suspected the battery was bad and was proven right as it swelled up and popped the cover loose during charging. The cover is still intact, but given that the store is sold out of batteries, is there another alternative? Is there a readily available hobbyist battery or something along those lines that can be modified to work with the Pandora? Has anyone done anything similar? Or is this thing doomed now?
DIY replacement battery
- Thread starter Wax
- Start date
levi
Still fresh, damnit!
I've run my Pandora before now from a lab supply connected by the edge tabs on the PCB, but that's neither an especially practical thing to do if you want to keep the Pandora in its case, or an especially portable solution. But at least it shows that it's always possible to power a Pandora. You might have luck with an external USB battery bank, if your Pandora will reliably boot with just miniUSB power, or just about any 3.7V battery can be soldered to the battery contacts.
Yeah, mine runs reliably off the power supply, but like you said, not terribly portable. I'd rather not solder anything directly to the connectors but I have no problem rigging up some kind of connector, possibly even pulling the existing one and circuitry out of the old battery, but I'd also be a bit worried about charging it safely.
(Specifically, I was thinking of doing something like this or this, but I'm concerned about the required steps to make sure I don't make this thing explode.)
(Specifically, I was thinking of doing something like this or this, but I'm concerned about the required steps to make sure I don't make this thing explode.)
Last edited:
RZR
Very Active Member
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- Sep 12, 2019
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You could try to replace the lipo cell. For this you need to disassemble the battery pack, reuse the connector and pcb and just replace the cell. I'm not sure you would find a cell that fits there though... Maybe you could fit this one:
hobbyking.com
But I'm not sure you would be able to close the cover then. Careful when doing this, shorting a lipo cell may cause the cell to explode; also careful when soldering these. The lipo cell listed above is "just" the cell, your battery also has a connector and a pcb which protects the cell from over discharge. In order to assembly a battery you would need these two and the cell.
This could be of use:
pyra-handheld.com
Turnigy 5000mAh 1S 20C Lipoly (Single Cell)
Turnigy 5000mAh 1S 20C Lipoly (Single Cell)
hobbyking.com
But I'm not sure you would be able to close the cover then. Careful when doing this, shorting a lipo cell may cause the cell to explode; also careful when soldering these. The lipo cell listed above is "just" the cell, your battery also has a connector and a pcb which protects the cell from over discharge. In order to assembly a battery you would need these two and the cell.
This could be of use:
Smaller Battery
Getting the obvious objections out of the way first: Pandora's big battery is awesome and the kind of battery life that we are seeing for continual usage is great. There are tons of reasons why someone might not want to consider having a smaller battery and reducing that. This is a given...
levi
Still fresh, damnit!
That's a good link; it seems to link to the original lipo cell from the pandora. You have to reuse the PCB from the Pandora's one if you can get if off, or you can do a bit of digging and find and ROHS replacement for the PCB I'm just not sure of the size of it.
I still have a few batteries left, need to check their status first. It's not many though.
A Pyra battery could theoretically also be used - but you'd need to print your own bottom of the case.
A Pyra battery could theoretically also be used - but you'd need to print your own bottom of the case.
Where did the batteries go?
Did so many people order Pandora batteries?
I thought there were 2 boxes of Panodra batteries left.
But I'm not sure ...
You could try to replace the lipo cell. For this you need to disassemble the battery pack, reuse the connector and pcb and just replace the cell. I'm not sure you would find a cell that fits there though... Maybe you could fit this one:
Turnigy 5000mAh 1S 20C Lipoly (Single Cell)
Turnigy 5000mAh 1S 20C Lipoly (Single Cell)
But I'm not sure you would be able to close the cover then. Careful when doing this, shorting a lipo cell may cause the cell to explode; also careful when soldering these. The lipo cell listed above is "just" the cell, your battery also has a connector and a pcb which protects the cell from over discharge. In order to assembly a battery you would need these two and the cell.
This could be of use:
Smaller Battery
Getting the obvious objections out of the way first: Pandora's big battery is awesome and the kind of battery life that we are seeing for continual usage is great. There are tons of reasons why someone might not want to consider having a smaller battery and reducing that. This is a given...
Thanks, this was the kind of info I was hoping for. I'll follow these leads. Cheers!
If any of those batteries are still good, I'd order one. Maybe even a couple. Otherwise, maybe I will look into 3D printing a new bottom for my Pandora at some point.
Arkay Firestar
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- Apr 28, 2010
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If there was a cable that terminated with USB-A (the other end being the male AC connector that fits the Pandora’s power port), is it possible a portable battery pack would have enough output to run the Pandora? Whenever my battery inevitably fails, that seems a universal and easy way to keep it still mostly portable. Just not sure such a cable exists?
daveshah
Well-Known Member
The power adaptor for the Pandora is rated 5V 2A, so well within reach of most power banks which can do 2A or more - and 10W sounds like a lot anyway, under almost all circumstances I expect the Pandora would be less than 1A.
The connector is the same one as the PSP, so a "USB to PSP" cable should work.
The only problem is that not all Pandoras run off the external DC input without a battery - it's something of an unofficial "feature".
The connector is the same one as the PSP, so a "USB to PSP" cable should work.
The only problem is that not all Pandoras run off the external DC input without a battery - it's something of an unofficial "feature".
Arkay Firestar
Very Active Member
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- Apr 28, 2010
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- 245
Thankfully I’ve tried this and mine works, so while I won’t resort to this until the battery dies, it’s nice to know it’s there. I wonder if there are any trustworthy PSP to USB cables out there.
Found a box of remaining batteries, these will be back in stock soon 
And so, the Dragon went down, deep into it's dungeon, and found the treasure it was searching for. It now had extra power, and that power had the right contacts. He shared that power with the selected. And he was left to his own devices.
From the book of the Dragon, chapter 11:14
And because these were depleted due to being stored for a long time, he was not charged with battery. (pun intended)
From the book of the Dragon, chapter 11:14
And because these were depleted due to being stored for a long time, he was not charged with battery. (pun intended)
