Alchemy Power Inc. PiZ-UpTime 2.0 UPS for Raspberry Pi, Pi-Zero, SBC & IoT

Obeying the warning not to cause a circular power loop (I taped over my raspberry pi's PWR microusb port), the PiZ works great. It supplies power via the GPIO header pins. It works fine even if stacked along with a Ozzmaker BerryIMU-GPS unit sharing the same GPIO header.It doesn't come with a battery so you'll have to supply your own 3.7 volt lithium polymer battery; the screw terminals for the battery mean you'll need a wire stripper if your battery already has a JST power connector that must be removed.

I ordered this item at the same time that I bought a PiSugar2, but I have not been able to make the PiZ-Uptime 2.0 work. I reached out to see if Alchemy Power had any suggestions, or a way to check and see if the unit was broken. I got absolutely now response.It charged my battery, but as soon as I removed power to the PiZ it would drop power to my Raspberry Pi Zero W. If there is a way to configure the board to work properly I would love to hear about it.I got great support for the PiSugar. They even fixed a bug with their software that made the board more useful at my suggestion.

I've ordered 3 of these. Only 1 out of 3 actually worked! Their quality control is non-existent because they were likely manufactured in China, where they don't have any concept of quality. If they are manufactured domestically, then there's no excuse for such a high rate of DOA! *IF* you can get one that is actually functional, it'll do what it's supposed to do and you'll probably be happy with it. The one I have that works has been working fine and doing exactly what I hoped it would. You'll definitely need a jeweler's screwdriver to fit the micro-miniature set screws for the battery connection though. I actually had to file down the tip of my screwdriver before it would fit in the screws!

This chip is overpriced and functionally inferior to the ones made by MakerFocus or SunFounder. It also doesn't come with a standard battery connection on the board. This might be ok if, but unfortunately the screws for tightening the leads for the battery are too small. I can't get the leads to stay connected to the board. I have a tool sets for working on cellphones and laptops, and the smallest flat head bit is still too big. The kit did not come with a tool suitable for their connector either. It's even too light to be a $35 paperweight.

Very good UPS for the raspberry pi zero provided you are not prone to carelessness or forgetfulness.Be very careful when powering your raspberry pi through any port other than the input Micro-USB on this board when using it. I have now been through two of these. One did not supply the proper voltage out of the box, and the second one I accidentally powered incorrectly and ended it’s usability.Be sure to test the Batt Vout and Vin with your multimeter before installing just to verify everything works.I would describe this board as fragile.The experience of others may differ.