Issues we personally have with Raspberry Pi’s as battery life problem solvers

Last Updated on April 25, 2023 by pg@petergamma.org

Explaining computer tested Raspberry Pi battery running time

Data from Explaining Computers

Pi 4Pi 4Pi zeroPi zero
battery10’000 mAh batterylead acid 12V 7 A10’000 mAh batterylead acid 12V 7 A
min load battery life (hrs)1540.158.5187
  • they need a5 volt power supply

issues we personally have with these devices:

  • We did a first test with a Raspberry 3 at minimal load and had a running time in idle of about 4 hours. This duration is much shorter than that of Explaining Computers. How can this be explained?
  • To power a Raspberry Pi 4 for more than 24 hrs we need a lead acid 12V 7 A battery which weights 2.0 kg, but who carries around a 2 kg battery if there are other options available?
  • an alternative is the Raspberry Pi zero 2w, but we do not have any data from Explaining Computers about this device
  • a first test of the MRIS showed that the Raspberry Pi zero 2 runs more than 24 hrs with a 10 000 mAh power bank
  • the Raspberry Pi 4 is unavailable Switzerland
  • the Raspberry Pi zero 2 w is unavailable in Switzerland
  • price for Raspberry Pi zero 2 w increased from 15 USD to more than 100 USD within a year
  • Raspberry Pi zero 2 w is not very powerful compared to competitors of the same size