Raspberry Pi Zero: Portable Power
So your Raspberry Pi Zero project is up and running, debugged and ready to roam. The final challenge is finding the best way to power your new creation in the field. In this tutorial we'll explore three ways of powering your Pi.
Mobile Power Packs
Perhaps the best trick, practised by Pi owners the world over since the launch of the original Raspberry Pi, is the humble and widely-available mobile power pack. These battery packs, which you'd normally use to charge up your smartphone or tablet on the go, also double as fantastic portable power supplies for the Raspberry Pi.
Less gubbins to power means the Pi Zero will potentially get a longer life out of these battery packs, so you can pick something compact and the right shape/size for your project without having to worry so much about longetivity.
When it comes to picking a power pack, the world is your oyster. All mobile power packs have USB ports that provide a standard, stable 5V output suitable for the Pi. One thing you should keep in mind, however, is to keep an eye out for ones that supply 1A or more and are marketed as being able to charge tablets. These are the best choice for powering the Pi and any add-ons you might care to use.
Sneaky USB Ports
Depending on what you do with your Pi Zero, you may be able to siphon power from a nearby host computer, TV, games console or anything else with a spare USB port. Many devices have USB ports on these days, and if you just happen to have a device near where you want to nestle your Pi Zero project, it's a perfect match.
One thing I found with 3D TVs, at least the ones that use active ( battery powered ) glasses is that they not only have USB ports for charging these glasses, but they usually have an option to leave the USB port powered up even when the TV is off ( soft off, that is, not turned off at the mains to stop the electricity leaking all over the floor ).
The same applies to the Playstation 4. In its power-saving settings there's an option to "supply power from USB ports", letting it charge controllers... or power a Pi!... even when the console is asleep.
Lipos and Batteries
For the more advanced user, there's the option of lipo battery packs, or regular AAA or AA batteries. Two 1.5v batteries can just power a Raspberry Pi on their own, but they wont perform very well or provide the 5V needed for USB devices. To use them properly you should use an Adafruit PowerBoost 500 or 1000 to boost them up to 5V and feed it right onto your Pi Zero's 5V GPIO pin.
Search above to find more great tutorials and guides.