With the LED(s) connected to your circuit, your wristband is almost finished! There are just a couple more steps to go:

  • protect the battery from an accidental short circuit
  • make sure the battery makes a good connection with the leads.

As I discovered when creating this guide, the felt of the wristband is soft enough to sometimes allow the conductive fabric tape to bend around the battery enough for the positive and negative sides to connect -- causing a short circuit that can make the battery heat up, burn out, and possible start a fire. Here's how to make sure that doesn't happen:

Protect the Battery

 

Cut a short strip of electrical tape and fold it over one end of the battery. Make sure it covers both the front and the back.

 

Pinch the excess tape tightly around the edge of the battery. Then trim the extra off. Repeat with the opposite end of the battery.

 

Make sure to leave the middle of the battery uncovered so it can touch the the conductive fabric tape traces.

To make sure the battery makes good contact with the conductive fabric tape, and to keep the battery in place even when the wristband and the circuit are open, use a piece of the Z-axis tape.

Connect the Battery

Cut a piece of Z-axis tape to fit on the battery between the slits.

 

Peel the paper off one side and press it firmly onto the felt.

 

Then insert the battery into the slits, pressing it firmly onto the adhesive.

 

Make sure to orient the battery so that the electrical tape is on the left and right sides.

This guide was first published on Nov 13, 2018. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (Add the Battery) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

Text editor powered by tinymce.