Carefully fold the battery wires back across the battery (this is why we reinforced those connections in an early step).
Slide the battery into the slot at the base of the insert, tucking the wires into the channel shared with the mode select button.
Add a couple zigzag bends at the other end (near the LiPoly backpack) to take up any slack and tuck them in.
Spread a thin layer of E6000 glue or some epoxy on the backs of the LED strips, then clamp them in place with anything that holds them flat…sticks and rubber bands, for example.
Allow some time again for the glue to dry. Watch some cat videos on YouTube or some poi lessons on Flowtoys’ web site.
Once the glue is completely dry, using a toothpick or other nonconductive tool to carefully pack all the wires inside.
Slide the insert into the soda preform. If there’s substantial friction, stop and look around for protruding wires or excess glue residue which can be scraped away.
Fire it up, confirm everything still works. Screw on the cap and make sure it doesn’t accidentally trigger the mode button or power switch.
Kind of resembles the Genesis device from Star Trek II, doesn’t it? Hence the name. :)
For the poi to look their very best for photography, a few status LEDs should be covered up. (Otherwise there’s stray light streaks in the image.)
I thought black nail polish might work for this, but it’s actually not that great…took about three coats to fully obscure the status LEDs. Common acrylic hobby paint is probably a better choice.
As a final step, dabs of epoxy were added to hold wires down in place…silicone wire is very “grippy” and drags against the tube when slid in or out. Some extra glue was added near the base of the Trinket board to help secure it, and the wire-to-LED-strip connections at the tip were reinforced.
Be very careful to keep epoxy from seeping into the USB port! If that happens, the poi can never be plugged in for charging or reprogramming.
While waiting for glue to dry, attach leashes to the caps. If using the snazzy Flowtoys leashes, their web site has directions for adjusting length and tying them.
If you like, screw on the empty plastic soda preforms and practice with those for now. It’s a good opportunity to dial in the leash length just right.
Once all the various glues are completely dry, plug the poi in to charge.
The green status LED indicates the battery is full. Charging may take up to 90 minutes.
The LED strips may flicker red during charging. This is normal!
Use It!
Slide the insert into a soda preform, flick the power switch, select an image with the mode button, screw the cap shut and have at it!
When first switched on, the LEDs will briefly display the (approximate) battery level before the POV effect starts.
Holding down the mode button for longer than 1 second will enable an auto-cycle mode, which will show a different image every 15 seconds.
