Nice. The 3v3 island is a good find. The whole diode can be hidden underneath the board in that case. Thanks for the tip about the fiberglass brush too!
As for the battery holder, just for future readers who want it off without desoldering it, here is what I did with an Exacto knife tip:
![[Image: battery1.jpg]](https://ericdraken.com/files/battery1.jpg)
![[Image: battery2.jpg]](https://ericdraken.com/files/battery2.jpg)
![[Image: battery3.jpg]](https://ericdraken.com/files/battery3.jpg)
![[Image: battery4.jpg]](https://ericdraken.com/files/battery4.jpg)
Then people can take their time with the battery posts. I just use a Dremel now to trim the posts away for my diode fix. Yes, this is a one-way procedure - not getting the battery holder back
.
> By the way, why would you actually need to remove the battery holder and put it back later? What is not accessible with the holder still in place? Also, I don't think that an additional barrier diode, for example, can be tucked underneath the battery holder.
I had a thought experiment where the second diode could be soldered to the untouched battery holder +RTC post (maybe at the base) in my third photo, and the other leg could be soldered to a thin square of metal, and an insulator between the original +RTC post and the new thin metal square. Then the battery + side makes contact not with the original post, but with this new interstitial metal square and the diode does its thing. The second diode leg could come up and over from the outside of the holder and enter down from the top. Then the battery holder can still be used. Thought experiment. This is what I was visualizing FWIW.
As for the battery holder, just for future readers who want it off without desoldering it, here is what I did with an Exacto knife tip:
Then people can take their time with the battery posts. I just use a Dremel now to trim the posts away for my diode fix. Yes, this is a one-way procedure - not getting the battery holder back
.> By the way, why would you actually need to remove the battery holder and put it back later? What is not accessible with the holder still in place? Also, I don't think that an additional barrier diode, for example, can be tucked underneath the battery holder.
I had a thought experiment where the second diode could be soldered to the untouched battery holder +RTC post (maybe at the base) in my third photo, and the other leg could be soldered to a thin square of metal, and an insulator between the original +RTC post and the new thin metal square. Then the battery + side makes contact not with the original post, but with this new interstitial metal square and the diode does its thing. The second diode leg could come up and over from the outside of the holder and enter down from the top. Then the battery holder can still be used. Thought experiment. This is what I was visualizing FWIW.