Almost any PC can get us out of a jam, but when it comes to portability, not a few enthusiasts bet on a single-board computer (SBC) to process files and achieve a certain level of connectivity. With that in mind, we come to Jay Doscher's Recovery Kit, which combines a Raspberry Pi 4, a Pelican 1300 case, a Netgear switch to multiply Ethernet ports, and a custom "ortholinear" keyboard.
I won't deny it: Amazon offers basic laptops for less than 200 euros that pulverize any standard SBC, they come ready to use, and they don't require additional hardware. In other words, they can work as "emergency systems" in the right environments, without too many surprises. The problem with those devices is that they offer almost no flexibility. The number of ports is limited, there's no GPIO access, the keyboards are usually garbage… the list goes on. The Recovery Kit by Jay Doscher tries to solve all those details, and although it doesn't propose an economical route, it does make some interesting decisions.
Recovery Kit: A Raspberry Pi Everywhere
The official page explains that this is actually the second version of the Recovery Kit. Its starting point remains the same with a Pelican 1300 case, and a Netgear switch that simplifies creating an Ethernet network. However, in this revision, it decided to "step down" to the Raspberry Pi 4 to not put so much pressure on the battery. Obviously, that means there is a performance loss (and the RPi 4 uses a microSD card for its operating system), but it doesn't become impossible to use.
Another striking aspect of the Recovery Kit is its keyboard: the base is an ortholinear Planck PCB with a 40 percent layout, but Jay added a series of supports so that it stays locked in the lid of the Pelican 1300. Instead of using more screws, this Recovery Kit adopts the concept of "press-fit", seeking to minimize the use of tools. This is also reflected in the connectors and internal cables. The touchscreen is the official one from Raspberry Pi, and on the battery side, we find a Shargeek STORM2 Slim with integrated LCD.
To finish… yes, the project is expensive. Between the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Pelican case, we already have around 200 euros (the rest of the components still need to be added), and the print files are not open source (Jay asks 5 dollars for them). However, I think there are good ideas here, and nothing prevents us from creating something similar, with a lower cost.
Official site: Click here
