This project details a small & simple, but very powerful USB charger for your mp3 player, camera, cell phone, and just about any other gadget you can plug into a USB port to charge! (See below for compatibility tests)
The charger circuitry and 2 AA batteries fit into an Altoids gum tin, and will run your iPod for hours! 2.5x more than you'd get from a 9V USB charger! (See Process for math/calculations) You can use rechargable batteries too.
Some numbers...
- iPod video (tested, using alkaline batteries): 3hrs more video (1 full recharge)
- iPod shuffle (not tested): 60 hours more (5 full recharges)
- iPod mini (tested w/rechargables): 26 hours more (1.5 full recharges)
This project is suitable for beginners, some soldering tools are necessary but even if you've never soldered before it should be pretty easy. You can etch a circuitboard and/or breadboard this up, or simply buy a kit from the webshop.
I've also documented the process of designing this kit, in case other people interested in designing and making kits are interested in learning how to start selling their own kits!
This project was developed under support from EYEBEAM, thanks!
This website and all original content therein is published under the Creative Commons 2.5 attribution license.
Read what some people have to say! (And let me know if you have a review you'd like linked to from here)