Got one of them emergency cell phone chargers

[VidPro]

like this one
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260103578034
cheep as heck so i could not resist.
my PDA has a 4pin type USB connection that wants 5V input, and this thing worked out ok. for 10$.
its a AA battery holder, with a curcuit in a plastic head, a wire connects to the head with a 1/8th inch mono connection, and various adapter wires connect to it.
then it has a dc/dc curcuit that puts out just barely enough juice to keep something running or to slowly charge it.
it has cool little tiny red led lights that light up to show the curcuit working/charging.

it was extrodinarily liteweight, at 1.7oz WITH E2 battery AND the adaption wire , that is cool for backpacking.

its a lightweight aluminum case, with short spring on the base, so its not to long, its not to wide.
its not waterPROOF, it has an o-ring, but there are many entry places for water.

i was thinkin at 160ma 5V output, that i might try and hang a cree star or something on one of the extra adapter wires. then it can be 2 things.

stuff an USB AA battery like this thing in
http://www.usbcell.com/ and you would go full circle



So we have seen the USB battery , the ni-mhy that charges with a usb connection, and there is the reverse of that (so to speak).

i thought you might be interested, cause its a battery thing but mabey it belongs in gadgets.
I have only used it 2 times with lithium and ni-mhy , so i am still testing.

links provided solely for the purpose of pictures, i am not advocating any particular seller, as that can backfire.

i was thinking of all the things this could be Parts for, like a single battery headlamp, or a electric candle, or a mini lantern or something?

 

[paulr]

dealextreme and kaidomain also sell these things for around 7 bucks. It's a never ending rant of mine. Why can't they make a cell phone that runs on AA's directly instead of needing kludges like this? I hate proprietary batteries.

 

[VidPro]

just tested the curcuit thing does trigger (begin to operate) when a led is attached.
now i just need to figure out what kinda light contraption to make out of it.

 

[scott.cr]

I bought a very similar unit to yours at a computer show for $10. It won't charge my MotoRAZR (because the RAZR charger "communicates" with the phone somehow, and it won't accept universal/generic chargers), but it charges my Blackberry just fine! Nifty little unit.

Energizer markets 2AA cell phone chargers but they want $19.95 for it. This will charge the RAZR.

Interesting what kind of little boost circuit they must be using in there eh!!

 

[barkingmad]

I have bought 2 of those 'generic' AA converters - both pretty rubbish and could not seem to charge some devices properly.

Found a PowerChimp (will look out the link or Google it) - takes a single AA as well, is smaller and seems to work much better.

 

[VidPro]

aint that cute, now its a emergency charger with a few gram emergency light

added a mini star cree to the top, as a lantern, or you can fold it down, with the led aiming up and its a candle

it runs just slow enough at the ~160ma that the freewheeling ministar is just enough to cool it.

 

[koala]

VidPro, that's really cute. I like it.

I have one of these. They don't work really well, not sure about the efficiency. There's another version with 2AA. I think that will work better.

 

[chimo]

I picked up a few of these a while back and did a little research on the parts. They use a Tectium TEC103 chip. It is meant to charge a Li-ion battery.

It will give a constant current out up to about 3V output after which it steps back the current as a function of output voltage until about 3.6V and stops after 4V out. The initial constant current is a function of input voltage.





Paul

 

[VidPro]

this one isnt the same as that, lots less parts and pieces, no big chip like that one.
but its so small its hard for me to see anything.
here is a scan of the bottom

 

[wjb3]

dealextreme and kaidomain also sell these things for around 7 bucks. It's a never ending rant of mine. Why can't they make a cell phone that runs on AA's directly instead of needing kludges like this? I hate proprietary batteries.

The phone companies make no money from the phones. They make money from your accessories and services not covered under your plan.

Big surprise, Energizer is trying to work with phone designers. One phone on the drawing board has a 30 day standby with the proprietary pack and 7 day if you pop in a L92 Energizer Lithium AAA-cell.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/philips-adds-backupower-to-already-long+lasting-xenium-cellphones-247417.php

-wjb

 

[barkingmad]

The PowerChimp one I mentioned also comes with a small LED light to stick in the top. The other (cheap) ones I bought could not drain the alkaline batteries - they gave up when the battery was about 1/2 used (as tested on a MBT-Mini).

 

[GaryF]

I got a kick out of this one, a do it yourself design for 2aa USB charger housed in an altoids tin, the MintyBoost:

http://www.instructables.com/id/EGBQJPLCB2EP287KTZ/

:lolsign: