Using AA batteries to charge a phone in an emergency

[BlueShadow]

Does anyone have a recommended quality product that allows you to use NiHh batteries to charge a smartphone?

I have a ton of NiMh AA batteries. I would like to charge electronic devices using my stockpile of AA bateries in an emergency when the power is out.


I can find cheap no-name products on Amazon like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085HLPMRR/?tag=cpf0b6-20 but I would like to buy a quality product I can trust in an emergency.


Does anyone have any recommendations of products for this?

 

[ledbetter]

Eneloop makes a usb battery pack/charger using four batteries and I use it a lot. The problem is I've only seen it for sale from Lithuania on ebay.

 

[thermal guy]

Goal zero has some nice stuff. Not cheap but well built.

 

[Chrontius]

Radio Shack once upon a time made one, and I treasure that thing like the magic artifact of a lost empire that it is.

 

[ikanode]

Eneloop makes a usb battery pack/charger using four batteries and I use it a lot. The problem is I've only seen it for sale from Lithuania on ebay.

It's on Amazon for less money.
Panasonic BQ-CC87ABBA eneloop Advanced Individual Battery Charger with Portable Charging Technology

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WVVXQX7/?tag=cpf0b6-20

There are also YouTube Videos

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Energizer made a phone charger that uses 4AA batteries that I have somewhere. It features a plug/socket system that you can buy different plugs to match different phones and such. I have a USB and an Apple plug for older Ipods etc. The adapter works fine but sadly even turned off for some reason drains the batteries I had to put a cardboard spacer over one terminal to store batteries in it. IMO for the cost of a decent phone charger using AAs you can just buy a very nice lithium ion power bank that supports a lot higher charge rates, even fast charging protocols on both charging output and inputs. 4AA eneloops normals is about 9.6W I think while a 2x18650 power bank is about 20 watts. 4AA based chargers are limited in output to 500ma perhaps 1A as they are designed not for nimh cells but alkaleaks or L91s.
A cheap 2x18650 power bank is about $10 perhaps 4000mah to 6000mah while 3-4 cells in the 10,000mah or greater and 5-6 cell ones are around 15000mah to 20,000mah.

I do have some super cheap 2AA power banks that I got I think off ebay and 1 cheap 4AA power bank that sadly runs in pairs (2 parallel sets of 2) which while it can run off 2 cells, 4 cells cannot take advantage of higher voltage. It works but I doubt it does more than about 500ma output.

To sum this up, spend your money on an 18650 power bank or a pair of them instead of trying to use eneloops you can get a lot more performance with a lot less hassle for likely about as much as a quality AA based USB charger setup alone. I've seen dirt cheap 2000mah 18650 (single cell) power banks for $5 which can output 1A in stores and for around $30 you can probably get a 15000 to 20000mah power bank and maybe a little more get one that charges devices a lot faster than eneloops can even in the best setup.

 

[Nocturrne]

Does anyone have a recommended quality product that allows you to use NiHh batteries to charge a smartphone?

I have a ton of NiMh AA batteries. I would like to charge electronic devices using my stockpile of AA bateries in an emergency when the power is out.


I can find cheap no-name products on Amazon like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085HLPMRR/?tag=cpf0b6-20 but I would like to buy a quality product I can trust in an emergency.


Does anyone have any recommendations of products for this?

I have several Tenergy chargers that also work as a powerbank. We used them to charge all of our gadgets during the Texas snow apocalypse last winter. Fortunately, I had a big box of 18650s and AAs.

Chargers - For Rechargeable - Page 1 - Tenergy Power

power.tenergy.com

 

[orbital]

+

I bet if someone made a vault solid eight AA to USB C charger, they would sell tons of them.
..people love stuff like that & everyone has AA batteries laying around.

 

[Stefano]

I have an old Duracell charger that can do this but I don't know if it's still for sale (model: CEF 23)

 

[Poppy]

I bought something like this: took it apart and swapped out the USB charger/s with the cigar lighter/power port in my car. In my car it is always hot (powered on).

In my daughter's car however, her cigar lighter/power port was only powered if the engine was running or for a short time if she turned the accessories on. So I found which fuse powered the cigar lighter, and jumpered it with a "add a fuse" so that it is always hot. Now she uses something like this:

and if necessary, she can charge her phone in her car, unattended if necessary.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I do know I made an adapter for a 20v battery to car lighter power socket and can charge my phone using a car adapter as many can handle up to 28VDC. You could get a 10-12 or so AA holder and use one of these adapters as long as it can put out more than 12VDC it should work.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

double post

 

[Poppy]

I am a proponent of having multiple adapters to transfer power from one source to another. I have a 4AA adapter to charge a cell phone. It has never been used, and I suspect that it never will.
I generally keep a number of power banks pretty well topped off, and when there is a warning of an impending storm, I'll top off a bunch of them. Also, I have a number of Ryobi 18V tool batteries, and I bought a radio, and a lantern that each have USB outputs built in. So that one can charge his phone with a tool battery.

Using jumper wires, and one of those dollar store cigar lighter adapters, one can pull the power out of his power tool batteries. I think those little things will step down up to 24 volts.
Edit: I see Lynx_arc stated 28 Volts, he is probably right.

 

[Poppy]

I do know I made an adapter for a 20v battery to car lighter power socket and can charge my phone using a car adapter as many can handle up to 28VDC. You could get a 10-12 or so AA holder and use one of these adapters as long as it can put out more than 12VDC it should work.

I took apart a $5 battery pack from five below and used the batteries to power a remote control boat. With the integral charger I made this.

If you make the wires longer, and use little magnets to hold a series of batteries together, you can use them to charge your phone. It won't matter if they are AA's or D's.

 

[orbital]

+

Needed to clarify my last post on the eight AA unit, think powerbank. Definitely not some tray thing,,, no no no.

The picture in my head was like an eight AA flashlight battery tube that has squared corners (quality~like something made from JetBeam)
maybe needing a boost converter, that'll do 15W in USB C.
.. again, really nice quality.

Can eight AAs' in series do 15W,,,sure

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I took apart a $5 battery pack from five below and used the batteries to power a remote control boat. With the integral charger I made this.
View attachment 17960View attachment 17961

If you make the wires longer, and use little magnets to hold a series of batteries together, you can use them to charge your phone. It won't matter if they are AA's or D's.

I have some 1x18650 DIY power banks that you can insert and remove batteries from in a pinch along with other cheap power banks that parallel 2,3,4 batteries plus you can buy circuit boards that can convert DC voltage up and down to USB voltages for a few dollars.

 

[raggie33]

i have to folding solar panels that can fit in back pack and charge at 30 watts

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Fujitsu has marketed a 4 bay NiMH charger/USB power bank, which I have and which came with four of their hi-cap batteries.

It works decently enough, in a pinch.

Chris

 

[Lynx_Arc]

One thing that you need to check out if you do get a AA based power bank is the output of it and also compatibility as some phones etc need chargers/cables designed for them like iPhones

 

[Dave_H]

Radio Shack once upon a time made one, and I treasure that thing like the magic artifact of a lost empire that it is.

If the Radio Shack charger you mention is the same one I have, they are pretty solid. It has mini- and micro-USB plugs, mechanically switched on/off but I never leave cells in anyway. These were available surplus here up until several years ago.

These days most of time my phone is charged from a Li-ion pack which itself was charged from a solar panel and USB adapter.

Dave