How to Make Darn Near Anything Run on USB!

As long as you have an extra USB wire with male USB end, and the thing you want to power runs on three AA or AAA or C or D batteries, you can hack it to run on USB power!

Step 1: Step1 Clean/dismantle

dismantle and clean the thing you want to hack.
usually its very simple to take something apart,
the Darth Vader bank im hacking is held together with just 4 screws, which allows me access to the back of the battery tray


you dont want old battery acid all over your power leads so make sure its clean!!

Step 2: Step2 Strip USB

nip off the end of the usb wire that you dont need (the not-male usb-end)

carefully unsheathe the wires, there will be 4 of them. the black and red wires are the power. and the other two are for information. we only need the power wires.

Step 3:

there are two main power wires that supply the device with power from the batteries.


connect the black USB power wire to the Black power wire from the device. wrap with electrical tape.

and likewise with the red

Step 4: This Is Another Thing I Made Run on USB

i took thees LED battery operated  chain lights stripped off the 3-AA battery pack and attached usb

i use it on my moniter that has a USB power port that comes on with the moniter which i use to power my lights

its easy try it!

Step 5:

test YOUR device, if it doesnt work, swap the usb power wires.

if it does, reassemble and your done!

i youtubed a video of my test

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y47O35rwVuE

hope this helps!

keep on hacking!


any questions feel free to comment and give high rating!