Altoids Smalls Solar Powered USB Charger

This instructable will teach you how to make your very own solar powered USB charger out of an Altoids Smalls tin. It is an eco-friendly way to conserve energy. The Solar Panel I am using for this project has a dial on it so you can chose your output number of volts, therefore I am able to use it for a wide range of electronics depending on how many volts they take to charge. Not only can you use this to charge your phones/IPods on the go, but you can also connect LEDs, fans and basically any thing that comes with a USB connector. I hope you enjoy this instructable and please remember to favorite and vote!

Step 1: Drilling the Hole

Using an 8mm drill bit drill a single hole at one end of the tin.

Step 2: Getting the Solar Panel Ready

Next you need to connect your solar panel to two wires. In this picture the green wire is the positive wire and the white wire is the negative wire.

Step 3: Before Attaching the Solar Panel

Before attaching the solar panel to the outside of the tin, place some electrical tape on the surface where you are going to stick down the solar panel. This will prevent the circuit from shorting out.

Step 4: Glue Down the Solar Panel

Next, glue down the solar panel on top of the square of electrical tape.

Step 5: The Wires

Take the wires attached to the solar panel and pull them through the hole you drilled.

Step 6: Completing the Circuit

Next, solder your USB entrance port and the wires from the solar panel together in the correct manner. I am not going to go into too much depth with this step because lots of the USB entrance ports are different and the wires need to be soldered on differently.

Step 7: Cutting the Opening

Using a Dremel or another rotary tool, cut out an opening in the side where your USB entrance port will go. In order for the charger to function when closed you will need to cut out your opening very low.

Step 8: Putting USB Entrance Port in Place

The next step is to glue the USB entrance port in place. I used hot glue and it stayed firmly in place, although in the photo it looks a little messy. After, I did clean it up using adhesive remover around the edges as to not interfere with the rest of the project.