Make a Battery for a Rechargeable Mouse

-----UPDATE-----

please take note that i did this when i was very young. the charging methods i used in this instructable are highly dangerous. a better route to take would be to extend the leads from an ipod (in this case an ipod mini) to a port that would connect to the dock. NEVER CHARGE LI-ION BATTERIES THROUGH A WALL CHARGER! CHARGERS LIKE THESE ARE MENT FOR NI-CAD TYPE BATTERIES! li-ion batteries CAN EXPLODE if left unattended. 

----UPDATE----

My dad gave me his old wireless keyboard and mouse because his old mouse wouldn't hold a charge for very long. I have been looking into a wireless keyboard and mouse for my notebook but prices are not in my range as of right now ha. So i took his and began looking into the manual for it when i saw that it could also run on 3AAA batterys. Yeah, that could be easier to do, but i don't want to go and buy batterys every time the mouse runs out (which is why i want rechargeable, duhh) so i have 2 options. 1-get rechargeable batterys and link them together so they could be recharged on the dock or 2-find something else that could be used as a battery.

Step 1 Prep

take out the battery case and remove the battery, then remove batterys

Comments

[Myself]

This is obscenely dangerous. Nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal-hydride batteries can be "dumb" charged, you just put the right voltage across them, and they'll accept current until they're full. Leaving them on the charger once they're full heats them up a little and may shorten their lifespan a little, but it doesn't do any immediate damage. A very low current ("trickle") charge is common, and good practice.

Lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries on the hand, must be "smart" charged. The bulk charge is delivered with a current-limited supply, but when the open-terminal voltage reaches a certain point, charge current must be carefully monitored, and when current drops to a certain point, the charging supply must be disconnected.

Continued charging past the safe termination point will cause metallic lithium to plate-out on the electrodes, which will then short out the battery, causing it to melt or explode which the industry euphemistically terms "venting with flame". A trickle-charger is also known as a detonator if you stick a lithium battery on it.

The Gyropoint is designed for nickel metal hydride batteries, and thus the charger lacks the specialized logic required for lithium. This instructable is likely to burn your house down. Please educate yourself about lithium battery charging before playing with this energy-dense, lightweight, and fickle chemistry.

[Calab]

So... if this is so dangerous, why is it still here after almost three years? Has anyone actually done this mod? How about ubernoober1477... is it still working for him?

[jongscx]

Agreed, you can see on the picture if you look closely that the Ipod batt does say "Li-ion"

"white wire, you don't need it"... Well, indeed you do. Because of the more volatile nature of of Li-Ion, the individual cells are charged... individually. I'm not sure about the i-pod battery, but notebook batteries and Li-Poly(a cousin of Li-Ion) batteries have individual wires coming from the junction between cells for this purpose... http://linux-7110.sourceforge.net/howtos/netbook_new/LIbattery/LIbattery.html Look near the bottom of this link for what i'm talking about.

In short, do NOT use Lithium-based batteries unless you know what you're doing. I mean REALLY KNOW what you're doing.

[kenc3dan]

Here's an even more time consuming hack that would be cool.
Use an old cell phone charger designed for Li-Ion batteries and hack it into the cradle and use a Li-Ion as the replacement battery.
That could be fun/dangerous also.
Any opinions?

[Myself]

Cellphones have the charge-management electronics in them, they don't rely on any brains in the charger. Think about the Cellboost products, that's just an alkaline battery with a plug in it, which offers power to the phone when you plug it in. It's up to the phone to manage its own appetite.

[NekoHunter]

I was given the same mouse a couple of years ago and just got around to using it this week.  The battery would only last about 30 min.  Having read all the comments, I skipped the Li-ion battery pack.  Instead, I soldered together 3 AAA rechargable batteries.  Mouse charges fine and lasts longer (not sure exactly how long yet, haven't run it down).  It even gets better range now with the new batteries.  While the mouse used to stutter at the mere distance of ~8 ft and would take time to recognize that it had been put on a surface, it works perfectly now.  Thanks for the guide!

[NekoHunter]

And yes, I meant NiMH rechargables - forgot to mention that.

[variationx]

Excellent work and instructions. I did not have any spare mini ipod batteries to use for mine, so I used a cordless phone battery from radio shack, part number 23-961. Works wonderfully!

[Joe Martin]

Those mouses are the best ever! Gyration FTW. Good ible too :-)

[old_bass_masta]

Question, does anyone know if there is rechargeable button cell batteries? because i have a bluetooth headset that needs new rechargeables, and if there is i will even make and instructable on it

[finky555]

you can check this out, don't know what size you need
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=706

[old_bass_masta]

thats sweet. i will def look at getting some

[Derin]

i think so

[ReCreate]

i hope that that ipod battery was 4.5 volts(thats what would replace the 3 AAA Batteries) you could also use cellphone batteries(if it has the right voltage)

[agis68]

i have the same mouse!!!...and always staying out of power...

[GLOPRO]

Great Work! I have this mouse and it desperately needs new battery's. How did you crack open the battery compartment?

[le-Sid]

Just a small cover under the battery, just pry it off and glue it on afterwards

[xanderperson]

how well does it work charge cuz it looks like the original batteries say ni-mh and the ipod mini battery says li-ion? I thought they charged differently

[Derin]

hey did u start wit li lon or nimh or nicad

[cotton]

cool oh ya who every hurt you at the party is a jerk

[baneat]

If you didn't want people to ask, why did you include the word party and use your left hand in the shot? you do have a right hand, don't you? And if not, I'm sorry.

[uberchoob]

he lost it at the party, duh... =P

[DamionLee]

Interesting to use an IPod battery, but as you show in your photos this mouse uses 3 AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries. The same as you would buy from any store. So why not simply replace the batteries with matching NiMH rechargeables. I know its not as adventurous though.

[Peter3D]

Better remove this contribution before someone is going to try it. . . Bang !

[!Andrew_Modder!]

:-\ yours uses a pack? mine uses 2 AA batterys (witch i use rechargables) they last me 2 months of basic use and 1 month of gaming :-)

[ubernoober1477]

well if im correct, AA puts out 1.5 volts and AAA is around 1 volt. ill have to check though

[!Andrew_Modder!]

no AAA, AA, D, C, = 1.5 and 9 volt = 9 and rechargables are 1.2 but my rechargable AA batterys still work

[kawouter]

AAA, AA, C & D batteries - if NOT rechargable - put out 1.5 volts. Recargable batteries put out 1.2 volts. The amount of charge they can hold depends of the size and of the cemicals inside the battery. NiMH batteries usually hold a larger amount of load than NiCd batteries of the same size.

[FrenchCrawler]

AA, AAA, D, and C batteries all put out 1.5V. They just hold different amounts of charge.

[uberchoob]

BAH!! Different rechargable battery companies sometimes vary in volts... Energizer has AA AND AAA batteries in BOTH 1.2 and 1.5 volts..... Likewise, mah varies from model to model... Energizer has 2500mah models and 2200mah models in both AA and AAA End of discussion?

[!Andrew_Modder!]

rechargeable batterys are 1.2v and alkaline batterys are 1.5v.

[uberchoob]

Like I said, it varies.... if you can prove me wrong, please do!! =)

[!Andrew_Modder!]

1.5 Volt Alkaline AA-AAA 1.5 Volt Lithium Ion AA-AAA (this is non rechargeable!) 1.2 Volt Rechargeable NiMH AA-AAA 1.2 Volt Rechargeable NiCad AA-AAA 3.7 Volt Lithium Polymer (you must buy from a custom place.) AA-AAA, Sub C, any. -currently there arent any chemistries out that are 1.5 and rechargeable :-( Only 1.2, 3.7, 12 volt, (basic, single cell), there are more, but these are the main ones.

[eight]

Of course there are 1.5 volt rechargeable batteries. GRANDCELL makes a range of them. This project need to be removed. As someone else said, LI Batts require a their specific charger. This project can kill you and burn down your house. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BUILD It.

[ironsmiter]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pure-Energy-Rechargeable-Batteries-Recharger/dp/B000NVRDZ6

1.5 volt rechargable AA's...
though, i dunno if the batteries are "rechargable" or if it's just the circuit.

see http://www.afrotechmods.com/reallycheap/batteries/batts.htm for basic circuit.

[xrobevansx]

I have that Gyration Mouse. It pretty much rocks. I will bookmark this hack!