Weekly Project: Cordless Lamp

Step 2 All the Best Lamps Have LED Eyes

In a previous Instructables project, a DC step up circuit demonstrated how to make 5V DC from a single AA battery. Building on that knowledge, this project utilizes a similar product from Spark Fun Electronics. Costing less than $10, this clever little device, designed by Bodhilabs.com, is housed discretely on the back of an AA battery holder.

Create a wiring harness for the two LEDs. Begin by soldering a two foot length of red wire to each end of the two current-limiting resistors. This red wire connects to the red lead (i.e., the positive, +, terminal) of the 5V DC to DC Step Up. The other end from each resistor is soldered to the anode pin from each LED. The cathode pins from the LEDs are attached to a two foot length of black wire and this wire is connected to the black lead (i.e., negative, -, terminal) of the 5V DC to DC Step Up.

NOTE: A new AA battery called USBCell is available from Moixa Energy that can be recharged via a standard USB port. Although untested, this product might be a useful companion to the 5V DC to DC Step Up product.