Introduction: Cheapest DS Battery Charger
Probably the cheapest DS battery charger !
Made from nothing or near, it works for NDS Fat and GBA SP. (Well you could easily adapt it to other Game boy or instruments)
As I'm French, when I went to Canada for holidays, my DS battery loader wasn't able to work under 110V@60Hz (instead of 220@50Hz in France).
So, as the Game Boy DS need 5V and 320mA to load, I decided to make this battery loader.
My computer could provide the supply, I just have to connect PC and Game Boy.
But how to ? Just read this instructable ;)
Step 1: Collect Materials
To do this NDS battery loader, you will need :
- Some electrical tape. (Normal could work, but I prefer to use this.)
- Two pieces of electrical wire. (Or something like this. For this example, a piece of plastified metal wire of a cookies box.)
- A plastic bread attach. (Or everything else which is strong enough and small in order to get in the N DS battery loader connector.)
- Something to cut tape and wire. (Scissor or knife, or something else).
Step 2: Cut It !
First step :
Cut your piece of plastic in order to let it fit in the NDS.
Step 3: Blend It !
Step two :
Take the two wire.
cut off the plastic for about 1/4 inch.
Fold one of the with a 'P' form.
Not too large !
Must not touch more than one NDS connector !
Step 4: Fold It !
Step three :
Put the plastic part on the glue-side of a 1.5 inch piece of electrical tape. (aprox 1/3 inch from one border, not like me ;D )
Put the two 'P' wires on the tape, one at each side of the plastic part. (see photo)
Remember that the 'P' side of the wire is going to go IN the NDS!
So ALIGN the plastic part with the tape, and pay attention when you put the wires !
Then, cut the tape -as mentioned on the 2nd photo- which means that, If you fold the tape, it will not recover the 'P' wire.
Then, fold the tape ;)
Smaller part first, longer then.
The 'P' part of the wire MUST BE TAPE-FREE !
Step 5: Fit It !
Step four :
Plug you home made battery loader into the NDS.
Take care that wire connect only to their respective connectors!
Your loader must be plugged on the 4 connectors side .
The NDS battery loader connector have 7 pins :
- 3 on the 'top' side (screens side)
- 4 on the bottom side (battery side)
The battery loader plug into the 4 pins side.
Plug the other side of the wires into a 5V supply. (An other battery loader, a VGA port, a USB port, or everything else which can provide 5V and more than 320mA.)
Plug the GROUND FIRST !
Step 6: Load It !
Yess ! You did it !
Your battery load should work now.
If you charger become hot, or if your computer do some crappy things, or reboot, unplug immediately !!!
DON'T PLAY WHILE YOU ARE RECHARGING YOUR BATTERY !
It will use too many current for your laptop if you are pluged into a VGA.
If you are in USB and if nothing other is USB plugged, I thing that you can play, but I absolutely don't know if so !
You may 'search' a few in order to find the right angle in your NDS, cause our adaptor is the cheaper, and it can't work on the first plug (well, he can but he probably don't ;D ).
I'm not responsible of any damage cause by or to you adaptor !
Mine works without any problem.
As I'm French, I probably write some crappy sentences, or do some faults.
Just say it to me, I will correct it ;)
Thanks for reading this instructable !
It was my first XD
Have a nice day and enjoy your battery charger ;)
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27 Comments
7 years ago on Introduction
**PLEASE READ!!!!**
I JUST TRIED THIS AND AS IT WAS ABOUT 4 SECONDS INTO CHARGING MY COMPUTER SHUT DOWN. I AM RUNNING WINDOWS 8.1 MY COMPUTER IS AN HP LAPTOP. THANKFULLY MY LAPTOP IS WORKING FINE.
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
Dear "nancyjohns",
This instructable is 5year old...
By the time I write this, some VGA port offers 5V on this pin.
What was unknown to me was that this pin is an addendum to the VGA called "VESA" for "DDC" (Display Data Chanel, or some I²C link over VGA if you prefer). Some manufacturer could more or less use it as they wish.
So, this 5V was not designed not give plenty of current, only some for I²C chip. Furthermore, this pin in modern hardware could have been reuse for other things.
If you still want to charge your DS using your computer, I could only advise you to use a USB port. Though a HUB if you can as it will provide some kind of protection for your computer.
But, honestly, a far better idea would be to use a phone charger as they are pretty inexpensive and prolific nowadays.
I hope I help you,
Sincerely,
[TheDarkTiger]
PS:
1) No need to write everything in CAPS,
2) Your operation system have nothing to do with this 'hack',
3) You could have read other's messages and find that this way of charging is of use only if you reeeeeally have no other choices because of the problems it can create.
4) Thanks anyway for reading and have tried this instructable !
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
Thank you.
10 years ago on Introduction
may that will hurt my pc or my DS? i am afraid that, but buy a new batteries pas cher
13 years ago on Introduction
it can either be seen as the cheapest charger, or the most expensive.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
how could it the most expensive?
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
If you get your wires wrong, you'll not just kill the DS, you'll kill the VGA port on the laptop, which means you fry the laptop graphics, rendering it useless.
12 years ago on Introduction
is this safe?
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Well, as safe as a bread attach could be ;)
More seriously, YOU have to check that no short circuits or polarity inversion are made on the circuit before using it.
If everything is well done, normally, it will be safe to use.
But, I don't know your computer. Maybe that your graphical card will not like to use the VGA port this way.
If you want something safer, try the USB port. At least, they are designed to send some current.
12 years ago on Introduction
I greatly thak you!
Well,i found a Normal DS on the street,And it was raining.
So i could choose:Take it with me or let it drown.
I took it,but when i was home i realized i had no charger.(Of course you don't find a charger on the street!)
So it was pretty useless BUT...
I found this page,And i just made an account to THANK YOU so MUCH!
Where i live there aren't much gamestores,and now with the DSI and DSI XL i coldn't find a charger for it!
I'm -18 so buying off internet is impossible,and my parent's don't like buying on the internet.
(I used and old samsung charger,because the + and - where indicated (white = - and red = +)instead of using the vga-port!)
13 years ago on Step 6
It Worked!
Reply 12 years ago on Step 6
Nice to see that it works for other people too ;)
13 years ago on Step 6
Doesn't work
Reply 13 years ago on Step 6
Double check your DS connection.
If its doesn't works, try to measure your VGA port voltage.
Some VGA port doesn't provide 5V...
13 years ago on Introduction
worked fine. i did find however it wouldn't stay in as i had wished, so i made another with just the under side of the bread clip cut in the corresponding places so i could bend them up and use them as 'walls' to support the 'charger'. works great :) thanks aha
13 years ago on Introduction
you could just order a usb to DS cable...they're a buck, and you dont have to risk damaging your computer or your DS.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Not as funny as construct mine ;) Furthermore, with this charger, I haven't to wait for my order.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
just a suggestion. used two milk caps and plug it into a usb port instead of your vga port. i dont know how much current a vga port outputs, but im going to assume its not 500mA.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Yep, that's a good idea. I know that USB could give at least 500mA. I read somewhere that VGA's port too. But the VGA's problem is that this 5V supply isn't present on every VGA port of every computer (this pin is reserved or something like that...) If I found some more wire and plastic, I will try USB modification ;)
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Actually, USB outputs 5 Volts and 1000 mA (or 1 Amp)
What I do: Since I just happen to have an outlet to usb dc adapter that outputs 1Amp and about 5 Volts and works in North America, I cut open a USB cable, cut open the ds charger, connected the black and red wires (I can solder them if I want, because I have access to the necessary materials, such as a soldering iron and solder, but I prefer twisting because its more fun without the burn risk)
I just might be one of the crazy people who would risk mutilating the original ds cord.
but I would have to agree that your way is more fun. especially if you are on vacation, you may not find everything, so you would use twist ties and stuff.