Convert Your Laser Pointer to AA or AAA

Those LR44, A76, or 357 size batteries are more expensive than the laser pointer!! I needed a reasonable alternative. This one looks kinda rough but it does the job well and it is extremely cheap.

Step 1: How the Thing Works in the First Place...

basically, there is a spring at the end of the original laser pointer tube. it takes the little batteries with all metal cases. regular AA or AAA batteries have an insulator around them. the only way for the pointer to work is if the - side is connected to the spring and the + side is connected to the inside of the tube. this inhibits you from using batteries with an insulator for a casing. so basically I connected the - side of a AAA battery to the spring and I put aluminum foil around the + half of the battery and made the tin foil touch the inside of the tube of the laser pointer. I only had dead batteries so I had to use three AAA's and a AA to get any power out of it. But I wouldn't doubt that one fresh AAA battery would do just fine.

Step 2: What You Will Need.( or What I Used )

1. tin foil.
2. a laser pointer (redundant you say?)
3. one or more AAA batteries ( you must have at least one AAA battery. AA's don't usually fit into the original tube.)
4. tape


start by taping the batteries together like this. if you are only using one battery then skip this step. the tape also prevents the batteries from short circuiting.

Step 3: Almost Done!

basically, all you gotta do now is surround the + side of the battery int tin foil and make sure the tin foil is touching the inside of the laser pointer tube and the + side of the battery but not the - side. now you have a complete circuit. push the batteries down on the spring until the laser works and tape the crap out of it so it stays working. got questions? leave a comment or private message me. this cost me about 6 bucks including the laser pointer.

Comments

[tyler.klasell.9]

I can't stop laughing at "tape the crap out of it". This is a very intresting design.

[Colonel88]

If you listen hard enough you hear me screaming "MESSY"

[23]

Hey thanks for this. ive made my dud laser work with 2 AAA batteries and 1 AA battery... and lots of tape. like LOTS of tape. Cheers

[awang8]

Hmm... My cheap $3.95 laser pojnter uses 6 volts but when I hooked it up to 4 AAs the current fried it. I bought another one (it's cheap??) and hooked up 4 AA with a 300k resistor and it works great. Only it kinda looks ugly now.

[pindalanderz]

I suggest using only 3 AA's. that's just my suggestion though.

[srhadaham]

I really doubt that a laser pointer would work off of one AA or AAA Battery because they require more voltage and also because I've tried.

[pindalanderz]

yeah I realized that after I made it. AA and AAA batteries are 1.5 volts. so are the little ones. it's just that AA and AAA have a longer time output. the point of converting then is the laser pointer would last longer and the batteries are cheaper.

[srhadaham]

I know that you can run them on three AA or AAA. And I think that it is a wonderfull idea. If i sounded rude in my fist comment I didn't mean to.

[pindalanderz]

thanks, took me six hours to realize how simple this project was.

[garrettmikesmith]

if you just rolled the batteries up the tin foil tightly it would look way better, and be structurally much stronger too, provided you rolled it many times over.

[pindalanderz]

i did this in ten minutes so I just kinda wanted the thing to work. you are right though.