How to Charge Your Ipod, Camera, Cellphone or Handheld Game Console on the Go

Intro: How to Charge Your Ipod, Camera, Cellphone or Handheld Game Console on the Go

Don't you just hate it when you're taking photos with your camera then your battery just dies on you and there isn't anywhere to charge your camera! Well I have come up with a solution! It's to build a Portable USB Power Supply and I will show you how you build one in this Instructable. Here are the specs for Portable USB Power supply
length=5.6cm height=3.1cm
width=8.2cm
output=5vdc 1A
battery life=over 3 hours

STEP 1: Gather Materials

Here is a list of things you need to build the Portable USB Power Supply
1-battery connector
1-switch
1-100uf capacitor
1-5v voltage regulator
1-rectifying Diode
1-220uf capacitor
1-150ohm resistor
1-led
1-330ohm resistor
1-10kohm resistor
1-female usb port
1-pcb board
1-9v battery
1-project box

Tools
soldering iron
solder
philip screw driver
drill
16/64" drill bit
handsaw
hot glue gun
knife
vice
dremel

STEP 2: Solder the Components on the Printed Circuit Board

Now solder the components listed below on the pcb board according to the photo below
BT1=battery connector
K1.1=switch
C1=100uf capacitor
U1=5v voltage regulator
D2= rectifying Diode
C2=220uf capacitor
R1=150ohm resistor
D1=led
R2=330ohm resistor
R3=10kohm resistor
Female usb port

STEP 3: Cut the Printed Circuit Board

To cut the pcb you must clamp the pcb in the vice with the top of the vice in line with the spot where you want to cut the pcb. Then run the knife along the top of the vice 20 times with pressure on the pcb. Flip the board over and do the same with the other side. Next  squeeze the sides of the board. Then bend the board and it should just snap off cleanly if you ran the knife along the top of the vice the right number of times.

STEP 4: Modify the Case

Now cut a notch in the case with a hand saw or dremel so the USB plug can fit in nicely. After that you need to drill a 16/64" hole in the case to put the led in. Then using a dremel cut out an opening so the switch can fit in the case.

STEP 5: Put Everything in the Case

Screw the pcb to the case or glue it. Next hot glue the led in the hole you made earlier. Then hot glue the usb plug in the slot. Now put the Battery in the case it should fit tightly. 

STEP 6: Put the Top on and Try It Out

Now screw the lid on. Then try it out by plugging something in the usb slot and turning your Portable USB Power Supply on.

STEP 7: Uses

You can use the Portable USB Power Supply to charge or power your Ipod, Iphone, cellphone, camera, Mp3, Mp4 player, handheld game console, usb fan or usb led and much more on the go. Thanks for taking a look at this Instructable.  Please vote for it in the USB contest.

STEP 8: (Optional) Make It Rechargeable

Here is a list of 9v rechargeable batteries.

Comments

[sanyo8088]

can it work with a 200mAh 9volt battery (rechargeable)

[agis68]

i did the circuit today and i have 4.38V in my output if i remove the diode i have 5! what you suggest? is 4,38 enough to churge the iPod?....i dont have any other device to charge so please tell me....i tried on my ipod and nothing happened!!!...please reply i am too dissapointed!

[xfi]

hi wat is the no. on the rectifying diode??

[buteman]

I think it just needs to be a low voltage silicon diode which can handle the current.
A 1N4001 should be fine.

[mrmath]

Two questions for you: First, why put the resistor across the data pins on the female usb port? Wouldn't it be safer to just leave them unconnected? (Asked out of ignorance, not because I think I know better.) Second, how long does the battery on this last? How many charges can you get from one 9V battery? I know it's going to depend on the device in question, but I'm curious if I would get one full charge from this, or half a charge, or what.

[qazwsx755]

I put the resistor across the data pins on the female usb port because I that in another instructable. It won't hurt to do that because power is supplyed only when the device is pluged into a computer. I don't know how long the bnattery will last because It hasn't died yet but I'm guessing it should compleatly charge over 2 devices.

[atombomb1945]

Isn't the resistor for charging the Apple related products?

[PCfreak]

yes

[Adam Manick]

You need this to charge any new apple products. The resistor between the data pins makes the ipod say that it is charging but it really isn’t.

[mrmath]

That's interesting. I have an 1st Generation iPod Nano. When I would plug it into USB to charge it, it would recognize the iPod, and reshuffle my songs. Annoyed me to no end. So I went to the dollar store and got a USB extension cable. I cut it down to about 6 inches, and only connected the red and black wires. Left the data wires alone, not connected to anything. I plug that into the USB port, then the iPod's cable into that. Always works just fine, with no 100K resistor.

[qazwsx755]

That makes sense because not all Apple products need the resistor.

[mrmath]

OOPS! 10K resistor.

[Adam Manick]

If you used a 300 milliamp 9 volt battery than you are not getting a 1 amp output.

[qazwsx755]

The reason my Portable USB Power Supply can output 1 amp is because the voltage regulator I used is rated for 5volts at 1amp. Battery are measured in milliamp hour meaning that if the devise you are powering consumes 300milliamp the battery will last for 1 hour.

[Adam Manick]

Yes, but if you try to pull 1 amp out of a 300 milliamp battery you do risk it overheating. It will only put out 1 amp if the load requires 1 amp. When the voltage regulator says it is 1 amp it means that its maximum load is 1 amp.

[Jimmy Proton]

i have a soldering iron just like that, mine is 20-40 watts

[qazwsx755]

Cool, I used to have a mastercraft 25watt but it stoped working so I got that one instead.

[Jimmy Proton]

i had a 30watt before this and it didnt work very well so i got this 1 and accidentaly destroyed the other 1

[2muchfreetime8]

does this really charge an IPod touch? ive been looking online for making a portable charger for my ipod touch. i made one, worked for half an hour, then the ipod said it was not supported. does this legit charge it though? thank you. awsome instructable btw