I finally decided to ditch wired headphones and treat myself to bluetooth earbuds. Ones that come with their own charging case! The ear buds are stowed away in the case and charge when not in use. The only downfall is how you charge the case.

The case comes with a small USB plug that folds into the bottom of the case. The cable unfolds and plugs into a port but the cable is so short that I'm left plugging it in while it dangles. This will eventually lead to stress on the cable.

Lets see if we can try to use the same method that is used for charging the earbuds but with the case! This project is a quick one that results in a great use and acts as a proof of concept for other devices with similar charging interfaces.

Supplies

Craft wood

Small magnets

watch links

USB cable

epoxy

superglue

solder

Step 1: Watch the Video If You'd Like!

I did cover everything in this video. I'm constantly looking for feedback as to how to make them better in any sense.

Step 2: The Problem With the Case

The issue isn't that they included a USB cable forever attached but that it's so short. So short that they should have just added a micro USB port instead. If I were to charge this anywhere in my house it would be either left dangling or plugged into my desktop which has all ports occupied almost all the time. The only positive thing I can say about the short cable is that it is reversible!

Step 3: Making the Pad Part 1

The idea for this pad is simple. Use two magnets and two spring loaded watch links that act as pogo pins. One magnet will be mounted on the case and one in the pad. When these magnets attract it will snap the case to the pad which will allow for the spring watchlinks to make contact with the exposed USB contacts on the jlab case. This will allow for a drop and charge.

The first thing we need to do is measure the distance between the power contacts on the USB plug and transfer that measurement over to the craft wood then drill two small holes for the spring loaded watch links. Its worth stating that you don't have to use watch links but it is what I had on hand. They are conductive and offer the springyness I was looking for.

After the holes are drilled you have to mount the watch links in the wood just deep enough for them to touch the USB contacts and have some wiggle room to adjust. This is where the spring feature comes into play.

I know mine aren't perfectly mounted but they do make contact with the power pins.

Step 4: Making the Pad Part 2 + Modding the Case.

Next we will have to add the magnets to both the pad and the case. The placement of them is crucial as they have to line up with the the pins in mind,

On the case I cut out a small circle big enough for a magnet to rest inside, then I used two part epoxy to mount it in place. The cable is still fully functional with this mod so you can still plug it in if you have to.

On the pad we have to measure where the attracting magnet should be mounted based on where the case magnet is located. I drilled a hole in the pad and added another piece of wood to the bottom to hold the magnet, then I used more epoxy to mount the magnet in place. You'll want to pay close attention to the polarity of the magnets as you want them to attract and not repel.

Step 5: Finishing the Pad.

After the magnets are in place its time to solder the USB cable to the pins for power. I triple checked the polarity for this to be extra sure. Once the wires were soldered I gave it a quick test and then covered the channel that had to be carved for the cable with two part epoxy.

I added four magnets to the corners of the pad so I can mount the pad to the top of my metal bench power supply.

Step 6: Place the Pad and Plug It In!

Place the pad somewhere convenient and just drop your jlabs on it for easy charging! While this isn't a perfectly polished product I hope you got some enjoyment out of it and maybe some inspiration as well! Thanks for checking it out!