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USB Portable Charger

How-To Video

Kip Kay’s portable USB Charger

USB Portable Charger Schematic

USB Portable Charger Schematic

USB Portable Charger Parts List

21 COMMENTS on “USB Portable Charger”

  1. RYAN | March 25th, 2008 5:38 pm

    I think this is awesome and that this website is great because theirs always something to do

  2. lens | May 10th, 2008 1:31 am

    This is simple to make, but 9V batteries are a horrible deal compared to AAs in terms of power/$. A 9V battery has about the same power as 1 AA cell, but costs about what 4 AAs cost. If need this function, a better deal would be to use 2 AAs with a little boost DC-DC converter IC to make 5V. Even better would be to use good rechargable AAs like Sanyo Eneloops (these don’t lose charge when lying around like other NiMH)

  3. Peter | May 11th, 2008 6:32 pm

    I like it, and I agree with lens. AA’s last longer. While the caps are optional, I’m pretty sure they’re there to filter out noise, and I have no clue what noise will do to my iPod, and even though it’s probably completely harmless, I don’t want to find out. I’d put them in. Besides, it’s like $1 more.

  4. Adriandrian | May 12th, 2008 1:13 pm

    The 7805 part should have 3 terminals. You should also label the pins: Vin, Vout and GND.

  5. james Gross | May 13th, 2008 6:12 am

    awesome project.

  6. Drew | May 16th, 2008 3:01 pm

    This is a fun project, but the instructions are terrible. Some things that I discovered is that the pc board listed is the wrong one for the project box, you actually want to use a 276-148 board. The voltage regulator is not diagrammed properly, when your looking at the voltage regulator with the lettering facing up the far left pin is the positive pin the middle is the ground and the right is the negative. To properly place it in the circuit the positive pin is connected to the .1uf capacitor and the 100uf capacitor is connected to the 100uf capacitor. Then the ground pin is connected is connected down on the ground line as indicated in the drawing. Also the the little round capacitor is given polarity in the schematic as indicated by the plus and minus signs, but ceramic capacitors do not have polarity, so it does not matter. I also would like to point out that all the hook wire that I used was from the spares 9v battery clips.

  7. jake | May 24th, 2008 5:50 am

    i am still a young learning mad scientist, i no it doesn’t apply, but what is the middle pins function

  8. drew | May 26th, 2008 2:54 pm

    hey i made it and it doesnt work at all. it must have to do with the middle pin on the regulator because i didnt connect it to anything. in the drawing it doesnt show were to connect it. please tell me what im supposed to connect the middle pin or ground on the volt regulator

  9. Geo | June 18th, 2008 8:02 am

    One does have to conect that middle pin or the back of the regulator to ground.

    Anyway, 9v batteries are indeed a poor choice. AA rechargibles are much better. And if you can get an 8volt 9Ah gel cell for a rechargable source, you really have a huge reserve.

    Happy to see this new site. Looks fun.

  10. Geo | June 18th, 2008 8:04 am

    Sadly, the schematic is wrong, but if you bought all the parts it can be built. Just follow the available PDFs for a 7805 regulator.

  11. dmac | June 23rd, 2008 4:11 am

    Why not put a cigar lighter plug on it then you can use it in the car?

  12. Joe | June 26th, 2008 6:39 am

    What do I connect the different pins of the regulator to in the circuit? Are all three pins used? And if so, where are they connected to?

  13. Joe | June 26th, 2008 1:49 pm

    disregard my last comment, i figured it out, but I built this, and when I add power to it, the ipod turns on but it does not show that it is charging. I checked the battery, and its full 9v. any sugggestions?

  14. drew | June 27th, 2008 1:58 pm

    ok im really confused, where does the middle pin of the regulator connect to, and if its not connected to anything could that be the reason that mine isnt working? by the way if this plan is wrong could someone do their own video or plan of their own to go off of instead of this one, someone should do their own video and put it on youtube and put the link up here, so people can actually get this thing right

  15. drew | June 27th, 2008 2:00 pm

    where is the ground?
    and i dont mean the back of the regulator or the middle pin but where does it connect to?

  16. Chris | June 28th, 2008 11:18 am

    The 7805 has three pins. The left pin is the V+ input, the middle pin is the ground, and the right pin is the 5v regulated output. Your schematic should be updated because the way it is wired now, it will put 9vdc to your Ipod, 4 volts over the USB operating voltage. Please update accordingly.

  17. Dan | June 30th, 2008 9:39 pm

    Please fix the schematic to show the proper wiring of the 7805, as other readers have noted.

  18. nick | July 6th, 2008 6:07 pm

    http://ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/index.html

    You might find that your device will work on more than just some ipods if the middle two pins on the usb female adapter are biased to ~2V with some pullup resistors.

  19. ryo | July 16th, 2008 9:01 am

    i made one! except it doesnt work! the LED turns on but it doesnt charge…… :(

  20. drew | August 4th, 2008 11:28 pm

    same i made one and the led comes on but it doesnt charge, ok i know the middle pin is the ground but what do u connect it to, i want to know exactly what i solder it to with a wire, please someone tell me where the middle pin connects to on the 7805 regulator

  21. barry hertzberg | August 7th, 2008 9:55 am

    i see all these comments with questions. do you list your responses to them anywhere??

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