Portable Charging (DIY?)

[Thompson]

Short time lurker, loving what I've experienced of the community from afar, and figured it was time to join.

Having just recently got into the world of vaping, and learning the curve of predicting battery life, I'm getting more curious into a portable charging solution. I did some searching but didn't find any DIY relevant topics.

I've seen the PCCs about, and they look real nice and convenient, but I'd like to exhaust the possibility of building something first before buying one.

Or is it really even feasible?

There is the MintyBoost kit available online, but its restricted to 500mA, which wouldn't allow pass-through use afaik but that wouldn't destroy the possibility of charging off of it would it? I'd really like to utilize NiMh AA rechargeables as I have a ton.

I've not got much electrical knowledge (if that wasn't glaringly obvious already ) but not afraid to get in there and try.

 

[Dana A]

You are braver than I am Durk. I don't know if that would be safe. I have never given the safety of a single battery or battery charger a thought my entire life until I started vaping

 

[Thompson]

I think it'd be rather safe, for the whole system, but once again I'm just assuming here

The USB standard seems to be 4.8-5.2v, so I think just basic charging should be a straight forward. The only issue I'm really seeing is getting the proper amperage, that would at very least prevent the use of Pass-Through batteries.

I did find this topic earlier here on ECF (though not allowed to post in there yet/not wanting to bump an oldie): http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...3-0-does-not-work-dse901-usb-passthrough.html

Even if I can't use the Pass-Through while charging, if it'll still charge I'd be satisfied, not to mention its ability to charge phones, mp3, camera, etc.

Hence why I'm looking for some clarification though I've sent a message off to an acquaintance who knows a lot about electricity but being UK based I don't expect a return message for awhile. Then again posting this on here at midnight is an odd hour choice too haha

If possible though, it would be pretty amazing bit of kit. Could pick up store bought AA (3,000 mAh iirc) or use these NiMh (highest I have are 2650 mAh) which would allow a few recharges of a 650 mAh and a decent amount of charges for the 300 mAh in an SDK.

If its going to damage anything though then I'll more than likely pass

 

[Warren D. Lockaby]

Hi Durk & Welcome to ECF! I can't offer much help there but as soon as you get 5 posts after about an hour's wait you'll be able to post anywhere else & inquire about this. Meantime you might want to check out the ECF Library. I believe the 1st sticky is on batteries, & there's a ton of info there. Generally though from my experience, the more I've learned about electricity & electronics, the more I can see I have yet to learn (and I've been working and/or playing with this stuff since televisions all had tubes instead of transistors, back in the early 70s).

Just juice up your PV, kick back to study all you can read & prepare to be amazed. Oh, and Happy Vaping!

 

[Thompson]

Thanks for the Welcome Warren, I'll head over there now and get reading

 

[mikkey9]

Hi durkadurka welcome to ECF.
Take a look at this post-
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/battery-mods/105465-now-puck-cheap-parts-easy.html
ithink this is the kind of thing your looking for

 

[Thompson]

That is indeed very similar, but not quite it. Though, having looked over that, its quickly getting added to the "to-do list." I've recently gotten into a DIY kick, just feeling like I need to build things.


Not my photo:

Minty Boost! - USB charger for your gadgets

That is the site for the MintyBoost. I just want to note that I have no affiliation with the site or retailer, just didn't want to post the picture w/o recognition.

While the NiMh based mod posted would cut out the middleman, it wouldn't really help with recharging my eGo bat or SDK out in the field. Just another step of preventing any chance of going back to analogues even for a second.

With summer approaching, I'll be out and about quite a bit away from any true power source, so tonight I've started browsing for cheaper (hopefully DIY) external battery packs for USB or some kind of solar charger (which I would think would take a long period of time to charge even the 300 mAh SDK). I could easily carry a handful of NiMh in my backpack along with the M.B., or buy a quick set of alkaline at a store.

If I'm calculating it right, which there is a decent chance I'm not, using the 2650 mAh batteries I have could ideally recharge the SDK 8 times, the eGo 650 - 4 times, which would even beat out the JoyeTech PCC (2000 mAh iirc). Again heavily assuming I've calculated that right/that is how that works.



edit: Wish I could get an inside view/schematic of the JoyeTech PCC, as I feel the insight that would give could make this project much easier. I feel its very much possible, just my knowledge is so minimal at the moment. Moar reading!

edit2: After reading bigblue30's post again, to get the pass-through running you have to find the amperage draw. The new dual coil carto I ordered is 1.5ohms (-/+ 0.2).

Amperage: 5v/1.5= 3.3 amps

I get the feeling this little project isn't capable of that kind of output. But unless I'm mistaken, that would only be in relation to pass-through, not effecting its ability to charge from it.

Which has led me to wonder precisely how pass-through batteries actually work, if the max USB will output amperage wise is 1.5.

 

[CountSmackula]

I've seen the Minty Boost before. Never thought about its use w/ PVs.

What I'd like to see is a solar recharger for 14500s

 

[Warren D. Lockaby]

Which has led me to wonder precisely how pass-through batteries actually work, if the max USB will output amperage wise is 1.5.

By that I presume you're planning to use a USB port on a computer. I would suggest avoiding this, and investing instead in a USB wall charger for maybe $5 or so. I'm not sure about this... look them over, but I believe you can get one for very little money capable of kicking out all the power you'll need. Of course the big advantage is, you won't risk frying your PC's motherboard trying to do a job that could have been done with a five or ten-buck wall charger. (I've charged lots of cig-sized batteries from my laptop's USB ports before someone on here mentioned what I just shared with you. Man, this is stuff I'm supposed to *know*! I felt like an absolute dolt - but a very lucky dolt.)

 

[Thompson]

Hmm I've never heard anything about USB ports on computers getting tweaked out, quite interesting. I've got a wall charger that I use for the most part, and a 12v-USB car adapter.

I shall sleep on this tonight, research it to death tomorrow

 

[blkhwk07]

Hello and Welcome,good luck in your endeavor with your project.

 

[Njt07]

What's the minimum amps (or volts?) that a 14500 would need to charge? I also don't have any exp with this kind of thing, but I do have a battery tube for AA batts that could easily be rewired to accommodate a USB plug... It was originally designed to recharge my cd player (Iriver cd player) on the go.

 

[Warren D. Lockaby]

Hmm I've never heard anything about USB ports on computers getting tweaked out, quite interesting. I've got a wall charger that I use for the most part, and a 12v-USB car adapter.

I shall sleep on this tonight, research it to death tomorrow

Well now I've never metered one or played with it at all so AFAIK the USB format may be fundamentally restricted to 1.5 amps. I can't say I understand why that would be so, but I suppose it's reasonable they'd draw the line somewhere....

 

[Thompson]

Yeah I was trying to figure out how I could meter the SDK to find its voltage (more or less just to know haha).

Hello and Welcome,good luck in your endeavor with your project.

Thanks

What's the minimum amps (or volts?) that a 14500 would need to charge? I also don't have any exp with this kind of thing, but I do have a battery tube for AA batts that could easily be rewired to accommodate a USB plug... It was originally designed to recharge my cd player (Iriver cd player) on the go.

I'm not entirely sure. Li-Ion don't charge from USB, afaik, but a charger listed on one site has "Output: 4.2v with variable current up to 550mA per channel."

So far the Knowledgeable Buddy has said its possible, though it could be a pain to build, but he doesn't see any reason as to why the MintyBoost couldn't just charge these devices, but is looking for further knowledge as to why the pass-through won't work.

edit: A bit irrelevant, but an iPod 5g replacement battery is 900mAh @ 3.7v