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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) Intro: How to make a solar iPod/iPhone charger -aka MightyMintyBoost
I wanted a charger for my iPodTouch and the MintyBoost was definitely my first choice. I wanted to take it a bit further and make it not only rechargeable but also solar powered. The other issue is that the iPhone and iPodTouch have large batteries in them and will deplete the two AA batteries in the MintyBoost rather quickly so I wanted to increase the battery power as well. What I really wanted was a MightyMintyBoost! Apple has sold over 30 million iPodTouch/iPhone units- imagine charging all of them via solar power.... If every iPhone/iPodTouch sold was fully charged every day (averaging the battery capacity) via solar power instead of fossil fuel power we would save approximately 50.644gWh of energy, roughly equivalent to 75,965,625 lbs. of CO2 in the atmosphere per year. Granted that's a best case scenario (assuming you can get enough sunlight per day and approximately 1.5 lbs. CO2 produced per kWh used.) Of course, that doesn't even figure in all the other iPods, cell phones, PDAs, microcontrollers (I use it to power my Arduino projects) and other USB devices that can be powered by this charger- one little solar cell charger may not seem like it can make a difference but add all those millions of devices together and that's a lot of energy! There are some really nice features about this charger: It's solar powered! It's small. Large battery capacity- 3.7v @2000mAh On board charger charges via solar, USB or wall wart. Accepts input power from 3.7v to 7v. Remove the solar cell after charging and you have a nice compact USB power supply. Unplug the solar cell and use the Velcro to secure the MightyMintyBoost inside a backpack or messenger bag- now plug in a larger solar cell attached to your bag for even faster charging. Using a slightly larger solar cell (6v/250mAh) you can generate enough power to fully charge an iPhone in about 5.5 hours and an iPod Touch in 4 hours. Building this is really easy and straightforward- it only took me around an hour so follow along and build one for yourself! Safety note and general disclaimer: Be careful cutting the Altoids tin as it can have some really sharp edges- file them smooth if necessary. Assemble this at your own risk- while it is really easy to build, if you mess something up there is the potential to damage the electronic device you are trying to charge. Be careful in your assembly and soldering work and follow good safety practices. Only use a type of battery charger specifically designed for the type of battery you are using. Please read through the entire Instructable before asking questions- if there are are any questions just ask and I'll help out as best as I can!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
Image Notes 1. 3.7v 2000mAh LiPoly battery 2. double sided adhesive squares 3. Velcro 4. trusty multitool 5. JST connector 6. Sparkfun single cell LiPoly charger 7. Adafruit MintyBoost kit 8. Sparkfun small solar cell 9. multimeter
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
Image Notes 1. 3.7v 2000mAh Lithium Polymer battery 2. Sparkfun single cell Lithium Polymer battery charger
Image Notes 1. battery goes here 2. MintyBoost goes here 3. USB power in 4. 3.7 to 7v power in
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
After adding up the small parts for the MintyBoost circuit, a small blank PCB for the charging circuit (you would have to etch the board yourself) and a mini USB connector, you could conceivably build this for around $21.00 (not including shipping or an Altoids tin.) It wouldn't be exactly the same of course, but it would be functionally the same. I don't know if the 2200mAh battery would fit into an Altoids tin either. It would be a LOT more work of course, and there could be a fair bit of troubleshooting if you're not experienced in building these types of circuits or soldering surface mount components. So is it cost effective? Absolutely- it just depends on the amount of work you want to do. Either way, you get a very useful and versatile solar powered charger. Q: How did you calculate the power usage and equivalent CO2 values? A: Here's the math3.7v (LiPo rated voltage) x .1A (solar charge current)= .37W .37W x 12.5hrs (charge time based on average battery capacity) = 4.625Wh 4.625Wh x 365 days = 1688.125Wh per year 1688.125Wh per year x 30,000,000 units sold = 50,643,750,000Wh total used per year (50.644gWh) 50.644gWh per year x 1.5 lbs CO2 produced per kWh used = 75,965,625 lbs. CO2 produced per year Granted these are more or less maximum values but they clearly show some potential for some serious energy savings. A 12.5hr solar charge time per day isn't realistic for the majority of the planet but if you shorten the solar charge time to approximately 4.5hrs at a 280mA current the results still remain the same. General information about the Lithium Polymer charging circuit as well as a circuit diagram and data sheet can be found here: http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=726 A complete description and documentation of the MintyBoost circuit can be found here: http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/
Related Instructables
How to get your iPod to charge with your homemade charger. by Sitnalta
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 623 comments
stukz says:
what is the total coast of all the parts?
Honus says:
Look in the FAQ section- it's all there.
T8tersalid says:
Jul 4, 2010. 10:11 AM REPLY How much does this weigh? I will be going on a hiking trip for a week in Yellowstone, and I will need to recharge my camera so it doesn't run out of battery? If it's somewhat heavy, would there be anyway to make it lighter?
Honus says:
Jul 4, 2010. 12:13 PM REPLY I don't know the exact weight but it's pretty darn light. I'd guess it's somewhere between 50 to 100 grams. I no longer have mine so I can't weigh it. I'm in the process of making a new one that is thinner and lighter using SMD components.
T8tersalid says:
Ok thanks! I'll be making this very soon!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
Honus says:
Jul 19, 2010. 7:02 PM REPLY Just weighed my new super small version that fits in an Altoids mini tin and it weighs 39 grams but that doesn't include the solar cell, which weighs 25 grams.
MrChipify says:
Are you going to post how to make your newest version?
Honus says:
Jul 24, 2010. 8:32 AM REPLY Yep! I just finished the board design so I can have PCBs made. That way people can purchase bare PCBs from the manufacturer and solder them themselves. The board measures 1.50" long by 1.25" wide so it's pretty small. I redesigned it so both of the USB connectors and LED are on the same end of the board, which makes it easier to access the ports. The home made board just barely fits in the mini Altoids tin but because of the height of the mini USB cable connector you can't keep the lid closed while the cable is connected- that's why I moved both USB ports to the same end. The unfortunate side effect is that this board would be pretty darn difficult to make at home because of the way it's routed and the vias needed to connect the top and bottom copper layers. I still need to proof the design and send it to the manufacturer so it'll take around a month to get the boards made, take photos and post everything.
MrChipify says:
Jul 23, 2010. 10:50 AM REPLY I built mine and it worked great, but now the battery either isnt chargeing or wont hold a charge. has this happened to anyone eles? thanks
Honus says:
It sounds like you have a bad battery. I'd contact Sparkfun (or wherever you purchased your battery.)
MrChipify says:
any suggestions??
13blue says:
Jul 22, 2010. 2:09 PM REPLY Adafruit has a Lithium Ion Polymer Battery - 1200mAh, its a little cheaper and would save a shipping charge. Would it be ok to use rather than the 2000mAh?
Honus says:
Jul 22, 2010. 6:12 PM REPLY Sure. It just won't have as large a capacity so it might not fully charge your device. I just built a charger using a 1100mAh cell and it works just fine. The benefit of a smaller battery is that you can make the charger a bit smaller.
mdelzo says:
Jul 21, 2010. 8:48 AM REPLY Hello, Say that I charge my cellphone with four AA batteries which gives an output of 4.8V and the input of my cellphone is 3.7 V with 950mAh. will this fry my cellphone?? thank you
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
Honus says:
Does you cell phone charge over USB?
mdelzo says:
well i have a USB connector for the computer which i can also use to charge it (thru my computer)
Honus says:
Jul 21, 2010. 6:17 PM REPLY USB is 5V so if you're trying to use 4.8V then it won't fry it. Much of it depends on how you're trying to charge it (is the voltage stable), how much current the phone will pull during charging (batteries can only provide so much current), etc. Many devices that are charged over USB require some interaction over the USB data lines so it isn't always as simple as connecting some batteries to your phone through the USB port.
icecreamterror says:
Jul 4, 2010. 6:19 AM REPLY Would be nice to see this in true DIY form....without having to buy all the integral parts in a kit from SparkFun, really expensive for people out side the US :(
Honus says:
Jul 19, 2010. 6:58 PM REPLY Here's the DIY version I just made for my brother in law- works like a charm. It uses surface mount components and I etched the circuit board at home using the toner transfer method. Considering I haven't etched a circuit board in 20 years it came out OK -but could be a whole lot better! It's super small and I could make it smaller if I had a board house make my PCB but it's really not necessary as it's already smaller than the 1100mAh LiPo battery footprint. The 1100mAh cell was the largest that would fit in the mini Altoids tin. I'd actually prefer it if the board was more narrow and longer- that would make the ports easier to access. I've already designed a new board for a board house to make so it'll be nice and professional looking next time. :)
Honus says:
Jul 4, 2010. 9:36 AM REPLY The big problem with that is most people don't have the ability to make their own circuit boards. All the info is there and the individual parts are readily available. Both Adafruit and Sparkfun provide schematics and EAGLE files so there's absolutely nothing to stop you from making the entire thing from scratch. I'm currently making a super small/slim version from scratch for my brother in law for his birthday.
MrChipify says:
Hey Honus,will this charger work on th Iphone 3Gs? thanks
Honus says:
I forgot this: http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2010/02/08/using-the-iphone-3gs-with-a-mintyboost/
Honus says:
Yes and no- the 3Gs is very finicky about its data line interaction. Have a look at the MintyBoost FAQ section: http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/faq.html
chickflix says:
would this work with a Nook?
Honus says:
No idea. There's one way to find out...
nerdstrap says:
Jul 15, 2010. 8:19 AM REPLY My lithium battery seems to have some kind of drain on it. I see in Q&A #3 you say the Lithium Polymer charger prevents current leak. Are there other possible points for drain on the battery?
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
Honus says:
Jul 15, 2010. 6:11 PM REPLY Not unless you leave a device connected to it. All batteries will have some loss over time but the LiPos are pretty good in this regard- it should lose less than 8% per month.
Zansion says:
Jul 9, 2010. 9:53 PM REPLY I love the project, an easy five stars but I have one question. I'm going to be getting a 160 GB iPod Classic. My thought is that it has a large capacity for holding whatever the heck I want and it would be great for camping, or a zombie outbreak. My problem is the Classic wont charge with USB power (according to Wikipedia). Would there be a way to make a fire wire version of this?
Honus says:
Jul 10, 2010. 8:46 AM REPLY Is this the one you mean: http://www.apple.com/ipodclassic/specs.html That one uses USB. If it's the old first generation Firewire 400 iPod then that's a different story. Hmmm... that's a good one. You could make a short Firewire 400 to USB power adapter cable. There's a page here that shows the pinouts: http://pinouts.ru/Slots/ieee1394_pinout.shtml You would still have to figure out the power requirements and data interaction. That's assuming they would charge using 5v power.
Zansion says:
Jul 12, 2010. 8:25 PM REPLY Yeah, that is the iPod I'm looking at, I just read on Wikipedia somewhere that all of the Classics ran on Firewire. Thanks for clearing that up for me! .z
futuresoccerstar96 says:
where would you get the 3.7v 2000mAh lipoly battery?
Honus says:
Sparkfun- there's a link on the Tools and Materials page.
futuresoccerstar96 says:
oh, thanks
dh405 says:
Jul 4, 2010. 12:15 PM REPLY Seems odd to build this at such a cost when you can buy the same thing in a pretty decent little package for $18 on DealExtreme. http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8222
Honus says:
Jul 8, 2010. 5:59 PM REPLY When I originally wrote this all the solar chargers were about $80 and were limited in performance and connectivity. From what I've read some of the less expensive chargers are a bit hit and miss in terms of quality and what devices they work with. By building it yourself you can tailor it to your needs. If you can make your own PCBs you can actually build this for about $21 (see the FAQ section.)
uberdum05 says:
Jul 5, 2010. 9:46 AM REPLY if you are using a bigger solar panel that's voltage exceeds the maximum voltage of the charge controller, you could buy a DC-DC converter that will bring 12v down to 5v at a very efficient level. Have a look at these : http://www.active-robots.com/products/power-supplies/09160.shtml (10-14V step down to programmable voltage through resistor)
larsrc says:
Jul 7, 2010. 11:54 AM REPLY Thank you for pointing these out, I really don't like the idea of just burning excess voltage into heat. However, notice that the efficiency drops radically when you get down to about .5A.
bearcats2010 says:
you can buy the whole thing at makezein.com for 20 bucks
camiller says:
Jul 7, 2010. 6:37 AM REPLY Except that is just a minty boost kit without the solar cells, higher capacity battery, Li-PO battery charging circuitry, etc. What Honus has here is a step beyond that kit.
Kasm279 says:
I would use Li-Ion or Ni-MH batteries, I've heard very bad things about Li-PO.
Honus says:
Jul 4, 2010. 9:06 AM REPLY LiPo is essentially the same electrochemistry as Lithium Ion except it tends to be a bit more stable due its construction. If anything it is safer than Li-Ion. http://www.ultralifebatteries.com/engineers.php?ID=4
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/
Kasm279 says:
Jul 4, 2010. 4:48 PM REPLY I was just using Li-Ion as something else, first battery type that popped into my head. Anyway, i think i would still have used Li-Ion because hey seem top be less prone to bursting into flame when overcharged or overheated.
nerys says:
Jul 4, 2010. 12:17 PM REPLY I have had very LOW performance results using solar panels to directly charge USB style devices. how can you charge a 1000mah battery in 2 hours using a short circuit max full sunlight 100mah panel? even if you got the theoretical 100mah output it should take at least 8-10 hours to recharge the 1000mah battery pack. what am I missing? I have some nice 410mah panels and even those are lackluster (my next step is to daisy chain them to get an over 800mah panel) my GPS will "stay" charges on solar but if its more than 20% depleted the panel can NOT recharge it. My blackberry says charging but actually depletes faster on the solar panel than off (I am assuming I am awakening some power usage as the phone attempts to charge but its not getting enough so it just ends up using more power than its getting) My Bluetooh G5 seems to like the solar panel just fine. have not had to plug it in for over 3 weeks and its still going strong. my next step is more power. I think we are going to need at least 600mah of solar panels to get any sort of reliable charging done. maybe the ipods are more accepting of odd charge levels? (I have not tried to charge my nano like this yet)
Honus says:
Jul 4, 2010. 1:52 PM REPLY You can't really charge directly from a small solar cell- that's what the battery is for. The solar cell trickle charges the LiPo battery and the LiPo charges your USB device. That way you leave you leave the solar charger out in the sun and let it charge during the day. At night bring it in and charge your USB device.
nerys says:
Jul 4, 2010. 3:26 PM REPLY I know but I hate that method. one more battery to replace. I want to find that magical value of minimum solar panel needed to charge "directly" from the solar panel. I was hoping the 410mah panel would be enough. it is for some but not for most. this way it will be maintenance free and self contained for 25-30 years. with a battery pack every 2-3 years I will be replacing that battery. If I go the battery route I want to go AA route using nimhs. cheap and easy to replace and longer lasting. I usually get 5-7 years out of nimhs. but now I understand how you are charging in 2 hours :-) makes a lot more sense now. (have not gotten around to reading the whole thing yet My bad :-) they make ones like this for around $8 from china but they do not work. I have yet to have one work well. so for now the DIY route is still the best route :-) Jun 20, 2010. 12:39 PM REPLY
Op-Ivy says:
Hi Honus, thanks for posting this DIY. It has inspired me to make a charger similar to this!
However I'm having a problem that I was hoping you could help me with. I want to make a very basic ipod charger that does not require batteries to use. Right now I have the solar panel connected to a 5v regulator and then directly to the ipod. It's a 5th gen nano and I have combined the D+ and D- wires on the ipod cable but it will not charge! But when I hook up my cell phone to the solar charger it starts charging it! The weird thing is that I can hook the the connection to a 5v source on my computer and it will start charging! So there must be something wrong with my circuit. Does the ipod require a certain milliamp rating to charge? The panel is rated at 150ma at 6V. I'll be going backpacking for a week in the bush and I would love to get this working! Thanks again for the DIY Honus! http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/Op-Ivy/1-1.jpg
Honus says:
Jun 20, 2010. 1:23 PM REPLY What do you mean by combined the data lines? iPods are pretty finicky about data line interaction so I suspect that may be the culprit. 150mA isn't much current- and I'm assuming that's if your solar panel is in direct sunlight. The MIntyBooost circuit can provide 400mA so at 150mA it would take a long time to charge.
Op-Ivy says:
The data lines have been connected to each other, basically making a loop from the ipod and back to the ipod. After doing some research on the internet I found that the only way to get it to charge is by doing this. It proved correct after I connected the 5v line from my computer. I'll try getting another solar panel and upping the amperage. Do you think the reason could be because of the low amperage? It's the only variable that changes now from hooking it up to the 5v line and hooking it up to the solar panel. Thanks for your help! :)
Honus says:
Jun 20, 2010. 3:26 PM REPLY I haven't done anything like this so I honestly have no idea. Looping the data lines back to each other doesn't seem right to me though.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/