Newt Tech

Hack a cell phone charger to make a USB charger

I’m sure this has been done a million times, but it’s not the same unless you do it yourself.

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Problem:
My Mother-in-law has an Apple iPod Shuffle, but the computer doesn’t charge it.  So she has to bring it over for me to charge.  Not a big problem, she’s a wonderful person.  But I wanted her to be able to charge her iPod and not have to wait to get it charged at my house.

Solution:
Take one of my old cell phone chargers, a Sony-Ericsson phone that I no longer use.  I check the output voltage, 5.1V  with 450mA.  Looks good.  I checked the USB specs and I believe it’s well within the acceptable range.

Supplies:

• wall charger around 5V, providing around 500mA.
• USB extension cable
• soldering iron and supplies (unless you use a phsyical clamp)

Step 1:
Cut the adaptor off the wall charger, strip the wires.

Step 2:
Cut the female end off the USB extension cable, this is the end you need.  Cut away the green and white wires (do a search for USB pinout, there should be a site.. something like pinouts.ru).  Strip the red and black wires.

Step 3:
Verify the voltage and polarity of the wall wart with a multi-meter.

Step 4:
Solder (or otherwise connect) the red (+ve) wire of the charger to the red (+ve) of the USB extension cable.

Step 5:
Solder (or otherwise connect) the black (-ve/gnd) of the charger to the black (-ve/gnd) of the USB extension cable.

Step 6:
If you were using shrink tubing you would have put it on before Step 5..  I bet you’re wishing you would have read all the instructions first!    For a more ghetto look (or if you have run out of shrink tubing) tape up the exposed wires with some electrical tape.

Step 7:
Verify the voltage and polarity of the pins on the USB extension cable with a multi-meter.

Step 8:
Test on your own device before giving it to your Mother-in-law.  She’s a dear, but you never want to test that relationship!  Just kidding!

Conclusion:
Now you’ve saved the environment by not depositing both an old charger and a USB extension cable in the trash.  However let’s not talk about the lead fumes you breathed in while soldering, or the fact that you nearly set your desk on fire (always remember to put soldering iron back in holder, even when phone rings!)

Pinouts:
Verify independently, but I saw this on a number of pinout diagram sites.