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ISSUE 222 JAN 2009
PERFORMANCE GEAR & GAMING
ISSUE 222 MY GOD, IT’S FULL OF STARS
MY GOD, IT’S FULL OF STARS
How the pros manage 8GHz and beyond and what you’ll need to join them
BUILD YOUR OWN BATTERY POWERED USB CHARGER
Pocket power booster for a mere £3
WWW.PCFORMAT.CO.UK
THERE’S MORE… Sapphire’s 4850X2 tested Triple channel RAM explained Co-op games you must play! Tweak Far Cry 2
PLUS!
HARDCORE PC ADVICE
¤ HACKING &TWEAKING ¤ OVERCLOCKING ¤ MODDING MADNESS
Issue 222 Jan 2009 £5.99 Outside UK & ROI £6.49
LEFT 4 DEAD KILL ZOMBIES NOW
PCF222.cover 1
LARA’S BACK AND KICKING BUTT! 26/11/08 4:24:58 pm
Make a pocket USB power cell
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Make this!
Never go short on charge by building this pocketsized battery powered USB charger
W
e think it’s a shame world-spanning tech companies can cram the abilities of a desktop into a device no bigger than your hand, but can’t provide any useful ways to keep the thing charged. Incredibly, it’s possible to rig a 9V battery USB adaptor for as little as a pound and a little soldering. Helping us spirit up this electrical miracle is a power regulator, available from the likes of Maplin (stock code QL31J). We’re using a 1A 5V unit. This takes any voltage up to 35V and outputs a steady 5V, perfect for USB devices. You can grab one for 63p. Hopefully you can scavenge a 9V power connector and the female USB connection, if not all of these shouldn’t cost more than £3. To do this correctly we’re first going to build the circuit on a breadboard, test the output with a multimeter and then test this on the device in question. Then with a bit of soldering, plastic, silicon sealant and heatshrink we’ll have a portable 9v battery to USB power
adaptor. You can also attach a status LED so you know if the 9v battery is supplying power, plus the whole thing could be mounted inside a small box. Go mad, why don’t you? ¤ Neil Mohr
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What you will need ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
9V battery connector 9V battery Female USB connector 1A 5V Fixed power regulator Soldering kit Small breadboard Multimeter Silicon sealant
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Future Publishing Limited provides the information for this project in good faith and makes no representations as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions in this project do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of parts, equipment, sealants and other
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adhesives for a particular use. Protective clothing, gloves and goggles/safety glasses should be worn at all times when using soldering and heat-shrinking equipment and adhesives. Always read the label before use of adhesives and seek medical assistance in the event of ingestion or irritation. Use of the battery powered USB charger may void a product’s
warranty. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Future Publishing Limited takes no responsibility for any person relying on the information relating to this project and disclaims all liability for any errors, omissions, damage or injury to users or their equipment as a result of or relating to their making and use of the USB charger device.
January 2009
25/11/08 3:46:52 pm
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“Incredibly, it’s possible to rig a 9V battery USB adaptor for as little as a pound and a little soldering”
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How to make a handy charger 9
This is a straightforward project, but it does involve bringing together a good number of parts (1). To test we use a breadboard, this connects components without the need to solder anything. Connect the power regulator, 9V adaptor and the USB output (2). Use a multimeter to test the USB connector’s output. If it’s not 5V then check the connections(3). Now connect your device to test it. The glowing orange status light on this Dell Axim means… success (4)! We’re using a female USB connection from a spare backing plate, that comes with most mobos. Strip the insulation right back, we only need the red and black power wires (5). The output-pin (on the right) from the power regulator goes to the USB’s positive power (red wire) pin-1. The negative power wire (black) from pin-4 goes to the middle ground connection of the power regulator (6). Use epoxy putty to build up a ledge for the 9v connector to sit on. Allow this to fully set (7). Attach the negative 9V adaptor wire to the middle ground of the power regulator and solder the positive wire from the adaptor to the input-pin of the regulator (8). Use sealant to build up any gaps. Don’t cover the metal of the regulator, as this needs to be able to dissipate the heat (9). Either heatshrink it or wrap it in insulation tape. Here’s the finished unit all ready to charge (10). January 2009
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