DIY External Battery Pack
Making a DIY external battery pack is a great way to ensure that you've got an extra power supply, if your internal battery goes dead. Digital cameras are a typical example of how inconvenient and annoying it can be when the battery dies --- it always happens just as you're about to take a once-in-a-lifetime picture. Make a DIY battery pack, and you never need to worry again.
Things You'll Need
- NiCad or NiMH batteries
- Marker pen
- Electrical insulating tape
- AWG 16 gauge wire
- Knife
- Wire strippers
- NiCad or NiMH battery charger
Instructions
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Check the internal battery of the device you intend to power using your DIY external battery pack. The label on the battery states the output voltage. You will wire the battery pack using a method known as "series." Wiring in series combines the voltage from each battery.
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2
Get nickel cadmium (NiCad) or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries for your DIY external battery pack. Calculate how many you need to purchase by dividing the voltage on the internal battery pack by 1.2: NiCad and NiMH batteries produce 1.2 volts. For example, if your internal battery produces six volts, then six divided by 1.2 equals five batteries. Both types of battery are widely available from electrical stores.
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3
Line up the batteries you want to use to make your DIY battery pack on a suitable work surface. Lay the batteries flat. Wiring the battery pack is easier if you have the battery terminals alternating. For example, if you are using five batteries, you have three positive terminals and two negative terminals one end, and then three negative and two positive the other.
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Label each battery numerically. If you're using five batteries, then label them "1" through "5." Wrap electrical insulating tape around the batteries to form a tight neat battery pack. Alternatively you can use elastic rubber bands to hold them together.
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5
Cut two strips of AWG 16 gauge wire, using a knife. The strips must be long enough to reach between the DIY battery pack and the device you want to power, so use a ruler to measure the distance between the two.
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Cut more strips of AWG 16 gauge wire using a knife. Make the strips about two inches long. The number of strips you need depends on the number of batteries you are wiring. The rule to use when wiring in series is: number of batteries less one equals number of short wire strips. For example, using five batteries, you need to cut four short strips of wire.
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Remove 1/4-inch of plastic coating from the end of every wire strip, using wire strippers. This exposes the inner copper wire that attaches to the battery terminals.
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Attach the end from one of the long wire strips to the positive terminal of battery 1 using a two-inch strip of electrical insulating tape. The positive terminal is labeled "+" or "Pos." The other end connects to the device the battery pack powers.
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Attach the remaining long wire strip to the negative terminal of the last numbered battery in your pack using insulating tape. The terminal is labeled "-" or "Neg." The other end of the wire connects to the device you want to power.
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10
Attach the end of a short wire strip to the negative terminal of battery 1 using the same method. Attach the opposite end to the positive terminal of battery 2.
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Repeat the procedure by attaching the ends of short strips of wire to the negative and then positive terminals of the batteries sequentially. The last short wire strip attaches to the positive terminal of the last numbered battery in your pack.
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12
Wrap electrical insulating tape completely around the pack so it covers all the terminals and short wires. Ensure that you leave the two long wires exposed as they need to attach to the device your battery pack will power. Your DIY battery pack is ready to be used and can easily be recharged by connecting the wires from the pack to a NiCad or NiMH battery charger. Both are available from an electrical store.
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References
- Photo Credit set of batteries image by KtD from Fotolia.com
