DIY Dummy Battery Emulator Adapter AA

thingiverse

Revamp your battery-powered gadget by powering it from an AC or DC/USB source, similar to this project. The idea was to insert dummy batteries into a portable speaker and use a 15000 mAh dual USB port power bank for longer usage. Serendipitously, a friend gave an iPhone/iPod docking station's lost AC adapter, but it had limited battery life. To solve this, create solder-free dummy batteries to mimic the batteries. Doubting if 5V from USB was sufficient, a test confirmed its compatibility. As 4x1.5V batteries equal 6V while required 5V, measure old batteries at around 1.1V each, totaling 4.4V. The device performed well and played music for six hours with four LEDs still active on the USB battery. Assuming an average battery is 1000mAh, this setup doubles the usage time from 4 to 15 batteries. This trick works great; it might help others like it did for you. Made using a Ultimaker 3D Printer. For assembly, strip connecting cables, twist ends, and feed through bottom and top holes. Twist cable to itself, secure with a cable tie. If necessary, drill a hole in the battery compartment cover for cable entry and add two more for securing cables to prevent damage.