Portable USB Battery Mod!

thingiverse

I visited RadioShack recently and discovered Enercell portable battery packs on clearance for an unbeatable price of $5! This was especially advantageous at a physical store like RS. I own a BeagleBone (White) that utilizes Mini-USB, but most of my other USB devices employ Micro connectors, which I find prone to breakage. To make the battery pack universally compatible with USB devices and create a protective housing for it, preventing the USB female socket from dangling freely, I made quick measurements and printed out a design. Interestingly, the cost of the female USB socket ($6.99) was higher than that of the battery ($4.99). Although I could have possibly found the socket cheaper online, I opted for it in-store due to the cost of shipping cancelling out the price difference. The battery pack seems to be priced at around $5.99 on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Enercell-Power-800mAh-Charger-2300218/dp/B008KPQTW0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1373906604&sr=8-3&keywords=enercell+portable+USB). To proceed with the modification, I carefully pried open the battery pack's case (no screws needed), removed the Mini-USB header by gently sliding it out of its housing, and used wire cutters to trim the Ground (GND) and 5V pins. Subsequently, I printed out a replacement USB design, soldered the new connections, and securely glued the components together with super glue, ensuring a sturdy and compact final product.