Saturday, September 1, 2018

UNCONVENTIONAL SMARTPHONE CHARGING




UNCONVENTIONAL SMARTPHONE
CHARGING  ~
Could Be A Lifesaver In An Emergency….

© 2018 BOB SKIDMORE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

BOB SKIDMORE

CORRESPONDENT


We’re now facing the last three months of the hurricane season. If tradition holds true, they could be the most devastating months. Most of us take precautions to ensure that we have the necessities at hand such as batteries for flashlights, radios and other devices that are easily obtained and stored for such emergencies. But what are we to do when the lights go out and we have no means to charge our smartphones in the traditional manner? Naturally, some of us have add-on battery packs that we use year-around. Others have battery backups, inverters or generators that allow us to plug in AC appliances and chargers to provide an alternate source of electricity when a storm or disaster strikes. However, even with such resources at our disposal we may still need an alternative, or plan “B”. Here’s an idea that can literally save the day.


You’ll need at least one or more standard 9-volt batteries, a pair of alligator clip leads, a cigarette lighter USB car adapter with protruding side contacts and a standard USB charging cable that you already use to charge your phone. It’s important that you match everything with its proper polarity (Positive + & Negative -). Take a fresh 9-volt battery and connect the red positive + clip to the smooth round positive battery terminal. You’ll note that the + symbol is generally marked on the side of the battery nearest to this terminal. Connect the other end to the round tip of the USB lighter adapter, which is the corresponding positive + terminal of the adapter. Connect one end of the black negative - clip to the large serrated battery terminal and the other to one of the two protruding side negative - contacts of the adapter. Plug the charging cable used by your smartphone into the adapter’s USB port and the other end into your phone’s USB port. Charging will commence immediately. The amount of charging that takes place is based on the age of your phone, condition of the phone’s battery and the continuous discharge ratio of the 9-volt battery, something that is not a factor when charging from a wall socket. In other words, the amount of energy that will be charged and the charging time will vary depending on these factors. Naturally, if you have several batteries you can continue charging by replacing the 9-volt battery until the phone shows a 100% charge. It’s important to note that you need to monitor the charging process and when charging appears to be complete, or the 9-volt battery appears to be drained, remove the clips from the adapter, or replace the 9-volt battery to avoid discharging the charged phone battery. This method of charging will be much slower than what the normal process would be. Be patient! Make sure that all clips, be they positive +, or negative -, never touch each other, since that will cause a short and could likely damage the phone.

(TIP: Make sure to purchase and use a cigarette lighter USB adapter that has protruded, wing like contacts, not flat ones. This is necessary to have something for the clips to attach to. See the highlighted photo above.)

How does it work? The cigarette lighter USB adapter accepts an input of up to 12 volts. The adapter transforms that voltage to the USB port at 5 volts, the input voltage of the phone. The 9-volt battery, while less than 12 volts provides energy through the clip leads to the adapter and phone’s charging cord. The fact that the 9-volt battery starts out at less than 12 volts is not a factor to be concerned with, it simply reduces the charging speed and stored energy in the charging process.

While this process may seem a bit primitive and unconventional, it could be a life safer during a storm or disaster. It’s not, however, a substitute for the normal charging process of your smartphone.

GADGETEER’S RATING: ★★★★★

Parts are inexpensive and available at most hardware stores and on line. In most cases you may already have most, if not all, of these items. Don’t wait till disaster strikes, stock up now and put them in a safe place.


Graphic credits: Google Images

Bob Skidmore is a freelance writer, who may be contacted at bob.thegadgeteer.skidmore@gmail.com, or followed at twitter.com/bskidmore for the latest gadget industry news. He does not represent, or endorse any of the products he reviews and his opinions are solely his points of view and not those of the manufacturer. The manufacturer generally supplies products and press releases at no cost for the articles and no other compensation is received. THE GADGETEER is highly selective as to products he feels worthy of review so as not to waste the reader’s time, thus the reason for many superior ratings.
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