When you are outdoors for a long time, a discharged phone could be a problem, especially in emergency situations. The power bank can be enough for several charges, after which it will be discharged. For such situations, it is a good idea to have a portable charger, in which electricity is generated by converting mechanical energy. Such a device is very easy to make by hand.
We ask Shoppok – leader of online shopping to give you a step-by-step procedure on how to build your own pocket generator so you don’t have to worry about having a discharged phone or any electronic gadget again when you are enjoying your outdoor activities.
Tools, Parts, and Materials Needed
You can search online if you are not familiar with some of these parts and materials.
– pliers
– heat gun
– hacksaw
– scissors
– sandpaper
– pencil
– side cutter
– Superglue
– PVC Pipe (63mm Diameter x 3 inches long)
– plastic sheet
– 4 inches of wires (pair)
– soldering iron and soldering lead
– Ruler and tape measure
– 3-6V DC Geared Motor 130 Dual Shaft with Yellow Gear Box
– 5V 600MA Charger Step Up Boost Converter
How to build a manual charger (step by step process)
1. Hold the pipe with the pliers and heat it using the heat gun. Once heated, press the material to form an oblong shape. Use any other rounded stick like smaller pipes to form the PVC and make sure the geared motor assembly perfectly fits inside.
2. Once formed, using a tape measure, straighten both edges of the deformed PVC by cutting using the hacksaw.
3. Get the plastic sheet and put one end of the PVC on top of it. Mark the plastic using a pencil. The purpose is to cover both ends of the PVC using the plastic sheet. Once you get the exact measurement, cut the plastic sheet using your hacksaw. You should make 2 pieces for both ends.
4. Sander the edges of the plastic to smoothen while fitting it on both ends of the PVC.
5. Assemble the generator by connecting both wires to the terminals. Solder one end of the wires to positive and negative terminals of the 3-6V DC Geared Motor 130 Dual Shaft with Yellow Gear Box.
6. Solder the other ends of the wire to positive and negative terminals of the 5V 600MA Charger Step Up Boost Converter.
7. Place the assembled motor and charger inside the PVC. make sure that the USB port is facing outside and the pulley shaft of the motor is facing on the other side.
8. On the end of the PVC where the motor shaft is facing, make a hole on the plastic sheet cover. Make sure the motor shaft fits the hole. Once done, attach the cover and fix it using the superglue.
9. On the other end where the USB is facing, make a hole on the plastic cover for the USB. Make sure the USB port is accessible to any USB cable connection. Once done, attach the cover and fix it with superglue.
10. Now that the generator is assembled, cut a small plastic sheet. The shape should be similar to the cover (oblong) but make it smaller.
11. Make a hole on the other side and insert the motor shaft into it.
12. On the other side, make a small hole. Cut a mall rounded object at about half-inch (pen or pencil) and attach it to the other end using a small screw. This will serve as a handle when you are turning the motor.
13. Make sure all sides are glued tightly and no loose portion.
How to Operate
To try your first charging, simply plug your mobile phone using your charging cable to the USB port of the generator. Once plugged, turn the handle until you see a charging activity on your screen.
Materials
The most important here and should be purchased are the “3-6V DC Geared Motor 130 Dual Shaft with Yellow Gear Box” and the “5V 600MA Charger Step Up Boost Converter”. There may be other names for these products but I specified so you will have no problem searching them online.
The “3-6V DC Geared Motor 130 Dual Shaft with Yellow Gear Box” is an assembly of motor and gearbox. If you are not careful in buying this, you may end up buying only the motor. The motor can be sold separately and also the gearbox but it is recommended to but an assemble already so you can be assured that both products are compatible with each other.
For the “5V 600MA Charger Step Up Boost Converter”, there are other names but this one is the most compatible with this kind of project.
Uses
Although power banks are the most common products used mostly by travelers, there is no better thing to have than having your own generator in your pocket especially when you are hiking for days, or traveling by ship for days.
When I and my friend went to Mindanao (from Manila), we traveled by ship and it took the ship 36 hours. Although there are power outlets inside the ship, it is hard to charge because there is always a time limit. My power bank gave up after 3 charges. My friend has this DIY generator and never had a problem charging his phone while watching movies. It’s not tiring if your mind is busy with other things while your hand/fingers are turning the lever. At the end of the day, we enjoyed our long travel because we watched a lot of movies and killed a lot of time without even knowing it. Traveling by sea is one of the most boring activities and if you are not prepared, you will be disappointed if you can’t use any of your gadgets for such a long time.
Conclusion
This type of DIY is not hard to build and not expensive to buy while giving you the ease of mind. Try to search online for the materials and you will be surprised how cheap they are. If this article is not clear enough, you can also search for videos for additional instructions.