How to make a solar iPod/iPhone charger -aka MightyMintyBoost

by Honus on May 2, 2009

License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)

Intro: How to make a solar iPod/iPhone charger -aka MightyMintyBoost
I wanted a charger for my iPodTouch and the MintyBoost was definitely my first choice. I wanted to take it a bit further and make it not only rechargeable but also solar
powered. The other issue is that the iPhone and iPodTouch have large batteries in them and will deplete the two AA batteries in the MintyBoost rather quickly so I wanted
to increase the battery power as well. What I really wanted was a MightyMintyBoost!
Apple has sold over 30 million iPodTouch/iPhone units- imagine charging all of them via solar power.... If every iPhone/iPodTouch sold was fully charged every day
(averaging the battery capacity) via solar power instead of fossil fuel power we would save approximately 50.644gWh of energy, roughly equivalent to 75,965,625 lbs. of
CO2 in the atmosphere per year. Granted that's a best case scenario (assuming you can get enough sunlight per day and approximately 1.5 lbs. CO2 produced per kWh
used.) Of course, that doesn't even figure in all the other iPods, cell phones, PDAs, microcontrollers (I use it to power my Arduino projects) and other USB devices that
can be powered by this charger- one little solar cell charger may not seem like it can make a difference but add all those millions of devices together and that's a lot of
energy!
There are some really nice features about this charger:
It's solar powered!
It's small.
Large battery capacity- 3.7v @2000mAh
On board charger charges via solar, USB or wall wart. Accepts input power from 3.7v to 7v.
Remove the solar cell after charging and you have a nice compact USB power supply.
Unplug the solar cell and use the Velcro to secure the MightyMintyBoost inside a backpack or messenger bag- now plug in a larger solar cell attached to your bag for
even faster charging. Using a slightly larger solar cell (6v/250mAh) you can generate enough power to fully charge an iPhone in about 5.5 hours and an iPod Touch in 4
hours.
Building this is really easy and straightforward- it only took me around an hour so follow along and build one for yourself!
Safety note and general disclaimer: Be careful cutting the Altoids tin as it can have some really sharp edges- file them smooth if necessary. Assemble this at your own
risk- while it is really easy to build, if you mess something up there is the potential to damage the electronic device you are trying to charge. Be careful in your assembly
and soldering work and follow good safety practices. Only use a type of battery charger specifically designed for the type of battery you are using. Please read through
the entire Instructable before asking questions- if there are are any questions just ask and I'll help out as best as I can!

Image Notes
1. iPodTouch- it's charging!

Image Notes
1. Charging on solar power!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

Image Notes
1. Arduino w/Adafruit Wave shield powered over USB

step 1: Tools and materials

Here's what you'll need to build your own MightyMintyBoost:
Tools:
Soldering iron
Scissors
Wire cutters
Pliers (or muiltitool)
Multimeter
Metal shears
Clear packing tape
Materials:
MintyBoost kit
Lithium Polymer battery charger
3.7v 2000mAh Lithium Polymer battery
JST connector/wire
Small solar cell
2" x 3" adhesive backed Velcro
Small double sided adhesive squares
Altoids tin
Some notes:
The single cell Lithium Polymer charger can accept input power that ranges from 3.7 to 7v maximum. When the cell reaches full charge the charger will automatically
switch to trickle charging. When charging using the mini USB port, the charging current is limited to 100mA. When charging using the barrel plug jack, the charging
current is limited to 280mA.
The solar cell maxes out at approximately 5v @ 100mA in bright sunlight. If you need faster charging simply use a larger solar cell- a 6v cell @ 250mA would work very
well and they are easily obtainable and inexpensive. I used the size of solar cell that I did because I wanted it to be super compact.
I could not find out from the manufacturer if the solar cell I used has a blocking diode. A blocking diode is used in many solar charging systems to prevent the solar cell
from draining the battery during low light conditions. Instructables member RBecho pointed out that the charging circuit used negates the need for a blocking diode in this
application. You can tell when the solar cell is producing enough power because the little red LED on the charger will come on during charging.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

Image Notes
1. 3.7v 2000mAh LiPoly battery
2. double sided adhesive squares
3. Velcro
4. trusty multitool
5. JST connector
6. Sparkfun single cell LiPoly charger
7. Adafruit MintyBoost kit
8. Sparkfun small solar cell
9. multimeter

Image Notes
1. My trusty soldering iron

step 2: Build the Minty Boost kit

First build the MIntyBoost kit according to its instructions. It's really easy to assemble- even a complete novice can do it.
Instead of connecting the battery holder in the kit, we're going to solder a JST connector to the MintyBoost PCB. This tiny connector will then allow the MintyBoost circuit
to connect to the Lithium Polymer battery charger circuit. Make sure you get the polarity correct!
Test the MintyBoost by connecting the battery pack (make sure the battery pack has a charge) and charger circuit. The MintyBoost connects to the connector marked
SYS on the charger board and the lithium polymer battery connects to the connector marked GND.
Now cut a notch in the Altoids tin for the USB port and use some double sided adhesive to mount the PCB to the Altoids tin.

Image Notes
1. JST connector
2. MintyBoost PCB

Image Notes
1. 3.7v 2000mAh Lithium Polymer battery
2. Sparkfun single cell Lithium Polymer battery charger

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

Image Notes
1. battery goes here
2. MintyBoost goes here
3. USB power in
4. 3.7 to 7v power in

Image Notes
1. cut notch for USB socket

Image Notes
1. Adhere MIntyBoost PCB with double sided tape

step 3: Add the battery and charger

Now cut a notch out of the other side of the Altoids tin to fit the charger and secure the charging circuit to the bottom of the Altoids tin with double sided adhesive.
Reconnect the battery and the MintyBoost PCB to the charging circuit. Make sure nothing on the bottom of either one of the circuit boards is touching the bottom of the
Altoids tin.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

step 4: Add the solar cell

There are a couple of different ways to connect the solar cell. The first is by simply shortening the connector leads and plugging the barrel plug into the barrel jack on the
charging circuit.
The second method is to replace the connector with another JST connector and plug it into the third connector marked 5v on the charging circuit. I didn't have another
JST connector handy so I just soldered a salvaged two pronged connector to the charging circuit where there are two open pins on the 5v line.
Using the second method certainly is a bit cleaner since you don't have the big barrel plug sticking out of the side of the tin.
Now attach the solar cell to the top of the Altoids tin using some 2" wide Velcro. I wrapped the battery pack with a layer of clear packing tape to help protect it. Then the
battery pack is simple set down on top of the two circuit boards- it's a near perfect fit.
Now set your MightyMintyBoost out in the bright sun and charge it up! You should see a little red LED on the charger board light up. Once it's fully charged connect your
iPod/iPhone/USB powered device and enjoy!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

step 5: FAQ and additional info

Here's a list of frequently asked questions:
Q: Is it possible to overcharge the Lithium Polymer battery?
A: No- the charger will automatically switch to trickle charging and then shut off.
Q: Is it possible to drain the Lithium Polymer battery completely and damage it?
A: No- the battery has its own low voltage cut off circuitry that will prevent it from completely discharging- the low voltage cut off is around 2.8v
Q: Does the solar cell have a blocking diode to prevent it from draining the Lithium Polymer battery?
A: No blocking diode is necessary- the Lithium Polymer charger prevents the battery from leaking current.
Q: How long will it take to fully charge the Lithium Polymer battery and how long will it take to charge my iPod/iPhone?
A: How long it will take to fully charge depends on the amount of sunlight available but as a rough guesstimate it would take around 20hrs using the small solar cell in
direct sunlight. Using a larger solar cell could easily take half if not one third the amount of time. Those same figures would apply if you were charging it over USB or
using a wall wart power supply.
Charging your iPod is much faster. How fast it does it depends on your device's battery capacity. An iPod Touch has a 1000mAh battery so it should fully charge it in
around 2hrs. A 3G iPhone has a 1150mAh battery so it will take slightly longer and a 2G iPhone has a 1400mAh battery, so it will take around 3 hrs.
Q: The Lithium Polymer charger has an input voltage range of 3.7v minimum to 7v maximum- what if I want to use a higher output solar cell for faster
charging?
A: To use a solar cell with a voltage output greater than 7v, you need a voltage regulator to drop the voltage to a level that the charger can handle. You could use a 7805
voltage regulator to limit the output to +5v -they only cost about $1.50 and are very simple to wire up. The 7805 will give you as fixed +5v and is usually good up to 1A
current. You could also use a LM317T which is an adjustable regulator, but it would involve a bit more circuitry to use. Some people also use diodes to drop voltage,
since many diodes have a voltage drop of .7v
There's a lot more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_regulator
The other option would be to use a 6v/250mA solar panel. This will stay within the current input range and voltage input range of the Lithium Polymer charger. Remember
that you can also connect smaller solar cells in parallel to increase the available current- two 5v/100mA solar cells connected together in parallel will give an output of 5v
@200mA
Q: What if I want to use a charger with a higher input current limit?
A: Sparkfun does have a Lithium Polymer charger that maxes out at 1A:
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8293
Q: How would I connect the more powerful charger- there doesn't appear to be a clear way to do this?
A: To use the more powerful 1A charger you would need to wire a two way switch to the battery so that in one position the battery would be connected to the charger and
in the other position the battery would be connected to the MintyBoost circuit.
Q: Will this work with USB devices other than iPods and iPhones?
A: You bet! There's a list here: http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/
Q: Won't the inside of the Altoids tin short out the circuit?
A: No- using double sided foam tape to mount the circuit boards keeps the bottom of the board from coming into contact with the inside bottom of the tin. If you're really
worried you can cover the inside bottom of the tin with clear packing tape.
Q: How much does this cost? Can I build it for less? Is it cost effective?
A: If you buy everything as listed it would cost $70.75 (not including the Altoids tin or shipping.) If you wanted to scratchbuild it using the MintyBoost PCB from Adafruit,
building your own charging circuit and supplying your own parts from various sources you can save quite a bit. Both the charging circuit and the MintyBoost circuit are
available online- just go to the web pages listed in the tools and materials section- they're also listed at the bottom of this page.
Both Maxim and Linear Technology supply free samples (according to their websites) of their ICs so you just need to provide all the other bits (available from places like
Mouser and Digikey.) Using a slightly smaller solar cell and a 2200mAh battery it is possible to build it for a lot less:
2200mAh battery
solar cell
MintyBoost PCB
After adding up the small parts for the MintyBoost circuit, a small blank PCB for the charging circuit (you would have to etch the board yourself) and a mini USB
connector, you could conceivably build this for around $21.00 (not including shipping or an Altoids tin.) It wouldn't be exactly the same of course, but it would be
functionally the same. I don't know if the 2200mAh battery would fit into an Altoids tin either. It would be a LOT more work of course, and there could be a fair bit of
troubleshooting if you're not experienced in building these types of circuits or soldering surface mount components.
So is it cost effective? Absolutely- it just depends on the amount of work you want to do. Either way, you get a very useful and versatile solar powered charger.
Q: How did you calculate the power usage and equivalent CO2 values?
A: Here's the math3.7v (LiPo rated voltage) x .1A (solar charge current)= .37W
.37W x 12.5hrs (charge time based on average battery capacity) = 4.625Wh
4.625Wh x 365 days = 1688.125Wh per year
1688.125Wh per year x 30,000,000 units sold = 50,643,750,000Wh total used per year (50.644gWh)
50.644gWh per year x 1.5 lbs CO2 produced per kWh used = 75,965,625 lbs. CO2 produced per year
Granted these are more or less maximum values but they clearly show some potential for some serious energy savings. A 12.5hr solar charge time per day isn't realistic
for the majority of the planet but if you shorten the solar charge time to approximately 4.5hrs at a 280mA current the results still remain the same.
General information about the Lithium Polymer charging circuit as well as a circuit diagram and data sheet can be found here:
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=726
A complete description and documentation of the MintyBoost circuit can be found here:
http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

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Comments
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uberdum05 says:

Jul 5, 2010. 9:46 AM REPLY

if you are using a bigger solar panel that's voltage exceeds the maximum voltage of the charge controller, you could buy a DC-DC converter that will bring
12v down to 5v at a very efficient level. Have a look at these : http://www.active-robots.com/products/power-supplies/09160.shtml (10-14V step down to
programmable voltage through resistor)

Kasm279 says:

Jul 4, 2010. 8:44 AM REPLY

I would use Li-Ion or Ni-MH batteries, I've heard very bad things about Li-PO.

Honus says:

Jul 4, 2010. 9:06 AM REPLY

LiPo is essentially the same electrochemistry as Lithium Ion except it tends to be a bit more stable due its construction. If anything it is safer than Li-Ion.
http://www.ultralifebatteries.com/engineers.php?ID=4

Kasm279 says:

Jul 4, 2010. 4:48 PM REPLY

I was just using Li-Ion as something else, first battery type that popped into my head. Anyway, i think i would still have used Li-Ion because hey seem
top be less prone to bursting into flame when overcharged or overheated.

nerys says:

Jul 4, 2010. 12:17 PM REPLY

I have had very LOW performance results using solar panels to directly charge USB style devices. how can you charge a 1000mah battery in 2 hours using a
short circuit max full sunlight 100mah panel? even if you got the theoretical 100mah output it should take at least 8-10 hours to recharge the 1000mah
battery pack. what am I missing? I have some nice 410mah panels and even those are lackluster (my next step is to daisy chain them to get an over 800mah
panel) my GPS will "stay" charges on solar but if its more than 20% depleted the panel can NOT recharge it. My blackberry says charging but actually
depletes faster on the solar panel than off (I am assuming I am awakening some power usage as the phone attempts to charge but its not getting enough so
it just ends up using more power than its getting) My Bluetooh G5 seems to like the solar panel just fine. have not had to plug it in for over 3 weeks and its
still going strong. my next step is more power. I think we are going to need at least 600mah of solar panels to get any sort of reliable charging done. maybe
the ipods are more accepting of odd charge levels? (I have not tried to charge my nano like this yet)

Honus says:

Jul 4, 2010. 1:52 PM REPLY

You can't really charge directly from a small solar cell- that's what the battery is for. The solar cell trickle charges the LiPo battery and the LiPo charges
your USB device. That way you leave you leave the solar charger out in the sun and let it charge during the day. At night bring it in and charge your USB
device.

nerys says:

Jul 4, 2010. 3:26 PM REPLY

I know but I hate that method. one more battery to replace. I want to find that magical value of minimum solar panel needed to charge "directly" from
the solar panel. I was hoping the 410mah panel would be enough. it is for some but not for most. this way it will be maintenance free and self
contained for 25-30 years. with a battery pack every 2-3 years I will be replacing that battery. If I go the battery route I want to go AA route using
nimhs. cheap and easy to replace and longer lasting. I usually get 5-7 years out of nimhs. but now I understand how you are charging in 2 hours :-)
makes a lot more sense now. (have not gotten around to reading the whole thing yet My bad :-) they make ones like this for around $8 from china but
they do not work. I have yet to have one work well. so for now the DIY route is still the best route :-)

T8tersalid says:

Jul 4, 2010. 10:11 AM REPLY

How much does this weigh? I will be going on a hiking trip for a week in Yellowstone, and I will need to recharge my camera so it doesn't run out of battery?
If it's somewhat heavy, would there be anyway to make it lighter?

Honus says:

Jul 4, 2010. 12:13 PM REPLY

I don't know the exact weight but it's pretty darn light. I'd guess it's somewhere between 50 to 100 grams. I no longer have mine so I can't weigh it. I'm in
the process of making a new one that is thinner and lighter using SMD components.

T8tersalid says:

Jul 4, 2010. 12:47 PM REPLY

Ok thanks! I'll be making this very soon!

dh405 says:

Jul 4, 2010. 12:15 PM REPLY

Seems odd to build this at such a cost when you can buy the same thing in a pretty decent little package for $18 on DealExtreme.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8222

icecreamterror says:

Jul 4, 2010. 6:19 AM REPLY

Would be nice to see this in true DIY form....without having to buy all the integral parts in a kit from SparkFun, really expensive for people out side the US :(

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

Honus says:

Jul 4, 2010. 9:36 AM REPLY

The big problem with that is most people don't have the ability to make their own circuit boards. All the info is there and the individual parts are readily
available. Both Adafruit and Sparkfun provide schematics and EAGLE files so there's absolutely nothing to stop you from making the entire thing from
scratch. I'm currently making a super small/slim version from scratch for my brother in law for his birthday.

Op-Ivy says:

Jun 20, 2010. 12:39 PM REPLY

Hi Honus, thanks for posting this DIY. It has inspired me to make a charger similar to this!
However I'm having a problem that I was hoping you could help me with. I want to make a very basic ipod charger that does not require batteries to use.
Right now I have the solar panel connected to a 5v regulator and then directly to the ipod. It's a 5th gen nano and I have combined the D+ and D- wires on
the ipod cable but it will not charge! But when I hook up my cell phone to the solar charger it starts charging it!
The weird thing is that I can hook the the connection to a 5v source on my computer and it will start charging! So there must be something wrong with my
circuit.
Does the ipod require a certain milliamp rating to charge? The panel is rated at 150ma at 6V.
I'll be going backpacking for a week in the bush and I would love to get this working! Thanks again for the DIY Honus!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/Op-Ivy/1-1.jpg

Honus says:

Jun 20, 2010. 1:23 PM REPLY

What do you mean by combined the data lines? iPods are pretty finicky about data line interaction so I suspect that may be the culprit. 150mA isn't much
current- and I'm assuming that's if your solar panel is in direct sunlight. The MIntyBooost circuit can provide 400mA so at 150mA it would take a long time
to charge.

Op-Ivy says:

Jun 20, 2010. 2:56 PM REPLY

The data lines have been connected to each other, basically making a loop from the ipod and back to the ipod. After doing some research on the
internet I found that the only way to get it to charge is by doing this. It proved correct after I connected the 5v line from my computer.
I'll try getting another solar panel and upping the amperage. Do you think the reason could be because of the low amperage? It's the only variable
that changes now from hooking it up to the 5v line and hooking it up to the solar panel.
Thanks for your help! :)

Honus says:

Jun 20, 2010. 3:26 PM REPLY

I haven't done anything like this so I honestly have no idea. Looping the data lines back to each other doesn't seem right to me though.

Op-Ivy says:

Jul 3, 2010. 6:58 PM REPLY

So I got it working finally! It ended up taking a few resistors between the two data lines. It ended up needing 2v to the D+ line and 2.7v to the
D- line. Once I had this it started charging! I still have no idea why it was working with the 5v line hooked up to the charger and the data lines
looped. Oh well... Thanks again Honus!

Honus says:

Jul 4, 2010. 9:08 AM REPLY

Good to hear!

pben says:

Jul 4, 2010. 8:42 AM REPLY

Adafruit did a video on iPhone/iPod chargeing at:

http://vimeo.com/12898998
There are two charging rates allowed, which rate is used is determined by the Voltage on the data lines.

Honus says:

Jul 4, 2010. 9:30 AM REPLY

Their "Ask an Engineer" chats are great. I haven't yet had a chance to watch that one.

mdelzo says:

Jun 24, 2010. 12:04 PM REPLY

Honus, What do u think of this solar charger http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-make-portable-solar-powered-usb-charger-with-altoids-191898/ is not as
sophisticated as urs. It doesnt have a diode and the solar panel is only 4V i believe. is that going to cause a problem? thank you :)

Honus says:

Jun 24, 2010. 8:43 PM REPLY

Until I saw some actual numbers on how it performs or a schematic it's hard to say. I have no idea what the current output is so ther's no way to know
how long it would take for it to charge something.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

onitreb says:

Jun 19, 2010. 11:06 PM REPLY

Is it possible to hook up in parallel THREE 5v 100ma solar panels without any modifications to the mightymintyboost circuit? I was thinking of making a 3panel fold-out.
The tools and materials page says the barrel plug connection can only handle 280mA max - but the LiPoly Charger 's MAX1555 "internally limits this to
300mA" on the barrel plug according to the Sparkfun product page.
If THREE 5v 100ma panels is too much for the circuit, what modifications would need to be made/added to make it work?
I'm a noob, but just assembled the kit (w/ 1 5v 100mA panel) and it seems to be working great!

Honus says:

Jun 20, 2010. 1:09 PM REPLY

It's not a problem. The charging circuit will only limit the available current so anything above 300mA is fine- it just limits the charging current to 300mA.

dagenius says:

Jun 19, 2010. 6:26 AM REPLY

I started a very simiar project to this one, but I am making my own circuits. No buying prefabricated ones. The advantage is I know exactly how everything
works. It is a lot more expensive though. I probably have spent more than a commercial solar charger would cost.

speedscate1 says:

May 16, 2010. 8:08 PM REPLY

so I have 3 solar cells that each put out a max of 5v 300mA or so. and I was wondering if I could just wire that straight into an adapter to connect to my
phone, without any circuit boards or batteries. Please let me know if this is possible, and if not then why.

amando96 says:

Jun 3, 2010. 10:05 AM REPLY

You WILL damage your battery/phone or solar cells

Honus says:

May 16, 2010. 11:05 PM REPLY

You could do that but I have no idea if it would work. Some USB devices require a load on the USB data lines in order to charge properly.

stukz says:

May 27, 2010. 6:57 AM REPLY

what is the total coast of all the parts?

Honus says:

May 27, 2010. 10:13 PM REPLY

Look in the FAQ section- it's all there.

dirtysteak says:

May 12, 2010. 9:24 PM REPLY

Thanks Honus for the awesome instructable.

I guess I made the mega mighty minty boost? I used your instructions and the FAQ here to charge the 6ah LiPo battery
(http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8484) with the same charging circuit, and hooked it up to the 2.5 W large solar panel
(http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=7840).
I took your advice and used a 7805 voltage regulator, and hard spliced it in to the same input that you used on the charging board. Worked like a champ on
the first go-around! For those that are interested, pin 1 on the 7805 is the input (solder to red wire from solar panel), pin 2 is ground (solder black wire from
solar panel and solder into GND port that Honus used on the charging circuit for his panel), and pin 3 is the +5V out (solder to the 5V port Honus used)
I am mounting it inside a pelican case (waterproof) with a clear lid, so it can be left outdoors at camp all day long without fear of rain ruining it. There is room
for a couple of phones and a camera in the case, so you can store most of your gadgets in it for safe, waterproof storage while in the outdoors.
I still figure about 20 hrs to fully charge the battery, but I think we should get 4 to 5 charges from it easy once its charged.
Thanks again for the great instructions!

Honus says:

May 13, 2010. 10:57 AM REPLY

That's awesome- glad everything worked out for you!

bearcats2010 says:

May 8, 2010. 6:41 PM REPLY

you can buy the whole thing at makezein.com for 20 bucks

lorddavis6 says:
is it 100% your idea??

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

May 4, 2010. 7:21 AM REPLY

Honus says:

May 4, 2010. 10:41 AM REPLY

Yep. I knew a few people had talked about it but nobody had actually done anything at the time. There were a few companies that were producing
commercially available products at the time that were somewhat similar but not as versatile.

WillTheRescue says:

Apr 24, 2010. 9:35 PM REPLY

Hmm...
I just got a good idea.
I thought instead of using an Altoids tin, I would just grab a small project box from Radio Shack. But I may pick up a few other things.
I think a good "mod" for me would be to add batteries too, and a dpst switch to change between charging with the batteries, or charging with the solar cell!

pyroal says:

May 4, 2010. 8:49 AM REPLY

dood i was thinking the same exact thing and now i just saw your comment and was wonederin if it worked.

lorddavis6 says:

May 4, 2010. 7:20 AM REPLY

i think it,s great project!! i give 5/5 for it! :)

LightsAction says:

Apr 27, 2010. 12:47 PM REPLY

I am happily working on this project now. I wanted to make it as compact as possible with minimal holes in the tin to prevent dust from getting in (hello
desert). I managed to squeeze the boards in there so the USB (A) is fully on the inside with a tight slot that the male USB just fits. The barrel just fits into a
drilled hole on the other side. Do I need to worry about shorting from contact with the connectors to the Altoids case?
ps. I used sticky-back velcro on all the parts so I can readily interchange them later if I want to use them with other projects. Thanks for the very clear
instructable.

Honus says:

Apr 27, 2010. 6:19 PM REPLY

As long as there's enough room for it to move around without coming into contact with the tin you should be just fine.

moclov555 says:

Apr 25, 2010. 7:11 PM REPLY

Hi thanks for the instructable, i got all the parts this morning and worked on it all day and i'm having some trouble. Let me first say that i am building the
mintyboost from scratch (first on breadboard) with all the parts from the mintyboost website. When i plug an ipod into the mintyboost circuit alone (powered
by AAs), the ipod charges normally, but when i try to use it with the LiPo and sparkfun charger the ipod doesn't register that anything is connected and will
not charge. I measured 4.25 volts between pins 1 and 4 of the usb and about 3.11 volts on each data pin. Also when i use the LiPo with the mintyboost the
power inductor gets really hot and when i use the AAs it barely gets warm. I measured the output of the LiPo usb charger and got 4 volts without anything
plugged into it (except the LiPo battery) and 3.967 volts with the minty boost circuit and ipod plugged in (even though the ipod does not say its charging.)
Even stranger is that the voltage continued to drop; 3.966,3.965,3.964, about every second (indicating to me that either the ipod battery is charging or the
inductor is draining it through all of the heat it's generating). The mintyboost is designed to have a 3 volt input and the LiPo is giving it more than it needs. I'm
confident that my mintyboost circuit is correct because it works perfectly when i use it with AAs, the problems only occur when i bring in the LiPo side.
Sorry for this rambling comment but i could really use some help.
Thanks!

Honus says:

Apr 26, 2010. 6:09 AM REPLY

At this point I have no idea what is happening. I know of multiple instances where people have used a LiPo to power a MIntyBoost and haven't had any
problems whatsover so it seems as if something is funky with your MIntyBoost circuit or possibly component selection- the inductor never got hot on
mine. I'd give the Adafruit forums a try.

gnogni says:

Apr 23, 2010. 2:50 AM REPLY

hello boys, you are truly strong.

I would want to connect the panel from 7 v to my pod directly.
I understand least of electronics.
It is necessary only a voltage regulator from 7.805?
You can help me?
Thanks from Italy.

Honus says:

Apr 23, 2010. 6:14 AM REPLY

Yes, that is essentially correct. Have a look here:

http://yosemiteoutside.com/m/Blogs/02EA4A6B-8893-4F3E-87A8-C1E4B24C3AAB.html
However I will mention that you may need to add two 100k resistors (or 15k resistors if it's an older model iPod) to the USB data lines in order for the
iPod to charge properly. I would try it without the resistors first but sometimes the iPod will not recognize that it is being charged without them.

gnogni says:
Then could be loaded also a normal mobile phone?
I have on hand of the cells from 6 inches, is possible to cut them and glue them to the back of I telephone?
How to connect them to the battery?

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/

Apr 23, 2010. 7:28 AM REPLY

Honus says:

Apr 23, 2010. 11:37 AM REPLY

That I do not know. I have never cut cells before.

antmanadam says:

Jan 16, 2010. 1:01 PM REPLY

Could you make one without the battrie and make so it is just solar.

dorkiedoode says:

Mar 26, 2010. 3:25 PM REPLY

also want to know this as well

andrew gartrell says:

Mar 28, 2010. 9:51 AM REPLY

You could, but why would you want to? It would require different wiring and you would not need the charge controller or the mintyboost. This would
be cheaper but you may need a different type of charge controller. In other words this only works when it is in the sun. With the battery you could
charge wihout being in the sun.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Might/