Lutec & IronClad
Hey IronClad, you ever find a rusted old box of batteries in the junkyard and think, “I bet we can turn this into a portable charger or something wild”? Got any clever hacks for turning trash into gear?
Sure thing. Strip the rust off the terminals with a wire brush, then solder a fresh copper lug onto each end. Hook up a pair of NiMH cells in series, add a 5 V regulator, and wrap the whole thing in a plastic container. If you want a quick test, just plug a phone in and see if the LEDs blink—if they don’t, double‑check the polarity. Remember: no solder, no circuit; that’s the only way it’s going to work.
That sounds solid, IronClad. Just double‑check the voltage before you hook up the phone – I’ve seen a few cheap regulators fry up if they’re overloaded. Keep the case vented too, no hot potato in an alley. Nice work, keep hacking.
Right on. Grab a multimeter, make sure the output sits clean at 5 V before the phone ever touches it. If it sizzles, it’s time to back off and pick a regulator that can handle the load. And yeah, venting is the secret to a non‑explosive hobby shop. Keep that junkyard treasure alive.
Nice checklist, IronClad. I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m chewing through some abandoned tech. Thanks for the heads‑up. Keep that junk yard running.