Charger for palm inside cassette cover

[junglemike]

Wanted to share a method i made a charger for my friend's T|E (also Zire72) which is made inside a cassette cover. It is small, light, doesn't have any cables going out of it. It works EXACTLY as Palm's original charger.
You can use it for any palm, not only TE/z72. You just need appropriate connector.
Charger scheme is very simple. It contains of 6 rechargable batteries (doesn't matter what capacity, just make all cells have equal capacity). It contains a Lm317 chip and 2 resistors. In this case (R1=326ohms, R2=1000ohms)
this scheme is taken from datasheet of Lm317 (lm117) which you can find in google.
Here is the simple scheme:
http://junglemike.pisem.net/scheme.jpg
Full scheme - so you can see where to connect everything:
http://junglemike.nm.ru/full_scheme.jpg
I didn't buy a new batteries. I had many old and unused rechargable batteries in the house. So i used them instead.
http://junglemike.pisem.net/new_te_charger.jpg
This is how the lm317+2resistors connection looks :
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_1.jpg
In order to charge this battery pack - you need to find any working adapter in the house, at least 9volts and 0.3Ampers. It could be an adapter from phone/radiotape/mobile, or anything else.
I used a charger from old mobile 12v 0.5A. So i needed to by a sutable connector for this adapter (0.8$) :
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_2.jpg
Than i made a simple charger for this battery pack - just a single resistor (R3) It's value depends on voltage of your adaptor, and on how fast you want your battery pack to be charged ( not faster than 2 hours)
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_3.jpg
Lm317 chip and R3 are heating pretty well and spreading much heat. So i needed to install a small heatsink for both Lm317 and R3.

http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_4.jpg
Than i boutht a connector that sutes for T|E (1.2$).
I made this connector in such way, so you can put it inside so no wires will be falling out of the box. See here:
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_6.jpg
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_7.jpg
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_5.jpg
Actually this is not my idea. I "stole" this idea from my cardreader. I find it very useful and easy for transportation.
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_8.jpg
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_9.jpg
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_10.jpg


This scheme provides 5.11v. - same as own adaptor. Also LM317 made in such way, so it' won't let the current flow in reverse direction. So , for example when your battery pack is empty, and charger can no longer provide appropriate voltage, than just notheing will heppen. Charging process will simply stop. This very battery on the picture is enough for one full charge. But of course you can put much larger batteries, say, 2200mah - In this case it would be enough for 1-2 normal week use or for 2-3 full chargers (from 0 to 100%)
Here's how charger looks in "action" - it is charging a friend's Tungsten|E
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_11.jpg
By the way, notheing stops you from using same charger for any other electronic device, for example your mobile phone. Even if your mobile phone is using another voltage, and another connector. You just need to add another couple of (R1,R2) and appropriate connector.

[Syncer]

Wow! That's fantastic. However, being an accountancy student, i have absolutely no idea abt the process you described. Do you think it's possible for you to sell me one?

[Legodude522]

Junglemike, thats really cool. Do you think you can make me one? I have a Tapwave Zodiac. I will pay. How much could shipping from Israel to US be?

[pgenie]

Wanted to share a method i made a charger for my friend's T|E (also Zire72) which is made inside a cassette cover. It is small, light, doesn't have any cables going out of it. It works EXACTLY as Palm's original charger.
You can use it for any palm, not only TE/z72. You just need appropriate connector.
Charger scheme is very simple. It contains of 6 rechargable batteries (doesn't matter what capacity, just make all cells have equal capacity). It contains a Lm317 chip and 2 resistors. In this case (R1=326ohms, R2=1000ohms)
this scheme is taken from datasheet of Lm317 (lm117) which you can find in google.
Here is the simple scheme:
http://junglemike.pisem.net/scheme.jpg
Full scheme - so you can see where to connect everything:
http://junglemike.nm.ru/full_scheme.jpg
I didn't buy a new batteries. I had many old and unused rechargable batteries in the house. So i used them instead.
http://junglemike.pisem.net/new_te_charger.jpg
This is how the lm317+2resistors connection looks :
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_1.jpg
In order to charge this battery pack - you need to find any working adapter in the house, at least 9volts and 0.3Ampers. It could be an adapter from phone/radiotape/mobile, or anything else.
I used a charger from old mobile 12v 0.5A. So i needed to by a sutable connector for this adapter (0.8$) :
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_2.jpg
Than i made a simple charger for this battery pack - just a single resistor (R3) It's value depends on voltage of your adaptor, and on how fast you want your battery pack to be charged ( not faster than 2 hours)
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_3.jpg
Lm317 chip and R3 are heating pretty well and spreading much heat. So i needed to install a small heatsink for both Lm317 and R3.

http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_4.jpg
Than i boutht a connector that sutes for T|E (1.2$).
I made this connector in such way, so you can put it inside so no wires will be falling out of the box. See here:
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_6.jpg
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_7.jpg
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_5.jpg
Actually this is not my idea. I "stole" this idea from my cardreader. I find it very useful and easy for transportation.
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_8.jpg
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_9.jpg
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_10.jpg


This scheme provides 5.11v. - same as own adaptor. Also LM317 made in such way, so it' won't let the current flow in reverse direction. So , for example when your battery pack is empty, and charger can no longer provide appropriate voltage, than just notheing will heppen. Charging process will simply stop. This very battery on the picture is enough for one full charge. But of course you can put much larger batteries, say, 2200mah - In this case it would be enough for 1-2 normal week use or for 2-3 full chargers (from 0 to 100%)
Here's how charger looks in "action" - it is charging a friend's Tungsten|E
http://junglemike.pisem.net/TE_charger_11.jpg
By the way, notheing stops you from using same charger for any other electronic device, for example your mobile phone. Even if your mobile phone is using another voltage, and another connector. You just need to add another couple of (R1,R2) and appropriate connector.

need to talk to u privately..add me to ur yahoo...buddy_luv0@yahoo.fr

[Zire72 Twidget]

JungleMike: As an ex-Navy special projects electronics technician, you're a man after my own heart! Using a cassette case for this little project is a master touch.

Here's a possible alternate to consider: Approx. 20 years ago while working in a remote Alaskan construction site for over a year, I amused myself by carrying a small scanner in my pocket so I could listen in on company gossip.

Disappointed that one set of two "AA" rechargeable batteries would only last for the first 6 hours of a 10-hour shift, I soldered two "D" cell alkaline batteries in series (2 cells at 1.5v apiece made a 3-volt package), wrapped some duct tape around them, plugged them into the external 3v power socket on the scanner, stuck the whole works into a large pocket in my work-jacket, and ran an earphone wire up to my ear.

Guess how long those two alkaline "D" cells powered that scanner, compared to the wimpy 6 hours' endurance of two rechargeable "AA" cells?

MORE THAN 30 DAYS, AT 10+ HOURS EVERY DAY. (300+ hours) That's 50 times longer than one charge of the "AA" rechargeables.

Depending on one's personal space requirements it might be better to downsize to alkaline "C" cells for portability's sake, which would still last at least 20-30 times longer than the "AA" rechageables.

Note that a single rechargeable battery only produces approx. 1.2 volts, while an alkaline battery produces approximately 1.5 volts. With that in mind, the suggested six rechargeable batteries (connected in series) as mentioned in this thread, totals up to 7.2 volts, while just five alkaline batteries (connected in series) would add up to 7.5 volts, which would be acceptable.

A Zire72 charges up nicely with only 5 volts on its input dc line, so you could use either 4 or 5 alkaline batteries for this experiment. For example, the smallest battery pack I'd use would contain four "AA" alkaline batteries (producing 6 volts), which would still last several times longer than a rechargeable "AA" set. The largest pack I'd use would be five "D" cells, which would give impressive endurance per my previous experience.

With the above numbers, a very rough estimate of the most robust alkaline battery-pack life, could be between one and two months of full-time Zire72 usage.

Considering that the reason to use rechargeable batteries is supposedly to save money, then the extended cost of 5-6 large alkaline batteries (at Costco or other discount stores) would be inexpensive enough to allow you to ignore the hassle of rechargeables.

You can find hobbyist battery-containers plus the necessary wire & plug at Radio Shack. (Make sure it's wired so the positive voltage is on the tip of the plug, and the negative is on the outside sleeve.) It would be easy to make up several such battery packs and keep one for a spare, because they have a nice long shelf-life.

There are other new high-capacity batteries one could also try besides alkaline, but this gives you a rough yardstick from which to begin. From my personal experience, rechargeable batteries are just too wimpy to fiddle with.

Regards,

Tom

[BuRnN]

nice post and ideal it is posible to replace the connector by a usb connector that way i could use it with my T3 ?

[techno nerd]

sure why not.

where there are 2 things the + and the -, like the ones that go out to the tungsten E /zire 72

http://pinouts.ru/Slots/USB_pinout.shtml

the first picture at the top on the right is a female usb port,
put the positive on i think the first pin and the negative on the 4th.

or just strip a T3 connector or w/e palm you said you are using, and connect what i think in there would be the RED cable to the + from the cassette case and the BLACK to the - of the cassette case.

[techno nerd]

and also i like this schematic for just to look at.

http://pinouts.ru/PDA/palm_m125_pinout.shtml

AH what is this? 3.2 100mA out put from the T3? ahhh, he he he....a scheme is launching.

[BuRnN]

Thanks techno nerf and sorry for the late response i have forget this thread :(