Hacking the $ Store Lamp Into a Usb Lamp
by aaahotdog in Circuits > USB
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Hacking the $ Store Lamp Into a Usb Lamp
I was at Dollar Tree and found a nice little lamp that would make a nice USB computer lamp. Here is what I did
Materials needed.
1. Lamp from Dollar Tree
2. USB cable from Dollar Tree
3. 12 ohm resistor from Radio Shack Catalog #: 55049314
4. Soldering iron, solder, and flux
5. Electrical tape
6. Standard hand tools
1. Lamp from Dollar Tree
2. USB cable from Dollar Tree
3. 12 ohm resistor from Radio Shack Catalog #: 55049314
4. Soldering iron, solder, and flux
5. Electrical tape
6. Standard hand tools
1. Open the case by removing 4 screws on bottom
2. Snip the resistor on the terminal side (not the switch side)
3. Snip the red lamp wire from the battery terminal
2. Snip the resistor on the terminal side (not the switch side)
3. Snip the red lamp wire from the battery terminal
Snip end of USB cable. Prepare the red and black wires for soldering.
1. Solder black USB wire to the snipped end of lamp resistor.
2. Solder the 12 ohm resistor to the red lamp wire on one end
3. Solder the other end of resistor to the red USB wire
4. Insulate bare electrical connections with electrical tape or hot glue.
5. You may need to snip a hole into lamp case to run usb cable out.
2. Solder the 12 ohm resistor to the red lamp wire on one end
3. Solder the other end of resistor to the red USB wire
4. Insulate bare electrical connections with electrical tape or hot glue.
5. You may need to snip a hole into lamp case to run usb cable out.
Reassemble and test. I went outside and filled the battery compartment with small pebbles for ballast so it won't tip over as easily.
Enjoy. For those of you who need to know the electrical specs. Here they are. Originally the 3 AA batteries produced 4.5 volts. The 12 ohm resistor decreases the 5 volt USB to a little less than 4.5 volts for the lamp. Total current draw that I observed was about 88ma.