Sometimes you are faced with the problem that a radio has lost its charger or is defective. The “Frank-N-Stein” project created exactly such a case. An old radio without a charger was equipped with a 2S 1A Type C charger board, which can now charge the battery via USB-C. With a maximum charging power of 1 amp, the battery is charged a little slower, but is treated more gently – this protects its service life.
The implementation: The charger board was soldered directly to the battery and wrapped in a suitable shrink tube to protect the electronics. To anchor everything firmly, a clever combination of duct tape and hot glue was used. This keeps the battery stable and the charger sits securely. From now on, the battery can be easily charged via a USB-C port without having to rely on the original charger.
The charger board is easy and inexpensive to find online, especially in well-known Chinese shops. The tip: It’s best to order several in stock, as you can implement similar projects quickly and cheaply.
Continuation of a desktop charger: In addition to the radio, an old desktop charger was also converted in the same way. The charger was no longer functional, but with the charger board it can now also be operated via USB-C. A simple and inexpensive way to revive old devices.
Advantage of USB-C: The big plus about this solution is that almost everyone has a USB-C cable on hand these days. Whether at work, in the car or when traveling – you always have a universal USB-C charging cable with you. This means that radio devices can be charged easily and conveniently on the go, without special power supplies or cables. The cost of the board was around €1.
This simple conversion not only restores the charging capability of old radio devices, but also significantly improves charging convenience – according to the motto: Easy charging for reliable communication!