TV Remote modification - make wireless charging. Possible?

Thread Starter

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,852
Just sitting here with the TV remote on the arm of the chair. It's in the way so I was going to set it on the table next to the chair, likely on top of the wireless charging pad for my cell phone. I have several used but still good cell phone batteries and am wondering if I could adapt one of those batteries into my TV remote and then buy one of those wireless charger receivers that can turn an ordinary cell phone into a cordless charging cell phone.

The remote takes two AA batteries. a.k.a. 3 volts. 3.2 volts with fresh batteries. A cell phone battery is 3.8 volts. So I'm wondering if I had one of those charger kits if I could modify my TV remote to house a small cell phone battery and one of those coils. Then I could set it on top of the charger and always have a charged TV remote.

Believe me, this is more a question than a plan to build. But if it's easy enough why not?
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,280
Certainly it's possible.
But I only have to change the batteries in my TV remote perhaps every two years or so, (and I use my remote a lot), so I don't see the point of doing it.
 

Thread Starter

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,852
More of a question than a plan. Just wondering if I could do it. That way every two years I can go out to dinner with the money I saved. At McDonalds. Maybe get some french fries. Small.

Sometimes we take on projects NOT because they're practical, but to see if it can be done. Or if we want to learn something in the process. I certainly have plenty of batteries for my remote. The thing I hate about my remote is that after a few months (closer to a year) I have to get real specific at pointing the remote at the TV because the batteries are weakening. That and my wife likes to set stuff on top of things, including the remote which makes it sit there and shine a light at nothing for hours on end. She's notorious for running down my mouse batteries too. HEY! Cordless Charging for my MOUSE! IT takes two AA batteries as well. Though I might not have an old cell phone battery small enough. But I have recently heard about rechargeable coin cell batteries. They'll fit.
 

Thread Starter

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,852
This year. But in the short few years to come things will change for the worse. So maybe I should invest now while I still have "The Big Bucks". I just might need cordless charging on everything. Even my cane.
 

dendad

Joined Feb 20, 2016
4,451
I'm so tempted to enter into this now political debate as one looking from the outside, but I'd better not ;)
Still, on the recharging, maybe just add a solar panel strip from an old calculator to the remote. Anything being powered would really defeat any savings as the cost of running the power would far out way any batters cost.
It may be worth playing around with energy harvesting. Do you have a strong local radio station? If so, a "crystal set" type of receiver may generate enough to trickle charge the batteries.
 

Thread Starter

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,852
maybe just add a solar panel strip from an old calculator to the remote. • • • Do you have a strong local radio station? If so, a "crystal set" type of receiver may generate enough to trickle charge the batteries.
Honestly, it was a silly notion. The cordless charging pad is sitting right here. It's not about saving money or reducing the need to change batteries, not as much as it was a silly notion to just toss the remote onto the charging pad and let it charge from there.

I like to grab stuff I'm saving for "Gaud Knows What" (GKW) and turn it into something that is actually going to get used. Right now my cat is acting like a table for my keyboard, since she insists on sleeping on my lap.

As for the political stuff - - - American politics are a source of humor. You gotta laugh at what's being done. It's laugh or end it all. And I don't think DDFT is worth hurting myself over. (The first D is "Donald" and the T is "Trump". Use your imagination for the other two letters) Nuff bout dat!
 

-live wire-

Joined Dec 22, 2017
959
I think you should tap into the three phase industrial power lines and broadacast electromagnetic feilds at many, many kWs to charge your remote from across the room.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
Politics aside and back on topic, can you do it? Yes, it can be done with relative ease. Just a matter of it's worth doing? I change the batteries in my wife's mouse much more often than the TV remote so logically I should get her a mouse which can easily, wireless be recharged. The cable box remote just has a lower priority.

Ron
 

-live wire-

Joined Dec 22, 2017
959
You need a mouse that has motors and drives over to the charging port. And why not have a drone programmed to pick it up and charge you batteries? Why is everyone missing the obvious solutions?
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,280
I should get her a mouse which can easily, wireless be recharged.
I have a Sharkk compact wireless mouse which I use for quite a few hours daily, and it uses only one AA battery which lasts for many months.
I often use batteries I've removed from other devices that stopped operating but still have an open-circuit voltage of 1.2-1.3V, and they will last for several months in the mouse.
It will run the battery down to about 0.9V before you have to replace it.
It has an auto shutoff so you don't have to worry about leaving it on. A mouse click wakes it up.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
I have a Sharkk compact wireless mouse which I use for quite a few hours daily, and it uses only one AA battery which lasts for many months.
I often use batteries I've removed from other devices that stopped operating but still have an open-circuit voltage of 1.2-1.3V, and they will last for several months in the mouse.
It will run the battery down to about 0.9V before you have to replace it.
It has an auto shutoff so you don't have to worry about leaving it on. A mouse click wakes it up.
Real good example of getting all we can before trashing a battery.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,852
I think you should tap into the three phase industrial power lines and broadacast electromagnetic feilds at many, many kWs to charge your remote from across the room.
You sound like Nikoli Tesla. He had that idea many years ago.

Look! We can be silly about this. We can try to be practical about it or we can just be completely insane with things. All I said was that this was a notion. Sometimes we do something just to see if we can manage to do it. That doesn't mean it's practical. Rube Goldberg machines are the epitome of impractical, yet people build them just for the fun of it. It's possible to have a nuclear powered TV remote if one wants to go that far. It's just that I happen to have the wireless charger sitting right here at my table and the thought crossed my mind of putting a cell phone battery into a remote and then hooking it up to a wireless charge receiver. I believe all things can be done. That doesn't mean they all SHOULD be done. It was a passing thought. Now I find people blasting me for being impractical because they rarely change batteries in their remotes. Well, I don't often replace mine either. It wasn't out of necessity that this mother gave birth (the idea) it was out of curiosity and the thought of provoking a discussion.

One job I had I worked in a steel shop where they had huge sub-arc welding machines which created gigantic loops of magnetic energy. I bet my phone would charge just being close to the welder. But that doesn't mean I want to put a giant welder in my basement so my cell phones can always be fully charged. So lets be a little less critical of thinking outside the box and embrace ideas. Some ideas may prove to be impractical but they may spawn other ideas that can turn out to be revolutionary.

At this point I'm sorry I said anything. But I won't let some stifle my creative thoughts.
a mouse that has motors and drives over to the charging port
Funny. "/
 

mcgyvr

Joined Oct 15, 2009
5,394
You can certainly do it..
One potential issue is will the remote not like the slightly higher voltage fed into it.. Typically a device is designed to work with a specific percentage over its normal operating voltage.. Its also designed for the specific battery type/chemistry which specifies that voltage range.. Now you are outside of that and may need to also do something to step that voltage down some to remain in the safe operating range..
But the remote (outside of its voltage requirements) doesn't care if its being powered by AA or cell phone batteries or fireflies in a jar.. Outside of that there is no reason you can't use a cell phone battery..

Of course they also make rechargable AA batteries and that will be cheaper compared to the wireless charging device likely but I know this is a "pie in the sky" deal here so thats just easy/boring..
 
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