1.2-1.5v step-up to 5v

[zeturi]

Just thought to myself: Sure, they're inefficient, would be horrible for battery life, but what the Heck!

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-icharge-EMERGEN ... 5194086f9d

This is a small enclosure that holds a single AA, and uses a step-up regulator to put out 5v. This one put's out 5.4v when I use a standard alkaline (1.5v) or a Ni-MH (1.2v). My step up stops working when the AA voltage goes down to 1.07v. If we are still competing for the world's smallest portables, this ain't too bad of an idear.

Now since I'm not building portables really, I just decided to share this little tidbit to help out you folks who do.

 

[Mario]

A GBC inverter can take down to 2.5v and spit out 5v at a few hundred mA. I used it in Stella. It's about 90% efficient, too.

 

[Mako321]

A GBC inverter can take down to 2.5v and spit out 5v at a few hundred mA. I used it in Stella. It's about 90% efficient, too.

Interesting, very interesting... *strokes nonexistant beard*