[lotuseclat79]

How to Make Your Own Battery-Powered Gadget Chargers (2 web pages).

With a few AA batteries and $5 worth of parts, anybody can cobble together an emergency cellphone charger. Here's how to do it, and how to extend your charger-building skills to work on digital cameras, laptops and even power tools.

-- Tom

[JohnWill]

I prefer to simply carry an extra battery for cameras and cellphones. MUCH more compact, and the batteries are dirt cheap nowadays.

[cwwozniak]

These days, it might be easier to find a store selling one of these external battery packs than finding a Radio Shack store. You don't need to wait for the battery to charge before using the phone either since these will power the phone as well. Much safer too, since you are using the phone's charging electronics to limit the current to the battery.

http://www.energizer.com/products/en...e-charger.aspx

[guy2]

memories

i used to build them things ,they never looked very good because could never find a dam battery holster ,used aluminum foil as the contacts and duck tap as the holster

[Soundy]

I have two of these, since I found them at a local liquidation store for $10 each:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-9959437-58.html

They have a USB power port, and a 120VAC outlet... charge off AC or 12VDC (car adapter). Compact (about the size of two king-size packs of smokes, but thinner), and works great, too. Can't beat it for the price!