has anyone tried using a modified usb cable to charge their 3pi?
basically just snipping the end off an old usb cable and using the red and black cables soldered to a male connector and plug them into the charger port on the 3pi with a suitable program to monitor and been when charged?
We have not heard of people doing this. In general, charging NiMH batteries is difficult and requires complex chargers. I do not think you will be able to do this with a standard USB cable.
i realize these are a little more complicated that what I was suggesting, but only a little.
I just don’t fancy paying loads of money if I can get away with it!
although i don’t want to set my 3pi on fire…
Do you think something like these would do the trick?
Those chargers can only charge two cells at a time. It will probably be much more difficult to charge the 3pi from a USB port since the voltage of four batteries is higher than what USB delivers. If you are looking for a cheap solution for charging the batteries, I suggest getting a stand-alone AA/AAA battery charger and charging the batteries while they are removed from the 3pi.