Guide to powering your DGT Projects chess board WITHOUT carrying a computer with you..............

WHY? 

I can carry the battery pack/usb hub with me to play and not have to have a laptop.  Plus, I can fit it, the pieces and the clock in the wooden case that came wit it.

HOW?

I bought a Battery powered/rechargable CyperPower USB hub from Best Buy.  Also, a 4 - AA battery holder, wire clip for the holder, and some double-faced tape.  The USB hub comes with a Female to Male USB cable that you use.

1. I used a Dremel to cut out the inside of the top of the hub and a notch in the back.  This just helps to relieve stress on the cord the way I mounted it.  You can do without.
2. Cut the Female to Male USB cable and strip back the wires.  I used black tape a taped off the white wire, green wire, and ground shield so they wouldn't touch each other.  Then, I dabbed solder to connect the red and black wires to the battery clip wires.  Black taped the connections to keep them separate.
3. Used 4 AA batteries in the holder and double-face taped the battery holder to the back to allow the unit to sit at an angle.  This way you can see the lights. If the Blue and/or Red light goes out, the board will no longer have power to save the games.
4. Connect the battery clip to the holder and attach the female USB side of the cable to the Male cable on the USB hub.  The BLUE light on the hub should go on.  You'll need the AAA batteries in the CyperPower hub to be recharged or use standard AAA batteries.  Turn on the small switch on the right side of the hub and the RED light on the hub will appear.  Now plug in the USB cable from your USB DGT Projects Chess Board and setup/play your games.

I have been using this for a couple weeks and about ten hours.  It's worked fine so far.  I play at least five hours a week, so in coming weeks I'll post more.

The principal?

The board needs +5 Volts DC.  However, when I tested just putting 5 volts on the board via the USB cable directly, it didn't work.  I'm not sure why.  So then, I found this CyberPower USB hub and thought it was the answer.... Well, it doesn't do anything till it's attached to a PC.  So then I thought about trying 5 volts on the hub and then plug the board into the hub... That worked!  So I built this.

I assume not responsibility for you trying this, but it worked for me.  Long live DGT Projects and their fine work.  Perhaps they'll add a battery feature to their boards someday. 

Submitted - Britt Braswell

PS. Thanks to Ben Bulsink at DGT Projects for motivating me with his kind emails.