Thanks for sharing this. I've just done this successfully using the same board you're using and a 64GB CF card on a 15GB model. I seem to get much higher charging rates though at 900ma most of the time, sometimes peaking over 1.5a - I used 24AWG solid core copper wires. The transistor that the 5v is hooked to has a very thin trace running into that via and capacitor (C88?), I ran some extra wire over that via. Something else I've done is the voltage converter sits inside the rubber mat by the CF card and the wires push its PCB upwards, I put a thermal pad on the flat side of the PCB which then has a loose thermal pad that hopefully presses against the metal back. It certainly seems to get warm so that could also help with higher currents :)
Been searching for videos on this, found your video from a year ago just now and was delighted to see this one posted just yesterday! Awesome tutorial.
Love this! Everything "retro" should be brought back with USB. I would have gone the extra mile and replace the old hard drive with one of these SD cards adapters. And maybe even add USB-C. :) BTW, you should use kapton tape rather than electrical tape because with time it becomes gooey and it's a mess, while Kapton tape remains stable.
WARNING! These steps are correct but not in the right order! DO NOT attempt to use a metal tool to disconnect the hard drive or anything else in the iPod without first unplugging the battery!
I have an idea about another approach. What about using usb charging controller like from ZY12PDN board? So it will be able to ask for various voltages from USB charger, including 12v. This board or just the controller itself can be retrofitted inside, and bypass 12v to FireWire circuitry itself as in your mod. It will be better as the up-voltage conversion will be done on the USB charger side, this means far more efficient and with the less heat inside the iPod. What do you think?
Did anyone else successfully apply this mod yet? I've tried it on my 3rd gen Classic iPod and it doesn't work for me. Using a regular 2A 5V USB power adapter, I get 11.9v at the buck converter if the battery isn't attached, with the battery attached it drops to 9.8v - and doesn't show as battery being charged. Tried a different fully charged battery, no change. Tried another buck converter, same thing. If I attach the official Firewire charger the voltage on the buck converter stays at 11.9v with or without the battery attached - and it shows charging normally. Also tried a different USB charger and attached to an iMac's USB port, neither trigger charging... I've got a little stack of these 3rd gen iPods I'd like to mod, will try with some other units tomorrow.
update: I hacked apart a regular iPod 5V USB charging cable. Moved the pins around in the 30 pin header plug so pins now in positions 30+29 (12v gnd) and 20+19(12v+). Wired 5v into buck converter from USB plug, 12V out to the 30 pin adapter and it charges the 3rd gen iPod. So the buck converter works fine externally.
@@timrustige7175 Hi Tim and thanks for the interesting comments - perhaps a dumb question, but have you tried different USB cables while having the converter installed internally, or different wires for connecting the converter? I wonder if it's possible that the USBcable is either damaged or poorly made, or that the wires you used are too thin, and so the combined resistance results in a big voltage drop at the converter input?
Hi, Great video look forward to more. When the iPod is charged are you able to sync with itunes etc with lowered powered/standard usb ports with any issues? Is it still safe to charge via FireWire charger? Can I also ask you to comment on the quality/battery life of the battery linked in the description
I only tried one older laptop with low powered ports and that failed to sync. Regarding the FireWire charger, it should be safe to charge with it after this modification.
As someone who is inexperienced with these mods, this just converts the extra amperage of a modern charger and converts that to a higher voltage signal for the iPod to take, right?
Hi! Not the amperage, but the voltage. USB standard is 5 volts, firewire is 12 volts. The Ipod connector supports both, but inside the ipod, the charging circuit is connected only to the 12 volt firewire input. This modification effectively connects the USB input power to the firewire charging circuit.
@@joepmichael The wire i used is from an old usb charging cable with a broken plug, no need to buy something specifically for the modification as the currents are very low here and anything rated >300-500mA will work. You can also use thicker magnet wire - this may help if doing other mods, to potentially save a bit of space.
what awg wire do u use? sorry if this was mentioned in the video and i just didn’t catch it 😭 this is such a simple and useful mod that immediately turned this into my favorite gen of ipod
thank you bro, im looking for 2 days this info about the ipod charging voltage, in my case its the reverse problem, im looking for a use a old ipod spaker 12v dock station with my ipod touch 2ndG, but shows "charge its no avilable with this accesory" and my bluetooth dock adapters don't work either in this dock, but and i see in the specs of the bluetooth adapter that only works with 5v, now i think that i need a 12v to 5v 30 pin adapter, thank for sharing.
Does anyone know if it would also work if I spliced the same board in the middle of a usb to 30 pin cable? Im much more comfortable with the possibility of wrecking just a wire rather than my whole Ipod. TIA!
Its for setting the correct voltage output of the upconverter board, but if you ordered specifically a 5v to 12v board, it should already come preconfigured correctly. If you have a multimeter, just check that the voltage on the output pins is around 12 volts, that should be sufficient. Good luck!
I did the same as you described, but after the installation it seems my hard disk meets problems. Sometimes I can sync the iPod to my Mac, sometimes not, and I am often stuck in disk mode for no reason. Can it be caused by my fragile soldering skills ? Great video btw
Thanks for the comment! Have you tried using a different computer? It is possible that the usb port power output of the mac you have is not sufficient. Alternatively, you could try using a powered USB hub which may also help.
Do you know what type of connector is needed to wire into the front panel of the 3g? Its the 15 pin socket from front panel to motherboard, but I can't find any sort of ribbon to dip so I can easily wire
Unfortunately, the modification does not work quite well. I have an issue, that when i try to charge the iPod by usb, the iPod boots itself and after some seconds the GUI freezes. The GUI starts working again as soon as I remove the (USB) charging cable.
im sorry to hear it doesnt work well for you! Can you try a different (new) cable, and a more powerful usb port? I had the same problem you describe when trying to use it with an old desktop PC that only has 500mA usb 2.0 ports
Hi excellent video and tutorial. Just one question, firewire charging with this modification will work as well? I mean after this mod can I charge it with usb or firewire? thanks for reply
I’m thinking, if I add a diode to the 12v output line from the step up converter, wouldn’t that allow it to charge both via USB and FireWire? Since it would stop the current from going back into the converter when plugged into a FireWire cable.
Hi there! I made this modification, but it didn’t work quite well. So with the 12V step up converter still in place, I charged the iPod by FireWire without any problems.
hello .. I have the same problem with my first iPod .. it doesn’t charge either from the charger or from the computer .. I even took it to the service center and they didn’t help me with anything .. maybe you can help me with something .. thanks in advance
The problem is not just the specification, which cannot be met at 5V. As soon as the device is connected to firewire, the mainboard would be destroyed.
it's definitely possible, but would not be easy to fit inside, as you can see the space is rather limited. The best option to go if you want to try a bluetooth mod is to do a solid state conversion, that may give enough space to add a bluetooth transmitter too
I'm curious, would the firewire charging still work after this modification? Cause I have an original firewire charger with the dock that I got with a 4th gen monochrome, which is why I've been able to charge the 3rd gen that I just got recently. Rather than having like 2 cables for charging, would it possible to still use the firewire charger through the dock while I use USB with a wall adapter at work or when traveling for example?
That is an excellent question that i don't have an answer to, sadly! it could be tested though, if you apply 12v to the output of the dc boost converter, and no voltage appears on the input, then i think it would be safe to connect the firewire charger
My iPod is acting up weird after doing this mod. I can charge via USB now but after a few seconds the screen freezes or is turned off until I unplug it. I have checked everything and there are definitely no shorts. How is yours doing until today?
I dont use mine very frequently, but what you describe could be caused by a charger that's not powerful enough, or a bad converter pcb that might be causing too much noise in some way. I recommend trying a more powerful USB port on your pc if you have any (usually marked as "fast charging"). Also, have you done any other mods, like the solid state mod? Depending on the components that may also cause weird hangups in the ipod
@@TheRepairLair It's charging without any problems or freezes on my pc and my 3rd Gen is running a iFlash 4th Gen converter + iFlash Solo currently with only 32GB only. It literally just froze when plugged to any USB charger. I have tried the original apple ipod charger and a higher capacity charger with the same results. I can try another converter since I have ordered 5 though. I have used different thick cable to wire on which could also be a problem but I'm not a electrician it's just a guess.
The wires shouldn't cause any problems, that of i'm certain. If you still have the original hdd, could you try usb charging with the original hdd installed and see if that works?
hi, I did everything as you showed, but there was a problem, the player began to hang, the charge indicator works after 15 seconds and then the phone hangs until you take out the usb connector (there is a flash card in the player, the battery is repacked with the controller from the 4th gen ipod, what do you think is the problem?
and I also noticed that if you connect it to a computer, charging goes on constantly without freezes, I also measured the voltage where the white wire from the diode when I turned on the firewire, 13.6v comes there and from the converter exactly 12v,I tried another player, the symptoms are the same,both players are working,the question or converters do not pull and there is not enough for the processor and it freezes or the latest firmware of the player does not allow or the flash card with the adapter consumes a lot, maybe you need to take 5v from another place where it only comes from usb?
@@user-su1vg8zb2w Hi Sergey! With i could help, but i'm really not sure as for me everything *just worked* when using powerful chargers or ports. However, the flash card might be the problem, as you suggest. Have you tried using the USB charging modification with the original spinning hard drive? Perhaps, as you say, the specific flash drive you have is drawing too much current
Hi!no, I haven't tried it with a rotating one, but everything is fine from a usb computer through a cable, nothing freezes, it's strange because the computer has a weaker current than in 1a charging from an ipod, and I noticed one more thing-firewire works and charges with this alteration, but charging doesn't end all the time, the battery segments on the screen flash indefinitely, plus one for sure-when you connect it to the computer, it is charging and you can safely download music without hurrying that the battery will run out!and with my native hard drive I will try and write what and how@@TheRepairLair
In short, I returned everything back as it was, I did not continue to test the player, it's a pity if it breaks, I just ordered a firewire replacement cable from a well-known site.P.S. I changed the disk to my native one, the same problem, if you have an ipod circuit, you can see how best to take 5v from what point and where it is better to supply 12v,sincerely yours
I decided to take a chance to try the player broke now it freezes and the charge indicator disappears as well as not playing music this method is a big risk think for yourself
I do agree that the method is not without risks, but unless done incorrectly, I believe you should be able to reverse the changes without issues, which i assume you have tried? I might be able to help if you provide some more details!
Can someone here provide a link for some wires to use? @TheRepairLair I have everything else ready to go, and may even have some wires here at the house, but I don't know how to identify if it's 24 AWG for example versus another size. @voodler thank you
Thanks for sharing this. I've just done this successfully using the same board you're using and a 64GB CF card on a 15GB model. I seem to get much higher charging rates though at 900ma most of the time, sometimes peaking over 1.5a - I used 24AWG solid core copper wires. The transistor that the 5v is hooked to has a very thin trace running into that via and capacitor (C88?), I ran some extra wire over that via.
Something else I've done is the voltage converter sits inside the rubber mat by the CF card and the wires push its PCB upwards, I put a thermal pad on the flat side of the PCB which then has a loose thermal pad that hopefully presses against the metal back. It certainly seems to get warm so that could also help with higher currents :)
The thermal pad suggestion is a great idea!
Dankpods needs to see this!
Been searching for videos on this, found your video from a year ago just now and was delighted to see this one posted just yesterday! Awesome tutorial.
Glad you found it helpful!
Love this! Everything "retro" should be brought back with USB. I would have gone the extra mile and replace the old hard drive with one of these SD cards adapters. And maybe even add USB-C. :)
BTW, you should use kapton tape rather than electrical tape because with time it becomes gooey and it's a mess, while Kapton tape remains stable.
just as a precaution, I would add a diode to the 12v output so Firewire can't back feed.
This is one video I've been waiting for. Well done and thanks for getting around to it!
WARNING! These steps are correct but not in the right order! DO NOT attempt to use a metal tool to disconnect the hard drive or anything else in the iPod without first unplugging the battery!
I have an idea about another approach.
What about using usb charging controller like from ZY12PDN board? So it will be able to ask for various voltages from USB charger, including 12v. This board or just the controller itself can be retrofitted inside, and bypass 12v to FireWire circuitry itself as in your mod.
It will be better as the up-voltage conversion will be done on the USB charger side, this means far more efficient and with the less heat inside the iPod.
What do you think?
that's a great idea! I will take a look at that too.
Been waiting for this, awesome!
I did not know this was possible. I think I’m gonna try it with my 3rd Gen.
Did anyone else successfully apply this mod yet? I've tried it on my 3rd gen Classic iPod and it doesn't work for me. Using a regular 2A 5V USB power adapter, I get 11.9v at the buck converter if the battery isn't attached, with the battery attached it drops to 9.8v - and doesn't show as battery being charged. Tried a different fully charged battery, no change. Tried another buck converter, same thing. If I attach the official Firewire charger the voltage on the buck converter stays at 11.9v with or without the battery attached - and it shows charging normally. Also tried a different USB charger and attached to an iMac's USB port, neither trigger charging... I've got a little stack of these 3rd gen iPods I'd like to mod, will try with some other units tomorrow.
update: I hacked apart a regular iPod 5V USB charging cable. Moved the pins around in the 30 pin header plug so pins now in positions 30+29 (12v gnd) and 20+19(12v+). Wired 5v into buck converter from USB plug, 12V out to the 30 pin adapter and it charges the 3rd gen iPod. So the buck converter works fine externally.
@@timrustige7175 Hi Tim and thanks for the interesting comments - perhaps a dumb question, but have you tried different USB cables while having the converter installed internally, or different wires for connecting the converter? I wonder if it's possible that the USBcable is either damaged or poorly made, or that the wires you used are too thin, and so the combined resistance results in a big voltage drop at the converter input?
@@TheRepairLair I tried the mod again today, and it worked fine straight away. Thanks for posting this video.
Does data work as well as charging when plugged into a powerful enough usb port?
Yes! :)
Hi,
Great video look forward to more.
When the iPod is charged are you able to sync with itunes etc with lowered powered/standard usb ports with any issues?
Is it still safe to charge via FireWire charger?
Can I also ask you to comment on the quality/battery life of the battery linked in the description
I only tried one older laptop with low powered ports and that failed to sync.
Regarding the FireWire charger, it should be safe to charge with it after this modification.
@@TheRepairLair
Battery life - looking to purchase linked battery but want to know if any good 9 months later :)
Thanks
@@R9anSmart Sorry, i don't actively use my modified ipods so can't comment on the battery life, but for the price, you can't go wrong :)
As someone who is inexperienced with these mods, this just converts the extra amperage of a modern charger and converts that to a higher voltage signal for the iPod to take, right?
Hi! Not the amperage, but the voltage. USB standard is 5 volts, firewire is 12 volts. The Ipod connector supports both, but inside the ipod, the charging circuit is connected only to the 12 volt firewire input. This modification effectively connects the USB input power to the firewire charging circuit.
@@TheRepairLair great series, about to attempt it. Was wondering what type of wire did you use to make the circuit?
@@joepmichael The wire i used is from an old usb charging cable with a broken plug, no need to buy something specifically for the modification as the currents are very low here and anything rated >300-500mA will work. You can also use thicker magnet wire - this may help if doing other mods, to potentially save a bit of space.
what awg wire do u use? sorry if this was mentioned in the video and i just didn’t catch it 😭 this is such a simple and useful mod that immediately turned this into my favorite gen of ipod
Sorry to say, i don't know the exact gauge! However, the wires i used were repurposed from a 2A rated USB charging cable.
thank you bro, im looking for 2 days this info about the ipod charging voltage, in my case its the reverse problem, im looking for a use a old ipod spaker 12v dock station with my ipod touch 2ndG, but shows "charge its no avilable with this accesory" and my bluetooth dock adapters don't work either in this dock, but and i see in the specs of the bluetooth adapter that only works with 5v, now i think that i need a 12v to 5v 30 pin adapter, thank for sharing.
Does anyone know if it would also work if I spliced the same board in the middle of a usb to 30 pin cable? Im much more comfortable with the possibility of wrecking just a wire rather than my whole
Ipod. TIA!
I believe it should work just fine!
Did it work? I'm going to try this 1st before modding the ipod
You mention referencing the back of the board for the Voltage, I'm not sure what I'm looking at on the front of my board
You mentioned referencing the back of the board for Voltage but what differences am i looking for on the front of my board
Its for setting the correct voltage output of the upconverter board, but if you ordered specifically a 5v to 12v board, it should already come preconfigured correctly. If you have a multimeter, just check that the voltage on the output pins is around 12 volts, that should be sufficient. Good luck!
@TheRepairLair thanks, I managed to work it out but the first one I wired up burned out. I'll try again later
I did the same as you described, but after the installation it seems my hard disk meets problems.
Sometimes I can sync the iPod to my Mac, sometimes not, and I am often stuck in disk mode for no reason.
Can it be caused by my fragile soldering skills ?
Great video btw
Thanks for the comment! Have you tried using a different computer? It is possible that the usb port power output of the mac you have is not sufficient. Alternatively, you could try using a powered USB hub which may also help.
Do you know what type of connector is needed to wire into the front panel of the 3g? Its the 15 pin socket from front panel to motherboard, but I can't find any sort of ribbon to dip so I can easily wire
Unfortunately, the modification does not work quite well.
I have an issue, that when i try to charge the iPod by usb, the iPod boots itself and after some seconds the GUI freezes.
The GUI starts working again as soon as I remove the (USB) charging cable.
im sorry to hear it doesnt work well for you! Can you try a different (new) cable, and a more powerful usb port? I had the same problem you describe when trying to use it with an old desktop PC that only has 500mA usb 2.0 ports
Hi excellent video and tutorial. Just one question, firewire charging with this modification will work as well? I mean after this mod can I charge it with usb or firewire? thanks for reply
I haven't tested that, but it should work fine
I’m thinking, if I add a diode to the 12v output line from the step up converter, wouldn’t that allow it to charge both via USB and FireWire? Since it would stop the current from going back into the converter when plugged into a FireWire cable.
Hi there!
I made this modification, but it didn’t work quite well.
So with the 12V step up converter still in place, I charged the iPod by FireWire without any problems.
@@carlgustav7196 Thanks! I appreciate it, will probably try to do this mod in the near future then.
hello .. I have the same problem with my first iPod .. it doesn’t charge either from the charger or from the computer .. I even took it to the service center and they didn’t help me with anything .. maybe you can help me with something .. thanks in advance
which ipod exactly do you have? if its the 3rd gen ipod, it will NOT charge with USB. you need to get a firewire power brick.
What if you just connect a wire to the 12v FireWire pin to the 5v usb pin on the motherboard? I know nothing about this stuff I'm just curious.
It wouldnt work because... well, the firewire is specified to work at 12v, and 5v is too far out of spec
The problem is not just the specification, which cannot be met at 5V. As soon as the device is connected to firewire, the mainboard would be destroyed.
just a theory, if i got a usb to cigarette lighter adapter then a 12 volt cigarette lighter, would that in theory work?
Applying 12v directly to the USB input pins on the ipod is almost guaranteed to damage the usb charging circuitry which can't tolerate more than 5v!
Can you make Bluetooth mod for the third gen?
it's definitely possible, but would not be easy to fit inside, as you can see the space is rather limited. The best option to go if you want to try a bluetooth mod is to do a solid state conversion, that may give enough space to add a bluetooth transmitter too
I'm curious, would the firewire charging still work after this modification? Cause I have an original firewire charger with the dock that I got with a 4th gen monochrome, which is why I've been able to charge the 3rd gen that I just got recently. Rather than having like 2 cables for charging, would it possible to still use the firewire charger through the dock while I use USB with a wall adapter at work or when traveling for example?
That is an excellent question that i don't have an answer to, sadly! it could be tested though, if you apply 12v to the output of the dc boost converter, and no voltage appears on the input, then i think it would be safe to connect the firewire charger
Any updates on this question at all?
My iPod is acting up weird after doing this mod. I can charge via USB now but after a few seconds the screen freezes or is turned off until I unplug it. I have checked everything and there are definitely no shorts. How is yours doing until today?
I dont use mine very frequently, but what you describe could be caused by a charger that's not powerful enough, or a bad converter pcb that might be causing too much noise in some way. I recommend trying a more powerful USB port on your pc if you have any (usually marked as "fast charging"). Also, have you done any other mods, like the solid state mod? Depending on the components that may also cause weird hangups in the ipod
@@TheRepairLair It's charging without any problems or freezes on my pc and my 3rd Gen is running a iFlash 4th Gen converter + iFlash Solo currently with only 32GB only. It literally just froze when plugged to any USB charger. I have tried the original apple ipod charger and a higher capacity charger with the same results. I can try another converter since I have ordered 5 though. I have used different thick cable to wire on which could also be a problem but I'm not a electrician it's just a guess.
The wires shouldn't cause any problems, that of i'm certain. If you still have the original hdd, could you try usb charging with the original hdd installed and see if that works?
@@TheRepairLair Sure I will test it the next days and will keep you updated
hi, I did everything as you showed, but there was a problem, the player began to hang, the charge indicator works after 15 seconds and then the phone hangs until you take out the usb connector (there is a flash card in the player, the battery is repacked with the controller from the 4th gen ipod, what do you think is the problem?
and I also noticed that if you connect it to a computer, charging goes on constantly without freezes, I also measured the voltage where the white wire from the diode when I turned on the firewire, 13.6v comes there and from the converter exactly 12v,I tried another player, the symptoms are the same,both players are working,the question or converters do not pull and there is not enough for the processor and it freezes or the latest firmware of the player does not allow or the flash card with the adapter consumes a lot, maybe you need to take 5v from another place where it only comes from usb?
@@user-su1vg8zb2w Hi Sergey! With i could help, but i'm really not sure as for me everything *just worked* when using powerful chargers or ports. However, the flash card might be the problem, as you suggest. Have you tried using the USB charging modification with the original spinning hard drive? Perhaps, as you say, the specific flash drive you have is drawing too much current
Hi!no, I haven't tried it with a rotating one, but everything is fine from a usb computer through a cable, nothing freezes, it's strange because the computer has a weaker current than in 1a charging from an ipod, and I noticed one more thing-firewire works and charges with this alteration, but charging doesn't end all the time, the battery segments on the screen flash indefinitely, plus one for sure-when you connect it to the computer, it is charging and you can safely download music without hurrying that the battery will run out!and with my native hard drive I will try and write what and how@@TheRepairLair
In short, I returned everything back as it was, I did not continue to test the player, it's a pity if it breaks, I just ordered a firewire replacement cable from a well-known site.P.S. I changed the disk to my native one, the same problem, if you have an ipod circuit, you can see how best to take 5v from what point and where it is better to supply 12v,sincerely yours
I decided to take a chance to try the player broke now it freezes and the charge indicator disappears as well as not playing music this method is a big risk think for yourself
I do agree that the method is not without risks, but unless done incorrectly, I believe you should be able to reverse the changes without issues, which i assume you have tried? I might be able to help if you provide some more details!
I seeing the same , two reason: 1. too thin wires used. 2. defective buck Afterall it is junk from China
Can someone here provide a link for some wires to use? @TheRepairLair I have everything else ready to go, and may even have some wires here at the house, but I don't know how to identify if it's 24 AWG for example versus another size. @voodler thank you
I don't have an exact number, 20 to 24 AWG should be fine