Add a ‘Charging’ indicator to the Ryobi One+ 18V USB Adaptor

One handy accessory is the Ryobi 18V USB charger (R18USB-0), which clips onto a One+ battery to provide two 5V USB ports rated at 2.1A and 1A. It’s intended to charge eg smartphones on the go but could also power other USB gadgets, LED camping lights or chargers etc, acting like a souped-up powerbank. It could also prove handy during power cuts. The only control it has is a simple ‘start’ button on top. Once you press it, the charger powers up and automatically shuts off again 8 hours later. For some reason there’s no at-a-glance indication of whether the charger is actually working or whether it's finished. I've now figured out how to add an LED Charging indicator to the USB charger to show that it's operating, an upgrade that turned out to be easier than I expected. Anyone with hobby and basic soldering skills should be able to do the same, following my outline guidance below.

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