[Elecraft] Lithium Ion battery

[Mike B]

While vainly searching Wal-Mart's electronics department yesterday for a 
decent S.A.M.E. weather radio, I came across what seems to be a good 
deal: A 5400 mAh lithium ion battery (with AC charger) rated at 9 volts, 
for $50. There was also a 7.2 volt version for the same price, which is 
also on the web at 
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=62055&dept=3944&product_id=2350787&path=0%3A3944%3A62055%3A62056
It's marketed as a portable battery pack for DVD players (it's brand 
name is Initial, the same name WM also has some DVD players from), and I 
think uses a variety of interchangeable plugs to fit various brands of 
players.  Of course, the beauty of lithium ion batteries is their energy 
density.  I don't have the dimensions, but I think it was only slightly 
larger than a KX1, and well under an inch think.  Like many laptop 
batteries today, it has charge status LEDs on one side.

This price seems to be a bargain.  A quick search of Amazon.com found 
other external battery packs such as this for $80, but are NiMH and only 
4500 mAh.

Now, 9 volts is nominally the same as you get from the internal pack, so 
there's no advantage there, and the 5400 mAh would last just this side 
of forever on a single charge with a KX1. So my question is, in the 
absence of Embedded Research's similar product of a few years ago, is 
there a simple, small (preferably very small) circuit that could boost 
the voltage by a third, to get closer to 14 volts?  Perhaps something 
that could even be integrated into the power cord?
-- 
73,
Mike Boice, KW1ND
Karns, TN
Behold the power of the penguin