I'd like to make a voltage doubler, I've read up on wikipedia and also here. My issue is that I have DC input and I need DC output, first is this even possible, second, if so the problem I'm having, is that I think I'm in over my head. I don't really understand the diagrams or how to read them (what the symbols mean etc).
My experience with electronics is quite limited, suffice it to say I've put a capacitor over an electric motor to evan out the power on an RC car and used variable resisters to control the speed of a motor. And much of this was cargo-culted from forum posts where individuals made some suggestions and I tried them till something worked.
Best Answer
For small currents (tens of ma), you can use a charge pump, which use ceramic or electrolytic capacitors to store energy. You can build your own, or use an IC like the Maxim MAX1682. Many more Maxim charge pumps are listed in this article.
For larger currents (up to a couple amps), you need an inductive DC-DC boost converter, such as the Maxim 17067. Lots more here. Most are not limited to just voltage doubling.