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this old radio was my grandfathers, he always talked about fixing it, we even went on all-day expeditions through old warehouses looking for just that right part, catalog, or schematic, needless to say we never did find it so this beautiful piece of history just sat collecting dust.
the brain is a uncased and modified Omnifi DMS1
the amplifier is an old Sony 2ch "Television audio extender"
the lcd is a second hand 7" headrest monitor
misc switches, lots of stripped cat5 wire, chopped cables
speaker are 10yr old Polk R1's
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the amp like all old stereo equipment used sliders for vol, bass, trebble all made that scratchy sound during adjustment, this was actually good news because i needed to switch them over to a remote located turn potentiometer, all 3 in the project are the same, 10K single turn audio taper pot. i extended the IR receivers to the side of the lcd just out of sight behind the glass,i melted both of them and had to find 2 new ones of the right variety. i moved the jog dial and the SMD switch under it onto the proto board so it could be located in the original spot for the Tuner knob. this took several tries to get everything to fit exactly right. i counted about 120+ solder joints including the test pieces and final connects, and i only burned myself once. for the front switch panel after 3 attempts i have finally turned out something i like, got the switches at Tanners, might be overkill for this, but oh well, better than the cheapy green plastic ones.
in the end i am happy with the result, it sounds and looks nice and i learned alot thoughout the project.
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Fantastic work.
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled that you decided to share one of your projects with the world! You never cease to amaze me. Hopefully this will be the first of MANY personal projects you submit. I have watched you create some pretty mind blowing things over the years, now- SHARE the knowledge.
ReplyDeletewhat a waste of a nice radio.
ReplyDeleteRadioBoy
Too bad another antique radio met its maker here.
ReplyDeleteYou obviously didn't look to hard for parts. I've restored many, many antique radios. Never "not" been able to find parts.
They are out there, you just didn't look. You should be ashamed of destroying a piece of American history.
What a shame. Another piece of Americana has been destroyed.
ReplyDeleteYou didnt try looking for parts did you?
ReplyDeleteYou could have probably been able to restore it with less than 50 dollars. Ive done it many times and parts are very easily available.
Another antique radio gone..
Instead of ragging on this guy for not restoring this radio why not share websites you've used to help restore them? I for one could also use your obvious wealth of experience.
ReplyDeleteGoogle..."antique radio"
ReplyDeleteMany sources on first page. About 3 seconds versus an "all day expedition" The very first search listing has a forum populated by the most expert collectors and restorers in the country.
Dismiss the naysayers dude...nice build. Don't let them get you down...Keep posting other stuff. Restoring the old as-it-was isn't always doable or for everyone, plus it's much better to have kept this out of the landfill while preserving an obviously sentimental item from your childhood than to have thrown it out. Keep making...!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat would your grandfather say? "kewl dood!"
ReplyDeleteI think not.
But hey, "it a free country", you are free to be as stupid as you like.
All I can say is that if it makes you happy this way, good for you. Collecting and restorations are as personal as taste in clothes, house style, etc. It's not what I would have done, but I'm not you. I believe I echo the comments of others here. These radios were such a part of the American family, made in America, by American workers. The history they witnessed can't be replaced. Many old radios cost folks around what a car would cost today. (adjusting for inflation) The radios was the center-piece of most home and represented more than just information and entertainment; they represented family time. The whole family would gather around the radio after dinner. I believe this bonding and family time are nearly absent in today's world. I don't believe peoples comments are meant as weapons toward you directly, but sorrow at what this radio was and represented; that has now been lost forever.
ReplyDeleteYou shoud have gone to the "Antique Radio Forum" They could have helped you out and saved that old gal instead of gutting her out
ReplyDeleteTo you Anonymous coward who keeps ragging on him, STFU.
ReplyDeleteTHis thing is cool! Who listens to the radio anyway but a bunch of brainwashed phuks!?
Awesome conversion, taking a beautiful case w/ beautifl innards and making it a useable piece of art.
The other hackers will say "awesome dude" for sure. It's a given.
ReplyDeleteBut here is the deal, Even though you could care less about reparing your grandfather's radio, as a tribute to something he once owned, you could have restored the chassis. $25 to $50 at the most for parts, and added a n input to connect your 'player of the month' device. YOu will hear your music coming through the original speaker and it is definitely a better sound than solid state amp.
An input to any vintage radio would cost just about nothing to install. There are many forums out there that restore old sets and would have been happy to help you in the process.
Here is your thread
http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=128757&highlight=
Please rethink about it next time you want to do this to an old set.
Thank you.
Don't rag on the guy, it's his grandfather's set, maybe he in not around anymore, we don't know. He can do whatever he wants to it.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, he is probably at an age where he doesn't know any better, nor hanging onto something that was part of his familiy's history. One day he might.
I mean, what kinds of things did grandpa hear on this set? Maybe some WWII news? His old favorite music, news af the day? If only the set could talk.
There may ne a point in this guy's life that he will kick himself in the butt for gutting out this old set, especially if it was Grandpa's. Some may think it is a piece of art, and it is kept out of the landfill, and that excuse works for a while. PIiece of art? Come on.
What did you do with the chassis? Hopefully to someone could restore it to install into an empty cabinet?
Last comment. Did you know that you can get a small AM transmitter to broadcast your music to the set? Yes, over the air. (a cellphone or Bluetooth.) Since there is not that much to listen to on AM in some parts of the country, you can program whatever you want to lay through the transmitter. Novel idea huh?
(The poster who made the rude comments about nothing to listen to, needs to grow up with his language.There is a lot out there IF you listen.)
Whether it's a direct connection to the chassis amp, or a transmitter, the set would be MORE of a novelty and useful as it was originally made,than to be just a housing for some cheap foreign junk installed. Grandpa would have been proud.
Radioguy.
Nice mod here, Don't worry about these people telling you you should have restored it. It's like an old car, you can restore it, or make it how you want it to be. I like what you've done with the piece and hope to see more stuff in the future.
ReplyDeleteYou all sound the same, this set was broken for all the years he owned it, and "kewl dood" would be exactly the words he would have used if he had not died almost 11yrs ago.
ReplyDeleteI cannot be swayed on how I feel about this project, because this a tribute to one of the two men that taught me what I know, and they both told me to dismiss snide critics.
This has become a central piece for our family already and we have spent more nights with the tv off than any time I can remember
all you nay sayors better find the cabinets you want before I do.
To the well wishers, I send a huge thank you
Nice Work dude, i wish i could find such a great cabinet so i could RE-USE at least part of it as you did and create something useful out of dust collecting items...
ReplyDeleteNot being able to find parts is just not true, you just didn't look in the right places. Any old radio can be restored. However it is your radio to do with as you please. It isn't like you modified some extra rare valuable item.
ReplyDeleteI love it! Did he destroy a radio? I think not. I`ve seen people restore radios in mush worse condition than this one is in. It looks great, its functions better than new, and its a tribute to him and his grandfather. I have a set that I modified and use it daily, but it can always be returned to original. Congrats on a great job!
ReplyDeleteJust bought an old busted radio with completely trashed electronics and I am going to be doing something similar with it. What a great way to breathe new life into a cabinet that would otherwise be neglected and gathering dust in someone's attic.
ReplyDeleteThis is not destruction of American History. How better to show the world the charm old radios than by giving it fresh sound and the ability to bring people together again.
This radio is breathing a sigh of relief knowing it is needed and wanted again.
Congrats on the lack of TV watching and keep posting tips on converting these antiques!
Awesome job! I am doing the same!
ReplyDeleteWow alot of whiney little know it alls posting on this project. Here's an idea, how about realizing that not everyone is into factory correct restorations and people actually want to find NEW uses for OLD stuff. The old radios were crap by todays standards and the ONLY thing worth saving is the beautiful cabinets. So why not modernize it and get many many years of enjoyment out of it? Awesome job on the modifications. Maybe I will go out and find 2-3 of these cabinets and "destroy them" as well
ReplyDelete