Adding Bluetooth to a vintage radio doesn't mean you have to rip the chassis apart. You can turn a vintage radio into a Bluetooth speaker without wrecking the radio. Never destroy a piece of history!
The best conversion I’ve ever seen was an old Crosley that had Bluetooth added. The owner was a huge old time radio program fan and when these shows were played through the old speaker it was amazing. He claimed it was because the programs were recorded in a format made to be played through that type of speaker.
Thanks Ray, module built and worked 1st time. Going to use that while I save to get my 1940s HMV restored. Sound is better than expected through the original speaker.
I enjoy your projects and seeing all your gear in the shack, reminds me of the good old days when I visited GWM Radio in Worthing, sadly long gone. I used to get most of my homebrew gear from the big fella who ran that shop. 73 Ralph G4PEY
I used the amp tube section and input a headphone level input into the preamp tube works great the radio sections had been parted out so that was not repairable.
@@g4nsj I have a 1940s radio that dont work and I want to use it for reenacting displays I'm young so would it be ok to get a small cheap speaker so it crackles like an old radio so I can play 1940s american swing music to make it sound original would that be ok Edit I forgot to mention so I can play 1940s music thorough my phone
I have done something similar I had a Bush AC11 that has been recapped on advice and added an Amazon echo. The AC 11 had a gram input so I have added an in line amp and use the headphone Jack from the echo to listen through the old radio chassis and can't be happier
Omg I love the old vintage radios! I would love to learn how to repair and how to modernize them 😁 you could start your own school of vintage radios technology!
Thanks for the video. I have an old radio I wanted to equip with Bluetooth since I'll probably never fix it but I didn't really destroy anything so this video helped. Could you please add a more technical description or links of the components so I would know what to get to fix this in my own? Thanks!
I love videos like this Ray so thanks ! I used to absolutely love doing stuff like this and playing with Arduino etc. I wish you could have taught me all your skills 👍 Radio is special . It always felt like the broadcaster was speaking ONLY to me 😀
Thanks for sharing your experiences, appreciate that you're more pragmatic than purist! Hope you make a video about the actual wiring of a bluetooth into an old tube radio.
A nice video Ray. I find myself collecting again after many years. Your ebook is very well written and I downloaded it for reference. I love these old sets.
I'd love to see an instructional video on both radio and boombox conversion to bluetooth. I have a duel cassette boombox I want to convert, but want to leave all components but one cassette head intact. I want to retain original speakers, radio, and one cassette head functional, just use the second for bluetooth. Is this possible?
I did this conversion on an old stand up console radio I have. My main problem is... I have a Bluetooth receiver PCB with bass, treble and volume controls, but I want to fit those potentiometers into the spots where the original knobs were... But I can't figure out how to separate those pots from the pcb to fit the chassis. (i did put three way vehicle speakers in my radio because the original old paper speaker was destroyed)
I have a RediRad on the aerial of my 1959 Jaguar which I plug my phone into. It interrupts the signal coming from the aerial and converts the input from my mobile into a MW signal and plays through my 1950s Astor positive earth valve radio like any other station. If I switch the RediRad off, then the signal from normal stations comes through as normal. I also have a small home broadcast device that I plug my phone into and then tune my 1940s AWA radio into the station put out by the broadcast device. In both instances I can listen to whatever I want with literally no modification to the radios except on the antenna cable of the Jaguar.
There are bluetooth devices that can plug into the 12v socket in your car that transmit an FM frequency that you can tune your radio into just like any other channel. Similar to what you have but with fm instead and wireless.
For tube radios ,a lot of the old test ewuiptment works better,I would love to have a heath kit cap tester it shows things like leaks ,old signal tracer and tube testers,etc.,I love tube radios because of there sound
Ray I have a similar set up and am going to hook up the bluetooth to an aux input to see if the larger amp in the radio will pick up and amplify the signal. If so then we also can do up a boombox and with a rechargeable battery get all the original power. I have nothing to loose.
Great video. I have an old Pye P75A valve radio which I would like to convert to a bluetooth receiver leaving all the original parts. Have you made a video yet Ray showing the making of your bluetooth board or have the instructions somewhere on the net. If not can you recommend or point me to a video or instructions already available as there is a lot of confusing rubbish out there. Thanks from another Ray
I've done this to a Bush DAC90A radio. All the original stuff is still in place. Cut two wires, removed the original mains input connector and replaced it a 5V barrel connector. Two more wires to the speakers. Sounds great. Nothing else is changed, the original mains connector is zip-tied inside the case. It''s a mono bluetooth receiver running on a 5V supply. Some blue LEDs behind the valves, just for fun. It would take 10 mins to restore. Happy customer.
Hello. New to Bluetooth. Just a couple of questions. What would you do with a set fitted with a mains energised speaker? I have a 1952 Buick car fitted with a Zenith car radio. The car is 6 volt DC. What advice can you give me please.? Many thanks Nick Jervis
Hi Ray, this video is of extra interest to me. I am not that familiar with Bluetooth and so far, I have never used it with anything, including my mobile phone, which just so happens to be an older model. So, thanks for sharing this video. All the best. Robert.
Thank You for this video. I have a vintage radio. It works very well. Problem I love to listen to old time radio shows. I have my collection on my iPhone. I would like to build a Bluetooth setup like you have. What I would like to do is get power from the input side of the transfer. I can regulate the volume with my iPhone. I would like to place a small volume control thru the air hole in the back. I would like to control it with a small screw driver. Put a small power switch thru and air vent hole. To have an led light that I can place next to the tuning light. To simulate the radio running. Can I piggy back onto the existing speaker? I would only use the radio or the Bluetooth. Not both at the same time. Except for the volume control and power switch in the back. My grandchildren will think I am receiving the radio shows over the air. I know you can do anything. Is this practical? Can you suggest the parts that I would need. Of course I won’t sue you if it doesn’t work. Thank You in advance.
Hi Ray, Great to see a fellow technician keen as ever. I upgrade 70s amps with BT modules, better amps etc, how about wireless streaming? Any thoughts on these as my next step?
I hate mixing vintage devices with new technologies, I think the sound of radios that have electronic tubes is exceptional, it's even a sacrilege to change them
Good video. Interesting about the volume control. I didn't have a problem using the originals but maybe because the 3 radios I've modified I'm going into the low side of the volume and using the original valve amp driving the original speakers. I like to play the period correct music on them and they sounds authentic.. but without AM hum and static as reception is terrible in my area. I like the radios to appear untouched only showing a tiny switch in the back.
Good advice there, Ray. Leaving the internals intact would at least make the radio more attractive should you ever want to sell it. Also, I too love the older stuff, the latest aquisition being a Solartron dual power supply from about '64 Germanium and hugely over engineered......lovely jubbly!!! Great video.
I have a vintage radio that requires an external earth and a long wire antenna. This doesn't suit my home. A Bluetooth module would let me use it. Also, I have not powered it up for10 years or so. Go full 220V or start lower to recommission it?
Hello Ray it's David from Italy, thank you for making this video! I've just subscribed! I did one speaker project but it's catching a lot of that fax noise.. can you show a diagram of the connection for the converter you talk about at 7:18? Thanks you!
Hi David, you should be able to look up the date for the connections from here... www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222523235755?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648
Love this. Thank you for this video. I recently did one and it was surprisingly easy and I didn't have to tear apart anything. I can't believe people would actually go all the way up to destroy a vintage radio completely instead of just tapping into the circuit to introduce your audio signal. Such people shouldn't be alowed near historic equipment.
Are you at all familiar with the Gemmy Halloween radios? They're based on vintage radios (the shell of it is anyway). The version I have doesn't have a Bluetooth function and I'm trying to find a video that would explain how to install one in it. I like the sound of the speaker it came with, but I want to be able to switch it back and forth between a Bluetooth function and the pre-loaded music it came with. Here's a video of one's insides to show you what I'm trying to do: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-x1z6qzIgaQo.html
Hi Jay, sorry I’m not familiar with them. I’ll have a look round the internet and, if I discover anything, I’ll let you know. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Thanks for your video. I have a Philips Bi-Ampli valve radio. It is stereo and sounds amazing. I would like to add bluetooth or even a cable with a minijack that comes out to connect and ipad or such. It has a phono in chanel. I tried to hook up a simple stereo cable to that input, but that didn't work well. If such a connection would be possible anything with an audio output could be conected and amplified through those marvelous valve amps. Do you have any ideas how? Thanks, Eric
So two inputs. One for a tapeplayer and one for a recordplayer. Amazing radio. Do you think those inputs might require different power than a mp3 player provides?
Brillant , would like to see a video how to build that board, I haven't any valve radios beyond repair but plenty cheaply avaiable on eBay , next project for me ......
Hi Ray. Great to see another video from you.Hope to catch up on air one day.I will be up at Beachy Head at about 2pm this afternoon monitoring 145.500Mhz if you were free? 73.Ian.G7HFS.
Hi Ray, I get your point about not installing BT into a working radio but an option I have been thinking about recently is - as you are aware, a lot of vintage radios have a phono input for a record player so the bluetooth board or dongle could be installed into the phono input of a working radio - safe and easily removed, no need for a SS amp and you have a fully working radio with BT option at a flick of a switch! Regards - Kevin GW4WOV
Are there live chassis radios with phono inputs? If there are wouldn't they isolate the phono input in some way? Otherwise that would be rather dangerous if you did plug in a pickup arm for your gramaphone!
Yeah, I had an old radio like that, I don't think I would chance it if it were old though. The phono connections (yes there were two) were mounted to the back board and not anywhere near the chassis, but if I still had the radio would I plug anything into the phono plugs that ran on transistors? I think not, not without checking it out thoroughly first and then it might be a mismatch and have some strange results.
Everyone is different when it comes to collectibles. I've heard that some automobile restorers wants everything back to original even down to the correct lettering on the water hoses.
Good video. You and I have much in common except I started as a TV engineer in the 1950's. I can talk 405 line and Ally Pally, valves & Take it From Here. Projection TV and Ferranti. Ion traps and ion burns. Line scan and frame collapse and EY51's and Turret tuners. I'm the real deal me! I understand and agree with everything you say except when we get to BT - Then I'm flaky . So (and I have gotta do this by July!) what power does the BT need? Would it be 5V? What battery? Would a PP3 do it (9V). My project is a 1950's portable valve Ever Ready Sky Baby radio with DL91 valve range. They are all low emission but do work if filament boosted 20% but lack sensitivity and audio drive. I doubt the wisdom of even trying as the LT battery won't last long will it? I can (have) made up the 90V with PP3's. My customer (lives next door) wants it as a retro for 1950's event in July (Probably Goodwood Revival). She's seen your video dammit! Bluetooth is her preferred solution. She ain't precious about old electronics. The speaker in it is probably 16 ohms and I would need to disconnect it from the valve output transformer I suppose. It would probably serve and then the radio isn't destroyed from it original spec too much. Well you never know when Mullards might recommence production of those dear little, always useless, valves! :
Hi Berry, nice to hear from, you. BT doesn't need an aerial. It transmits and receives on 2.4GHz. Power isolation keeps out BT noise. Don't know ab pout cross-talk. I think the ebay boards are fine. Sorry I can't be of more help. I know this one is good... www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152869723710?var=452619542196&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Cheers, Ray.
Another great video Ray - thank you! Would you ever spin the camera around so we can see your ham gear? Some videos about amateur radio (technical or like your pirate ones) would be really great! 73, Matt M0PTO
Hi I'm Michael from Norwich, hi ,I love your views as I am not at entry level! Quit far from it . I want vintage to be vintage . I would love some advice on celiniam rectifiers ect and mullard valves and to be honest i have 3early stuff, pye ect plus others. Please were can I start to revive these awesome pieces of history
Hi Michael, it's a long process learning how to repair and restore vintage valve radios. There are books on ebay and other places so you might start by looking there.
AT LAST!!! Someone explains why its so unusual to see a vintage radio thats been bluetoothed operated through the radios original on/off/volume potentiometer. This has been driving me nuts. Ive got a handful of dead radios (i mean dead ... parts stolen out of them etc) that Id love to make into BT speakers but i wont do it because I think they should be operated by the original potentiometers. No one has explained to me why thats so difficult but now you have, thank you.
Thanks for the video. I agree with you, do not destroy our historic things, work with them. I am very new to this subject. I am thinking of a modernising a vintage radio to play 30s and 40s music from websites directly and maybe play old recordings in mp3 format by artist. This would give it an authentic feel. I would like it to play music and choose stations from websites wirelessly directly, not just Bluetooth through my phone or tablet. Is this possible at all? I gather there is a way with a couple of modules that I can fit together myself. I’ve seen video’s but as a newbie not understood the programming of pi or arduino. Is there any cheap pre programmed modules out there? Regards
Hi, I don’t know about pre-programmed modules. It’s not something I’ve dealt with. Sorry about that. I think you’ll have to keep searching the Internet for someone who specialises in that sort of thing.
I agree. I have a hidden lead to pull out and plug in a Bluetooth when i want yet still use as an original valve radio. The other way of doing is build a low power transmitter. If someone has taken an axe to one then i would put a small mono unit inside . Should add on the 2 radios i have put a lead on i have an isolation transformer installed in the Bluetooth receiver . The lead can easily be removed . I have a watch from 1890 original and not working im leaving as is and not getting restored.
I have no problem even adding it to a vintage radio, if it were mine and I am keeping it I have no problem adding new technology to it, However, if you have a good looking scrapper and it is beyond repair, why not give it a new use, no point of just throwing it out. I think you should make the video of how you do this Ray, it might just save a few cabinets going to the tip. If nothing else it will give people the incentive to get involved in electronics, even if they just build it into a box or old stereo. However, I like the tone of some of the older stuff, much better than the tin bottom of the bucket sound you get from some of the new stuff. I hate it when someone turns on a radio and it sound a treble and the speaker is made like it is bolted to the bottom of a Fireman's bucket! YES, do the video and list the parts, though don't list the supplier as they shove up the price! Nice one Ray.
I agree with you about gutting a vintage radio, I try to keep them as complete as possible. I do add Bluetooth to almost everyone I work on with one of those small boards by installing an out of the way transfer switch going to the signal line to the preamp tube with one side hooked up to the Bluetooth signal and the other to the original radio and you can switch between inputs. Voltages can be found to run the little BT boards or a power brick can be wired to the switched line in. It's amazing how great those valve amps and field coil speakers sound with a clean input. In one extreme case I even had to add a 6v6, power transformer and a new rectifier tube and speaker to an old set to convert it into a single ended amp but it sounded great even on the radio, I had to have a friend help me with that one but I used the existing holes and mountings without cutting anything. Just a few couple small holes for the transformer.
I'm firmly against fitting modern guts into old radios, but this is a great video that may reduce the amount of people completely destroying their radios, well done again Ray!
I was having a conversation with Steve Harris about this recently, on eBay there are a lot of DAC90A's with bluetooth capabilities and then when you scroll down to see the sellers other items, they have the chassis that came out of the same radio. If I'm going to add an aux input to a radio, either bluetooth or standard 3.5mm, I usually capacitively couple it onto the volume control and use the original amp, it's not safe but it works.
@@g4nsj ok sir than... I thought you have this redio so that's why I asked you.. I am searching this redio from so long time if know any one who have this redio than plz inform me
I am so happy I found your Channel! I have been disappointed in watching people tear their radios apart to place a piece of crap inside & call it "Bluetooth upgrade in vintage radio!" ...Really??? Just keep the thing Vintage, try to make it pristine & add Bluetooth as discreetly as possible! 👍
ripping an old radio apart is like the mash patotoe adverts in the 70, THEY PEAL THEM WITH THERE METAL KNIVES THEY BOIL THEM FOR 20 MINUITS THEN MASH THEM ALL TO BITS HA HA HA tnx jeffrey
Thank God! I had the thought recently to add a wireless bluetooth module to a 40's era Zenith Radio and sat down to draw out a circuit for it and thought, ah, I should check RU-vid, I'm sure that it's been done. To my HORROR, I found nothing but videos of people ripping out the guts and using the case to house a crappy bluetooth based amplifier. Holy hell, I couldn't believe it, lol. I would never do it, and if I did, I damned sure wouldn't create evidence of the crime. You have restored my faith in humanity. Thank you.
Excellent advice Ray , I'm definitely of the " add a few parts for Bluetooth and keep the original design working as well as long as it's safe " school , preserving the original electronics as I want to hear historical equipment. However there are many instances when the " guts " are not worth saving or are an unsafe state of repair . Someone may want to populate a nice looking item with a set up similar to your design too.
m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1QBKCL4EOps.html Nice to hear from you too Ray. I waited ten years to get the right " cheap part " to fix this strictly non vintage Pure DAB radio !.
Hi Ray. I can understand stripping a chassis if you wanted to make it a tube amp but I agree,there's no sense in stripping it just to add some solid state stuff to it. The purists always freak out over modifying/repurposing antique stuff but the way I see it,it's alot better than a beautiful old piece going in the landfill. Most average people nowadays will never listen to a true vintage radio anyways.....the caps wear out,they require retuning every once in a while and most are too impatient for the tubes.....ahem,sorry....valves to heat up.
Are you sure you thought this out properly? Let the 50L6 and 35Z5 tubes cook the bluetooth board? That doesn't seem like a good way to go. Why not keep the original speaker being powered by the radio's audio output tube? My choice would be to mount a bluetooth module on the back side of the radio where the air is cooler. You can mount the bluetooth inside of a little snap close plastic box, the bottom side glued or screwed to the radio's back cover. Add a double pole toggle switch to switch the bluetooth audio into the radio when not using the radio to listen to radio stations. The other pole of the switch turns off the bluetooth when listening to radio stations to prevent digital noise ingress. The voltage to power the bluetooth can be derived from the cathode of the audio output tube (50L6 or whatever) through a 5 volt regulator chip.
Dare I say dogmatic extremes of opinion or action are rarely productive. In this case: Is your radio entirely knackered? Then do whatever you fancy in whatever way you like. Have you got a perfect and working radio? Maybe modifying it is not such a good plan, although are sympathetic and reversible additions that bad? ...and of course all destinations between.
That's Fun Doing That I Love Using Bluetooth Cause There's Nothing Good On The Radio Anyhow. & Besides I Don't Listen To All That Rap Music. I'm A Country Guy. But I Like Nice Sounding JBL Or Jenson Or Bose Speakers For A Nice Crisp & Robust Sound That You'r Ears Will Be Happy With.
