I've always loved the look and sound of old radios, but the reality is that most of them don't pick up many stations these days. However, with just a few cheap parts, I discovered how to hack an old radio and turn it into a great sounding Bluetooth speaker! This project cost me less than $5 and now I have a conversation piece that also connects wirelessly to my phone.
What You'll Need
- An old radio - I found mine at a thrift store for $10. Look for one with decent sized speakers.
- A small Bluetooth audio receiver - I bought one on Amazon for $5. This allows the radio to receive Bluetooth signals.
- Basic soldering supplies
- Screwdrivers and wire cutters
Disassembling the Radio
The first step is to open up the radio and remove all the unnecessary internals, leaving just the speaker and power supply.
- Carefully remove any screws holding the chassis in place and lift it out.
- Locate and remove the transformer, tubes, tuning capacitor and any other circuits. Be careful not to damage the speaker or power supply.
- Strip out all unnecessary wiring, but leave the speaker wires.
- Thoroughly clean the chassis and cabinet.
Now you should be left with a empty radio case, power supply and bare speaker.
Installing the Bluetooth Receiver
The Bluetooth receiver needs to be powered and connected to the speaker.
- Solder longer wires onto the Bluetooth receiver's power and ground connections. Connect them to the radio's power supply.
- Connect the receiver's right and left audio out wires to the speaker terminals.
- Secure the Bluetooth receiver in a good spot with hot glue or double sided tape. I mounted mine on the back panel.
- Before reassembling, test it out! Pair your phone to the Bluetooth device and start playing music.
Completing the Housing
Now you just need to tidy up the look.
- Consider lining the inside with sound dampening material like Dynamat to improve the sound.
- Neaten up the wiring with zip ties or electrical tape.
- Reinstall the metal chassis and screw the cabinet back together. Make sure no wires will get pinched.
- Add some personality like painting it or gluing on knobs from the old parts.
That's it! For just a few dollars you now have a vintage looking Bluetooth speaker. Not only does it look cool, but the radio's speakers give it a warmer, fuller sound than typical Bluetooth speakers. Just be careful not to blow it out by cranking up the volume too much. Let me know if you try this hack on an old radio!