Transforming a Forgotten 1980s FM Radio Into a Modern Bluetooth Speaker

An old 1982 FM radio from a thrift store rested on a shelf, its weathered plastic shell broken and discolored with years of use. Few people would give this antique from the days when having a portable radio meant fumbling with dials to find a station a second thought. However, one maker, who goes by the name Distracted by Design, saw something in it. He grabbed it at home with a clear plan: remove the old guts and convert it into a Bluetooth speaker that would work perfectly with today’s devices.

First came disassembly, and straight inside, you could see the simple, no-frills structure typical of cheap models at the time. Every original circuit board, capacitor, and tuner assembly was carefully removed, leaving a rather empty shell, with the exception of the built-in speaker, which remained in place to avoid having to replace it with something new because it fit the enclosure perfectly and provided adequate sound for the task at hand.

Bringing the radio back to life required searching for parts. He was able to obtain a Bluetooth audio board from an old portable speaker that was set to be discarded, as well as obsolete lithium-ion batteries extracted from a decommissioned charger. That should provide a good couple hours of playback on a single charge. Getting all of these components to fit within the radio was a challenge. He utilized templates to get the measurements correct, then created bespoke brackets from them, which meant tinkering around with a 3D printer until everything was just right. This resulted in five different prototypes before he got it spot on, because he wanted the entire thing to lock in solidly without wobbling.

The original buttons in the front were formerly used for volume and tone, but now they handle playback and pairing, just like they were back then. Tiny actuators were created on a 3D printer and tipped with neatly machined wood pieces, which stick out from the Bluetooth board and push the buttons from behind.

There was limited space, thus some concessions were required. The problem was that a portion of the case was blocking the battery pack, therefore it was removed. Cut a few pieces out of the plastic, leaving just enough space for everything in the end. The wiring is quite simple, red is positive and black is ground, but he managed to get the colors jumbled up on one of the connectors and had to fix that before the power started working.

The next thing he did was clean up the outside of the vintage radio. The weak handle was replaced with a great sturdy wooden one, manufactured on a CNC mill, no less. The side plates are made of aluminum, cut and drilled to a T shape, and bolted on for further strength and a high-end feel. The shattered acrylic pane that covered the old tuning dial was the last to go. He replaced it with a great solid hardwood panel that looked like it had always been there.

Back panel upgrades resolved the charging issue. He initially attempted to use the recovered board’s micro-usb port, but it was a complete nightmare; one painstaking mod overheated the circuits and killed it, forcing him to switch to fresh batteries and a totally dedicated USB-C charging module. To improve the appearance, he added a new aluminum cover held in place with magnets, making it easier to remove and access the port, as well as an acrylic diffuser to soften the harsh brightness of the status light.

Putting everything together brought all of the components of this vintage speaker back to life. The wood front panel was sorted out using super glue tape, and the handle was securely fastened in. He was shocked by how clear the sound was, especially given that the speaker cone was approximately 30 years old. Yes, the highs roll off a little too early to sound super crisp and current, but the overall sound is really warm and suitable for casual listening to select tracks or background music.

This radio has come a long way since its inception, currently streaming audio wirelessly and looking rather slick with its 80s design but upgraded with some nice materials like wood and metal. The battery life is more than enough to keep you listening for a while, and the new USB-C connector makes charging simple. What began as 80s garbage evolved into a really amazing portable speaker, demonstrating that with a little TLC, you can breathe new life into old technology and give it a whole new purpose.
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