Stock AM Radio to MP3 Player Conversion - Cheap !!!

Boldsmobile · August 1st, 2009, 09:20 PM

I got an AM radio and gutted it to this:

I bought a sweet little amp from ebay - direct import from China :wink:

Built this control board. These small switches will line up behind the push buttons on the radio. The circuitry is just a voltage regulator so i can step 12v down to 1.5v for the MP3 player.

Took an old MP3 player and ran leads out of it that connect through to the switches on the player. Those leads than connect to the switches on the control board. You can see the headphone jack connects through to the amp. After i took the picture i also connected a usb cable to the player and have the end hanging out of the radio so i can bring a laptop in the car for music updates.

Here is the control board actually mounted to the back face of the radio. You can see rubber grommets between the board and the housing just for a little protection to the switches. You can see one on the radio push buttons is all the way in and how its activating the control board switch.

Put the cover on (amp is mounted to bottom side of cover) and put the radio is in the dash and looks 100% stock from the front. I even left the dial indicator in it. The power for the amp and mp3 player run through the stock switch. Turn the volume knob to power on and use the push buttons to control the music.

A fun little project. Amp cost me $20. All the rest of the parts i had hanging around.

Lady72nRob71 · August 1st, 2009, 09:44 PM

Way cool project, from this engineer's viewpoint!

Of course I still wonder how the chinese can pack 500W of power in a $20 amp that is the size of a deck of cards...

ent72olds · August 1st, 2009, 09:49 PM

I think you should give us all one of those as a Christmas gift!

.....Sweet work!

Red Delta · August 1st, 2009, 10:30 PM

Nice work. Should throw up a pic of the finished product. So the push buttons control the MP3 player?

You have officially stepped out of my realm of knowledge.

Boldsmobile · August 1st, 2009, 10:40 PM

Thanks for the comments guys.

500W hehehehehe. They should have marked the thing 1000W.

I only purchased based on physical size. Its the smallest amp i could find.

The finished product looks like a stock am radio. Sorry i didnt take one more pic all assembled. Yes the original AM radio push buttons that you would normally use to jump to a station now instead control play/pause/fast forward on that little MP3 player that is now buried inside the radio housing.

Bluevista · August 2nd, 2009, 06:44 AM

Too cool, will that deal play vinyl??

I converted my factory 8 track into an MP3 player.

This may be a little technical ,hope I don't lose anything in translation.

Eight track to cassette adapter-cassette to MP-3 adapter- tons of rumbling noise from the 8 track motor still going constantly and whatever other junk is in there.

It actually works...sometimes, I keep a fire extinguisher handy just in case, you never know... you just never know

scrappie · August 2nd, 2009, 06:57 AM

That is slick!

csstrux · August 2nd, 2009, 07:20 AM

Pure genius. Way cool man.

CHARLOTTE · November 19th, 2009, 07:55 PM

Not bad. Why didnt you gut the amp also to save more room?

OLD SKL 69 · November 19th, 2009, 08:07 PM

Nice piece of work. I only wish I could do something like that as I am electronically challenged!

Did you also run some stealth speakers as well?

Dan Wirth · November 19th, 2009, 08:12 PM

You should do this for a living or second job - creative to say the least!!

I'm tired of "put the new radio and/or other components in the glove box" idea.

marinus_ · November 19th, 2009, 11:57 PM

Hey Mac Guyver!! Was there any duct tape involved in making this unit.

Nice idea!!!

German442 · November 20th, 2009, 01:12 AM

I've got an old chassis. How much to make 1 4 me?

Ralph

August 1st, 2009, 09:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
Boldsmobile Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 57	Stock AM Radio to MP3 Player Conversion - Cheap !!! I got an AM radio and gutted it to this: I bought a sweet little amp from ebay - direct import from China :wink: Built this control board. These small switches will line up behind the push buttons on the radio. The circuitry is just a voltage regulator so i can step 12v down to 1.5v for the MP3 player. Took an old MP3 player and ran leads out of it that connect through to the switches on the player. Those leads than connect to the switches on the control board. You can see the headphone jack connects through to the amp. After i took the picture i also connected a usb cable to the player and have the end hanging out of the radio so i can bring a laptop in the car for music updates. Here is the control board actually mounted to the back face of the radio. You can see rubber grommets between the board and the housing just for a little protection to the switches. You can see one on the radio push buttons is all the way in and how its activating the control board switch. Put the cover on (amp is mounted to bottom side of cover) and put the radio is in the dash and looks 100% stock from the front. I even left the dial indicator in it. The power for the amp and mp3 player run through the stock switch. Turn the volume knob to power on and use the push buttons to control the music. A fun little project. Amp cost me $20. All the rest of the parts i had hanging around. __________________ Pete 1971 Cutlass 1983 Hurst / Olds 1996 Aurora - Autobahn 2001 Alero 2001 Aurora

August 1st, 2009, 09:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
Lady72nRob71 Moderator Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 1,916	Way cool project, from this engineer's viewpoint! Of course I still wonder how the chinese can pack 500W of power in a $20 amp that is the size of a deck of cards... __________________ -Rob Young 1972 Cutlass Supreme Convertible (442 clone) -"Lady" (My mistress...) http://www.flickr.com/photos/robsalbum/sets/ 1986 Cutlass Supreme Coupe - "Pristine" 1978 Ford (Old Faithful) a.k.a. "the Tramp" 1997 Cadillac STS (for sale - too many cars!) 1999 Harley Davidson Sportster - "the Freedom Machine" Last edited by Lady72nRob71; August 1st, 2009 at 10:28 PM..

August 1st, 2009, 09:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
ent72olds Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: LI,NY Posts: 786	I think you should give us all one of those as a Christmas gift! .....Sweet work! __________________ Erik Turner 65 Vista Cruiser 72 Cutlass

August 1st, 2009, 10:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
Red Delta Registered Abuser Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ontariario Posts: 120	Nice work. Should throw up a pic of the finished product. So the push buttons control the MP3 player? You have officially stepped out of my realm of knowledge. __________________ My Google Voice Number... (904) DELTA88. Call or text and we'll talk Olds. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....425.........

August 1st, 2009, 10:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
Boldsmobile Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 57	Thanks for the comments guys. 500W hehehehehe. They should have marked the thing 1000W. I only purchased based on physical size. Its the smallest amp i could find. The finished product looks like a stock am radio. Sorry i didnt take one more pic all assembled. Yes the original AM radio push buttons that you would normally use to jump to a station now instead control play/pause/fast forward on that little MP3 player that is now buried inside the radio housing. __________________ Pete 1971 Cutlass 1983 Hurst / Olds 1996 Aurora - Autobahn 2001 Alero 2001 Aurora

August 2nd, 2009, 06:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
Bluevista Cruisin' the Vistas Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 1,724	Too cool, will that deal play vinyl?? I converted my factory 8 track into an MP3 player. This may be a little technical ,hope I don't lose anything in translation. Eight track to cassette adapter-cassette to MP-3 adapter- tons of rumbling noise from the 8 track motor still going constantly and whatever other junk is in there. It actually works...sometimes, I keep a fire extinguisher handy just in case, you never know... you just never know

August 2nd, 2009, 06:57 AM	#7 (permalink)
scrappie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: eastern MA Posts: 202	That is slick!

August 2nd, 2009, 07:20 AM	#8 (permalink)
csstrux Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Janesville wisconsin Posts: 1,659	Pure genius. Way cool man. __________________ Chad Greed: in psychology is an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth

November 19th, 2009, 07:55 PM	#9 (permalink)
CHARLOTTE BigJ91104 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Spring,Tx Posts: 7	Not bad. Why didnt you gut the amp also to save more room? __________________ If you cant bump it, dump it(Cowboy Customs)

November 19th, 2009, 08:07 PM	#10 (permalink)
OLD SKL 69 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 307	Nice piece of work. I only wish I could do something like that as I am electronically challenged! Did you also run some stealth speakers as well? __________________ Darrell 1971 Cutlass Supreme

November 19th, 2009, 08:12 PM	#11 (permalink)
Dan Wirth Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Southwest Posts: 378	You should do this for a living or second job - creative to say the least!! I'm tired of "put the new radio and/or other components in the glove box" idea. __________________ Dan W. -------------------------------------- 1957 Oldsmobile Holiday J2 Rocket/Super 88 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0L 2002 Ford F250 Turbo 7.3L Diesel Pusher

November 19th, 2009, 11:57 PM	#12 (permalink)
marinus_ Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Grassie Ontario Canada Posts: 183	Hey Mac Guyver!! Was there any duct tape involved in making this unit. Nice idea!!! __________________ 1964 Starfire Convertible

November 20th, 2009, 01:12 AM	#13 (permalink)
German442 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 176	I've got an old chassis. How much to make 1 4 me? Ralph __________________ '65 Cutlass 442 post coupe, '92 Z28 Camaro droptop ("Heritage" package), 2001 BMW 330ci & winter beater

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