Roberts RM33 Internet Radio
Erick Truter's Raspberry Pi-powered radio conversion expertly meshes old and new.
One of the most exciting uses for Raspberry Pi single-board computers is as an Internet media server. While uncovered connectors and browser-based controls can work, to make his build much more fun, Erick Truter decided to stick a Raspberry Pi 3B inside of a vintage Roberts RM33 radio. Truter is quick to note that this isn’t the first Pi Internet radio, and it certainly won’t be the last. However, he was able to pull this project off in style, adding modern controls while still preserving the look and feel of its donor shell.
The build swaps out the actual volume and tuning knobs for a potentiometer and encoder, and the station indicator is replaced with a 20 x 4 LCD display for feedback. Nine buttons on the front are salvaged to go between sources and stored channels, and a 10th button on the back is utilized as a soft reboot for the Pi. The volume potentiometer also has a switch that's used to turn the radio off, with the help of a PowerBlock safe shutdown module.
The original speaker is still used here, powered by a a MAX98306-based audio amplifier board, with music output via a USB sound card. Custom circuitry is soldered onto a perma-proto HAT to adapt new and old elements together.
As a final touch, paint on the front face of the design was taken off and given a vinyl mask for a little character. Here pinstripes are added as an ode to the original, and a Pi logo and new lettering to show that it’s something new.