Kitchen radio...........

[Beardyman]

This is the product of an over active imagination, too much free time & far too many parts available from various sources. Suffice to say my partner loves it & anyone who see's it is somewhat taken aback. I suppose in the modern parlance it could be called Steampunk/Gothic but in fact it started life as a humble cheap Tesco DAB radio found looking much the worse for wear in a local charity shop for the princely sum of £4, the rest of it is entirely my doing, guilty as charged my lord.........

Mods, if this isn't in the right place then please move or delete as applicable, many thanks in advance.

[ppppenguin]

Will it make the tea? Do the washng up? Exterminate anyone who's careless?

Vastly better than converting Avo meters etc into table lamps.

[BusyBee]

It's not to my taste but I love it!

I sometimes dream about going to one of those steampunk occasions in Edwardian clothing  with a fully working valve radio with exposed valves. It's something which would not be too hard but obviously there are is  safety to bear in mind - lower voltage and efficient aerial - it would have to be am, but just requires the determination to do it. Having recently bought an Edwardian blouse as a treat I would point out that the clothing may well be more expensive to finalise than the radio. I wonder how Radio Caroline would be with steampunk  

I do agree with no converting AVO's but I was in two minds earlier in the week when I saw a program in which an old radio was converted. It's not something which would affect me too much as I have few of them, but I have noticed some people on vintage forums do scrap things if they are not able to sell or easily give them away. The question is - Is it better to scrap a lesser quality vintage radio or torture it and enthusiasts by transforming it to some modern design?

Tracy

[Old Sparky]

My opinion on this is that the radio or whatever is the owner's to do as they please with, and that includes modifying it, even in a non-reversible way, whether by adding FM, DAB or whatever. Obviously no forum member would consider butchering a really rare radio, but if it's a common 50s or 60s model, why does it matter if modifications or additions are made to it? Not quite the same thing, I know, but many years ago I modified a MW Valve superhet to receive SW by changing the coils and padder caps., just to prove it could be done. I don't recall the frequency coverage now, but suspect it was something like 19-49 or 60M.

[Amie]

.... but if it's a common 50s or 60s model, why does it matter if modifications or additions are made to it?

KB, KR20FM radio/guitar amplifier with cosmetic modifications.
Ready steady FLAME!

Thanks.
Amie.

[ppppenguin]

Amie, why shouldn't you do that if you want to. It's your radio, it's not a rarity. Thinking of other common sets, DAC90(A) have been treated in all sorts of ways. I've seen one sprayed pale blue. Spraying a round Ekco green might be decpetive

[BusyBee]

I could live with that Amie

Tracy

[Beardyman]

The DAB radio I used in that was a very beaten up looking ting in a local charity shop, for £4 I just couldn't resist it! It worked & sounded rather good in fact despite it being mono. My better half said, "It's a bit dull isn't it? Do you think you might have any bits & pieces to jazz it up a bit?". That kind of opened the floodgates to some degree. The chassis is from a reproduction wall hanging Binatone landline phone which never worked properly. PSU is a 5V wallwart, speaker surround is an old coffee jar lid, speaker pod is from the scrap bin & would have been part of an ROV thruster so has probably been down to at least 300 meters. Some bits & pieces which we all have to a greater or lesser extent in the workshop. The two spike tubes were from old garden solar lights that no longer worked. The brackets holding the tubes were salvaged from the scrap bin. At the bottom is something I saw as a kit but very cheap, about £8 I think, its a spectrum/sound level light display, the cats are fascinated by it!
Thanks for the kind comments & as others have already said, its yours, do as you please. Like the rainbow KB, a splash of colour is always a good thing.