“This stylish mid-1960s Dansette portable radio is now playing the 21st century’s finest internet radio stations thanks to a loving upgrade. All of the original controls have been re-used, and you’d never know it’s a conversion - until you turn it on!
The centre of the tuning dial has been replaced with a bright LCD display showing the icon for the current radio station, with a convex glass bubble lens adding to the vintage aesthetic.
The trio of clicky little buttons on top control the power and let you skip up or down through a set of eight station presets. The dials peeping out at each corner are actually large, tactile micro-switch buttons for precisely controlling the volume.
On the inside is a Raspberry Pi, with a Pirate Audio board handling the display and amplification, and a 10,000 mAh power bank supplying plenty of juice for long summer afternoons in the garden. A simple Python script manages the playlists and channel art.
I bought this Dansette Companion radio back in October 2019 for 2 - a tiny amount - but I loved the look of it so much that I saved it until I had the time to do a “proper” conversion.
Supplies:
1964 Dansette Companion Portable Radio
Raspberry Pi 2
USB WiFi Adaptor
Pimoroni Pirate Audio 3w Amplifier
Adafruit Power Switch Breakout
10,000 mAh USB Power Bank
40mm Convex Glass Lens”