Radio Redux: How to embed a radio in a scarf

This Instructable is a guide for how to embed an average consumer radio in a scarf. I named it the Snugsounds radio and I developed the idea for a university project. There are things I would change about the radio now but here is how I went about its creation.

Materials you will need:
- average consumer radio (I used the Sony ICF-S22)
- 2m of felt (colour of your choice)
- 30cm square or felt (different colour to above)
- 2m polyester padding
- 9 red LEDs
- 2 small speakers
- wires
- solder
- 3 large buttons of your choice
- Araldite
- 2 snap fasteners

Tools you will need:
- pliers
- soldering iron
- sewing machine and dress pins
- scissors
- needle and thread

Step 1 Dismantle a radio and extend wires

I started by opening up my radio. Take care as you do this not to destroy any vital components inside that you will be using later on in the project.

Once I had come up with the design I began extending wires where needed. I took the existing speaker off and attached 2 slightly smaller speakers in parallel. This worked fine for me with out losing power in the speakers but if you are using a different radio or speakers I would check at this point to make sure they will work.

I connected 9 red LEDs in parallel and wired them into where the tuning indicator LED had been. I did this so the scarf would light up when it is in tune. Its not essential but does look great.

I wanted the radio to be turned on by an interaction with the scarf. I decided to put buttons running up the front and to turn the radio on you need to do up one of them. For this I extended the batteries so they would be on the opposite end of the scarf to the circuit board. One wire runs along the scarf to the battery cell and another goes to the button. A wire also comes from the battery cell to the associated button hole so that when this button is done up the circuit is completed. It sounds more complex than it is.

The other 2 buttons on the front of the scarf are for the volume and tuning. They don't need extending as the circuit board goes directly underneath the other buttons.

Comments

[madeleinewilson]

Thanks! Yes they can be annoying. Glad you like it!

[ArtisanEclectic]

This reminds me of the BoneFone from when I was a kid in the late 70's early 80's. I actually had one. They looked funny but they sounded outstanding. The speakers actually sat right on your collarbones and faced outward.



People around me would "think" they heard music but just barely. Meanwhile I am cranking it up. I would love to see the look on their faces when I would flip it off my shoulders and onto theirs.



It really was amazing how quiet these little speakers were to someone nearby, yet, to the wearer it was like having headphones on but still be able to hear everything around you. I'd say that the speakers were around 2" in diameter. Not the tiny little jobbies that are in earbuds today. You didn't actually "hear" the music with your ears. It vibrated thru your collarbones and skull. seriously. It was Nothing like headphones.



(I know I just contradicted myself but that's about it) I read somewhere that after Beethoven went deaf he would place a brass rod between his teeth and touch the other end to the piano and he could hear what he was playing.





http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/04/25/bone-fone/



Great Idea!! Great 'ible!!

[vincentstockdale]

So when you sew these peices are any of the peices using conductive thread because if sew (pun intended) Then its a no go for the project because i dont have any conductive thread

[culross]

As someone who hates earphones i like the wrap around sound!

[ianmi]

You are the Nuts!