Dual Project: AirPlay-Pi and New Life for an Old Radio

by TheKingsOfWing

12K2527

Intro: Dual Project: AirPlay-Pi and New Life for an Old Radio

Hey, Welcome to my first ever post on Instructables!

The Project you're about to read over is setting up a Raspberry Pi to use 'AirPlay' and how I used it, which clashes with the second part, the new life for my old radio.

STEP 1: Collect Up Everything You Need.

Whats a must for this project:
- Raspberry Pi (model B or later as you need a Ethernet connection)
- Ethernet cable
- SD card
- Power cable for the Pi
- The audio device you wish to play it though (speakers, Headphone's etc..)
- A way of writing to the SD card, that be a laptop or desktop.


Extras:
- Its not a need, but music can be stored on a USB thumb drive and plugged into the Pi.

(Before continuing, make sure the SD in fully formatted as if not, it may affect the software.)

STEP 2: Putting of the Software on the SD Card.

Now, not every one knows all the details of how to so this, so i'll explain in detail so everyone can understand.

First, head over to Volumio, click the download button at the top. Follow though on the 'sourceforge' page to download.Make sure to save to copy it over to the desktop to make the next steps easier.


Next, Scroll down to the 'Flash it' section it and click on 'Win32DiskImager' (which is in a dark grey) next to the text 'Download and extract'. Wait for the next site to load, click download, once done, drag it to the desktop too.

Now you have a zipped file, and Win file on your desktop.
Right click on 'VolumioPI.img' file and click extract here, once done this should create a new file.

Remove unused thumb drives and memory cards from the PC just leaving the Pi's SD card in.
Open 'Win32DiskImager' software we downloaded earlier:
- Click on the Blue folder, go to the desktop and open the 'VolumioPI' file we extracted.
- Now on the drop down below device, select the device (SD card) you're writing to (for mine its H:), it will show a warning, press yes to continue.
- Wait for the process to be finished, when done, remove the SD card.

STEP 3: Setting Up the Pi (This Is Almost It)

In step one, I made sure not to state a screen as need,this software will self boot, and do all the workings for you.

If a HDMI cable is connected when booting up, It will focus the audio towards that, so if the monitor or TV its linked to has speakers, it will use those over the 3.5 mm jack (Headphone jack).
So if you wanted to just use the 3.5 mm jack, its best just to leave the HDMI cable out.

The set up:
- Put SD card into Pi,
- Connect Ethernet to router or splitter
- (If wanting the HDMI, connect now)
- Last Connect up the power cable.

As it boots, it will create it own directory's, and boot to a point which you can access it from another computer on the network.

STEP 4: Accessing the Pi Another Computer

With it all set up, the Pi booted and connected to the network, open a new tab in browser and try one of the following 'http://volumio.local/' or 'volumio.local/' it should load a new page looking something like the in the images below.

From here, you can click 'Browse', 'WebRadio' then clicking to the right of the station, click 'Add and play' this should add it to the playlist and begin playing, to change order or whats on, click the 'Playlist' tab at the bottom, to change the volume click on the middle table 'Playback'.

STEP 5: Not Really a Step, But This Is My Use for the Project.

I picked up this old radio not long with this project or something alike in mind, reason this one really come in hand is that it has a tape player on the side.

Using a 'CD to Cassette Adapter' converter which is just a cassette tape with a 3.5 mm jack on it, I could use this radio without actually having to do any alteration to it.

This, I put the cable through first before putting the tape so the connection is inside the radio.
With the amount of space at the top, I can link the Pi up for the audio, connect it up to the internet and stream music to it.

STEP 6: Thanks for Checking This Out!

This has been my first Instructables, hope you enjoyed it and found it useful!

If there is anything which seems wrong, let me know so can get changed, also any questions, drop me a comment below and i'll try to get back to you ASAP!

Take care and happy tinkering!

8 Comments

robot797 9 years ago

i was about to trash you for the radio

but i saw it was a reproduction

and i have to say you did good

keeping the reproduction inaards to do this makes your live easy

TheKingsOfWing 9 years ago

Ha, Im glad you didn't.
With any project, I try to get what I want from it, without any distruction or anything which cant be converted back.
An old piece like this, a 1970 remake of a 1934 radio (I think), It would of been a shame to gut it or start drilling holes in it.
Only work which may of been done of it, is holes in the wood back plate for the ethernet and power, but still, I may of got a fresh piece to do so on, leaving me able to restore back again after with no damage.

Im going to try getting some more projects up soon, happy for all the feedback!
Take care!

TheKingsOfWing 9 years ago

Good man!
Why not throw a Pi it! Sure everyone will love it!

The Good Old Days 9 years ago

This is amazing and very very very beautiful please do more in the future!!!!!

TheKingsOfWing 9 years ago

Knowing people like my posts, guess ill have to keep it up!
Happy 2015

seamster 9 years ago

Hey, very nicely done!

I was expecting to see some serious gutting of that old radio, but it looks like you didn't have to do that. Great first project. Hope to see many more from you!

TheKingsOfWing 9 years ago

Hey!
Thanks for the feed back, I couldnt bare to gut the radio, not yet at least.
So glad people are enjoying my post, will have to start posting more when I do projects!
Thanks!