I've mentioned before that I'm working on an FM radio and MP3 player that could be easily adapted to the AD trucks...the easier the better in my opinion. Not to say it looks like something original to the pickup. It doesn't but with some very imaginative (and probably expensive) work it might be retro-adapted. Truthfully I'm looking for affordable and useful rather than period correct looking. Over the last year or two there seem to have been a few people interested in this and given the abysmal state of broadcast radio these days I can certainly understand their interest. This is the first bit of useful information about the project and if you're interested, please feel free to contact me directly at
[email protected]Below you'll see a couple of images of what I'm currently testing. This is sort of neat, but absolutely no documentation came with it and sadly the seller and I struggle to communicate well. Basically it is a Chinese-made stereo FM radio combined with an MP3 player and amplifier. But...there is reason to believe it (or other variations of this same/similar circuit) may also include bluetooth ability (telephone call reception). This one appears to, but I haven't been able to sort that part yet. Also...and this will be of interest to folks still using 6 volt schemes...it will operate with any voltage between 6 and 12. I have it sitting behind me happily playing a Dutch story (The Cat Who Came in from the Roof) and the clarity and volume are both in my opinion remarkably good. Especially since I am using it with 2 very cheap 8 ohm speakers. The unit was evidently designed to use a small piece of wire as the antenna (for FM reception), but honestly speaking that little wire is a miserable excuse, so I'm now wondering about the possibility of connecting this to a standard automobile-type antenna. And it appears to support power off memory...so that if you were playing a book (as I am) and turned it off it would resume at the same place when activated again. It came with a small but interesting remote control. Once I find a battery for it, I'll know more. The unit seems to produce no heat at all while operating. Oh, and also...it seems to have a recording function. Don't actually know what that would be useful for but it is novel.
What I've determined so far...amperage use is low. It has two channels...right and left and each is 25 watt. It supports MP3, WAV and WMV sound files. The dimensions...about 3.5 inches wide, 1 5/8 inches tall and would require maybe 1 inch of back-side space. This one has failed to successfully recognize the USB stick but it does recognize and play well from a TF card (same as a micro SD card).
The cost of the unit (not including any wiring nor speakers) is very reasonable...being $15 USD each or less and I'm awaiting other versions of this which I'll evaluate (some less expensive and with other functions). Takes a while for them to arrive, you know.
