Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

Hi.
I just wandered what you guys think of modernising old tech.
I have an Hitachi CPT 0652 colour 5 inch tv, radio and cassette recorder.
I'm going to be adding bluetooth, freeview (digital tv) and an android tv box for netflix etc. Oh and a rca to rf modulator.
I will obviously be drilling holes in the casing and adding switches etc.

I do like the Hitachi but I will be looking for a better condition one to keep stock.
Anyway, just wandered what your thoughts would be.

Brian

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

I don't really collect stuff of this era it was consumer electronics when I was in my 20/30's I did all sorts of things to stuff of this period when it was current so I have no qualms about poor examples being repurposed to make them useful now. However that's just me others may disagree.

In any case you don't need any ones permission per se its your property.

Sympathetically done it could mean the equipment remains in use for decades to come.

Cheers

Mike T

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

To me, no problem on something of that nature. On the other hand, adding Bluetooth to a Marconi V2 receiver would be sacrilege, obviously. I would much rather a mass produced unit be modded, reused, enjoyed and cherished than resigned to a leaking shed or even the skip. Thumbs up from me! or 'like' ticked, but I can't. Yet..

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

I do want to use this set daily, hence the planned mods, I will be installing them anyway lol, I was just curious as to what others thought.

I agree if it was the rarest of machines I wouldn't touch it, I probably should have added that.

Cheers

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

On equipment such as this, incorporating additional circuitry might affect the ventilation,
operating temperature, or even electrical safety. An attached outboard housing might be
preferable, especially when servicing is required.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

Ah ok, I get that, there is space to fit the stuff in there but yes it would make it tight, it is all low voltage stuff, 5-12v dc. But heat I was going to vent with a silent fan, well that was what I was thinking.

Some things to work out first me thinks.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

Probably the issue that would stop me doing the mods (restomods?) you have mentioned would be the seemingly inherent highly strung nature and glitchiness of modern digital systems. It would be a right pig to do all that work and find that it plays up. (I hope it all works for you)

Dave

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

I see no reason not to add a few modern features! The only thing I’d be bothered about would be the drilling of holes for extra buttons, or connectors, so long as there aren’t many of them, or they are hidden round the back then it’ll probably be ok! Drilling holes in the front would kind of spoil it a bit. I’ve seen someone do a complete fitting out of one of these type of things, they replaced the CRT with an LCD, which just didn’t look right!

As for ventilation, just give the TV a good long run to see how warm it gets, same with the extra bits, you might find it doesn’t really get very warm and you may not need the fan.

Regards
Lloyd

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

If I was doing it I would want the extra knobs to look right, not necessarily matching. Could be time to find a few scrap sets of that make and era to get knobs from. I wouldn't worry about heat, modern stuff is low powered, and do leave documentation inside the unit, even a micro SD card with it all on there, photos too.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

In my mind it is far better to re-use / utilise something which would otherwise be scrapped.
One thing that has probably touched all of us at some time is how we learn without taking some form of risk.

I would go for it but, in early stages, think about how to reverse (and log) what you do.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

Re Ionburn... Heres my take on things...The Eddystone EC10 was ok in its day..50 years ago..these are my... "reworks". The first two photo's are of my Current project, where a DDS module is fitted for RF stability and the old tuning parts have been replaced for Preselect only. The photo's 3,4 and 5 are my Amateur band only rebuild. Sorry purists.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

Opinion on this forum is generally tilted towards making things usable, not least because one of its main functions is to help people seeking that goal. In the context of entertainment electronics, making something usable could be anywhere between achieving original functionality and getting the most entertainment out of it today, which could involve mods like the ones you are considering. I think your idea of finding a good example to keep in stock condition alongside the modded one is a good one. I like to do a similar thing with pairs of items, one restored and one as-found.

It is good that there is a variety of opinion overall as this means a variety of outcomes for the objects, but as I say, some viewpoints have only lmited representation here. I don't buy into the argument that anything mass-produced within the last generation must be so plentiful that it's always OK to hack any example you find, because there is another original down the road. One day that strategy breaks, as it has done for me with certain electronic organs (a field in which production volumes were modest and re-purposing has always been popular.) I am searching for original examples of certain models made as late as the 1970s, of which I can find a selection of 'modernised' examples but none in original stock condition. No-one knows of any surviving originals, not even the people who used to supply them. In one case the last known example was 'modernised' with all new electronics only a few years ago. The original guts were considered of no historic interest due to being only 40 years old, although they might have been the only remaining example of that particular technology.

Looking through museum eyes, where one is often trying to conserve history for the unborn generation, modding to extend the useful life of a device is interesting in its own right. People born in 2200 might not be very interested in whether a particular box receives AM, FM, DAB or Bluetooth; all radios and TVs might look old-timey and much the same. But they might go nuts over the idea that you took a box with outdated functionality, and with your own hands and tools, made it do something new that you desired. You might be the most interesting part of the unit's history. We can only guess!

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

This thread has answered my question !. I have an Advance 63A signal generator and the output socket is a Belling-Lee TV type terminal. I have grown tired of the plug working loose and pulling out :censored: , so now I figure it's time to fit a BNC socket in place of the Belling.

Thank you.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

I have added a couple of photos, the first photo is the bluetooth fm transmitter I was going to use, noe that only needs 2 tiny wires for the 5v, so they could go thrugh the grill, the plastic housing could be glued on if someone knows a good glue that holds enough but could be removed easy ish.
The only other hole I need is one for a 4 way rotary switch, to power on the individual boards I'm adding, I only need 1 item plus the rf modulator on at anytime.

The second photo is just a cheap car 12v to 5v usb charger, rated at 1 amp.

I will be unsoldering all the sockets RCA and RF etc on the boards I install.
That way the boards will be much thinner and easier to shield.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

I should only need possibly 2 holes, one for a rotary switch the other for the bluetooth. Although the bluetooth could be glued to the outside, low tack will do, so just 1 hole then.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

I am going to video it, for my youtube channel, 1 step for each video, there is a micro sd card reader on the bluetooth, I will also save them to sd card and put a small note on the inside with it, great idea thank you.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

They look great, if it means they get used now, I'm kinda with you.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

Very insightful, this alone has made my mind up, it's on.:)

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

I'm glad the thread has helped someone lol.

Re: Your thoughts on modernising old tech?
 

For this type of thing I use Sellotape "outdoor" sticky pads, quite remarkable things.