Project - Videoton R4900 Melodyn 1.

This was written at 2022.04.14. Publishing it today as the surprise is over.

When I was a little child (before we bought out first Hi-Fi equipment in '81) we had a Videoton Melodyn radio. It is not particularly rare, or high quality. It just a radio from the bad side of the iron curtain.

Two days ago popped one of it on a Facebook group. It is sold on the local auction portal Vatera for an insane low price. (The picture is for illustration from www.radiomuseum.hu and not the actual unit)

I got some nostalgic feeling on it. I was thinking to buy it.

When I finally get the idea, what to do with it, it was already sold. 😔

Actually somebody had a comment under the original listing, that he has one and wasn't able to sell it for months now.

I contacted him, and today (2022.04.13) I picked it up. Payed $10 for it, and it was located in the neighboring district (not at a village at the other side of the city as the original listing's unit).

So the plans:

Actually my mother frequently listening some internet radio on the PC in the kitchen. It would be a great idea, to build an internet radio capable device for her into a familiar case (I just hope she remember to this radio and build some sentimental feelings on it). I plan to give her (and for my father) as Christmas present this year.

The plan in nutshell, how I see it now:

Add a Raspberry PI (I have currently a 3B unit in the drawer, don't intend to by a 4B in this chip shortage times for a fortune), buy a touchscreen LCD, a small but powerful D class amp, two new wide range loudspeakers.

Remove the original loudspeaker what mounted partially behind the left side plastic cover (next to the radio scale) and the upper textile cover. Mount the plastic cover to some kind of hinge, lock with "push to lock" plastic unit. Mount the LCD behind this newly created door. Mount the new loudspeakers exclusively behind the textile.

Find some internet radio linux distribution for the Raspberry, add PSU, the amp and that's it.

My mother eventually read my blog. Therefore this post was written for the drawer. I publish this (and the later parts) after Christmas.