Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Raspberry Pi needs a home

While out shopping for a book case I saw a classic old tape deck. I have not got any cassettes so it was of no value for playing tapes but the retro appeal had me thinking. Easily large enough for a Raspberry Pi and some relay boards. This is the case mod that I need to house my project.

Pioneer CT-F500 Stereo Cassette Tape Deck.
After pulling the case off I was impressed with the internals. I can re-use the power socket and switch. The transformer is easily removed and provides a small earthed shelf where I can mount my new power supplies from DX.

Next to make some more room in there. I wanted to keep as many wires as possible to make it easier to use the existing plugs, switches & outputs. Needless to say, this puppy won't be playing any more tapes!

After pulling out some boards labelled 'Dolby' I though, 'I wonder how much they are worth?' And then I though, 'I wonder how much a working unit is worth?' A quick google showed that in the right condition and for the right buyer it might be worth a few hundred dollars. Well we will never know if this unit worked (although I assume that it did). It seems to be in extremely good condition (a bit of finger grime and a price tag on the front should clean off easily). When I am finished with it, I think it will be priceless.

First I hooked up the 5v power to make sure that it works. Yes it does!
Raspberry Pi getting to know it's new home.


Next I set about wiring in the 5v and 12v power trying to keep it neat and safe. The two power supplies fit side by side like it was designed that way. Then I wrestled in some 240v wires and presto, working power. I think it needs some tape though to keep things safe.

5v and 12v power installed and working.
Next I think the cassette motor needs to come out to make some more room.

11 comments:

  1. It's great that people are interested in this topic. Cassandra

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  6. Your Raspberry Pi project in the vintage Pioneer CT-F500 Stereo Cassette Tape Deck is a fantastic blend of retro aesthetics and modern technology. Repurposing old equipment like this is a brilliant way to give new life to classic devices. By the way, have you considered integrating internet of things predictive maintenance into your setup? With the right sensors and data collection, you could monitor the health and performance of your Raspberry Pi and other components in real-time. It's a fascinating application of technology that ensures everything runs smoothly, just like your revamped tape deck!

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  7. A case helps protect the Raspberry Pi from dust, static electricity, accidental contact, connections nyt and other potential hazards.

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  8. It sounds like you're embarking on an exciting project to repurpose a classic cassette tape retro bowl deck into a home for your Raspberry Pi!

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  9. Reusing components like the power socket, Infinite Craft switch, and transformer from the tape deck's internals is a smart way to maintain functionality and minimize additional parts needed for your project.

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