[IDEA] Bluetooth AP2P module on boombox

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tatto

Member (SA)
Hello guys! Some time ago a friend bought a bluetooth chip module for his car stereo. It is similar to this one:

600px-BLK-MD-SPK-B-E.jpg
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I have a wonderfull sharp gf 777h and yesterday i had this idea, installing a bluetooth module to my boombox! It's a fantastic idea, no more flying wires, no more slow and faulty tapes, but all remote controlled by a smartphone or a computer. Watching the connection scheme i can connect it to the line-in L/R input inside the box, and power it with onboard GND connector. The receiver is manufactured in china and buyable on ebay. Totally inexpensive, 5-15$. It supports AP2P stereo reproduction, class 2 (20 meters transmission range) and bluetooth 2.0. I'm buying this soon and i will share results here. :yes:
 

Beosystem10

Member (SA)
BT2? :hmmm: The S.I.G. recently adopted BT4.2 as the current standard and the Amazon own brand A2DP receiver uses BT4 so that it will be able to run lights as well as audio with an upgrade so before you buy the older one, consider whether it can use the current codec for audio and what other limitations it has. ;-)

The basic idea is great but that hardware is limited.
 

Cpl-Chronic

Member (SA)
I would love to see how this turns out, even if I don't have a smartphone. Is there any other BT devices like MP3 players I could use instead? Killer IDEA!!!

Cpl
 

tatto

Member (SA)
Cpl-Chronic said:
I would love to see how this turns out, even if I don't have a smartphone. Is there any other BT devices like MP3 players I could use instead? Killer IDEA!!!

Cpl
You can use every player that supports Bluetooth A2P2 transmission in a range of 20 meters. Today the worst pc, phone and mp3 player has bluetooth. Power your boombox with batteries, take it on your shoulder and start transmission without annoying wires or tapes! :thumbsup:

Beosystem10 said:
BT2? :hmmm: The S.I.G. recently adopted BT4.2 as the current standard and the Amazon own brand A2DP receiver uses BT4 so that it will be able to run lights as well as audio with an upgrade so before you buy the older one, consider whether it can use the current codec for audio and what other limitations it has. ;-)

The basic idea is great but that hardware is limited.
I've googled the bt versions on wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth, seems that new versions support encryption and command transmission like next, previous, stop ecc. A boombox is used only for analog audio output, so it plays a source input like the Line-in cables, and the commands are usable from source. I can't find other modules higher than Bt2+ and the only alternatives are external battery powered adapter, like logitech's one that is too much expensive! 30-40$.
Look at this http://www.elecfreaks.com/wiki/index.php?title=BLK-MD-SPK-B
 

tatto

Member (SA)
IMG_20150218_142914.jpg

(From left) GND, L, R;

I'll take power from GND and connect the L/R bluetooth chips here. It outputs a led light too, that is needed to see if the module is receiving. I'll install a little blue led in one of this places:

IMG_20150219_094045.jpg

IMG_20150219_094204.jpg
 

Beosystem10

Member (SA)
Amazon's own does BT4, BT2 doesn't support A2DP fully as it doesn't work with the current codec. The previous codec doesn't provide lossless streaming capability, so would limit quality to that you'd get with an mp3 player. The Amazon receiver has a board similar to the one shewn in your illustration, so could be added in the same way but costs only £11. ;-)

I got them at Amazon.co.uk and have no access to their .com since they detect IPs, but see no reason why they wouldn't sell these globally. As shewn in the thread where I fit these to the PC-5 and the B&O Century, there's no internal battery and its regulator allows it to run at a steady 5V from a source between 5 and 14.2 Volts, so anything from USB to a car supply. Bear in mind that audio tape isn't compressed and that most if not all of our boomboxes can render lossless source material now as well as they did when they were split new from the box. :-)
 

Beosystem10

Member (SA)
Goodness, that's almost double the amount these cost me last Autumn! :blink: Still not too bad a price for a BT4 device though, and quality from them is absolutely spot on, with none of the known sonic glitches of earlier BT gadgets.

Maybe it's an ISP thing, but although you can access Amazon's UK site, I can't get to see the .com one. :-/
 

tatto

Member (SA)
Beosystem10 said:
Goodness, that's almost double the amount these cost me last Autumn! :blink: Still not too bad a price for a BT4 device though, and quality from them is absolutely spot on, with none of the known sonic glitches of earlier BT gadgets.

Maybe it's an ISP thing, but although you can access Amazon's UK site, I can't get to see the .com one. :-/
Italian amazon: 25,99€
It's not a bad price but for a student like me it's a little bit high :lol:. So you installed this inside your box? where did you take the power? did you use any voltage reduction like capacitors? I want to mod my box perfectly inside, without external power sources and give it the input directly onboard
 

Lasonic TRC-920

Moderator
I like the idea of this chip as opposed to using a premade consumer unit simply because you can hard wire it in and use the power switch from the radio to turn the receiver on and off. All the others have a button you must push and hold down, so you have to have access to said button. That's why I have always put a plug in the cassette deck.

The unit in Blu_Fuz's thread is good, but a bit pricey

I have been Bluetoothing radio's for years now (4 years at least) and if I could get these for $5 I would hardwire all my most used radios.

If you know where to get BT4 chips like this in the USA for $5.00 please let me know, thanks :-)
 

blu_fuz

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Lasonic TRC-920 said:
The unit in Blu_Fuz's thread is good, but a bit pricey
Yeah, you are paying extra for the wire whips pre-soldered to the board and the heat shrink tubing around the module. Essentially the one I noted and this chip he noted are the same.
 

tatto

Member (SA)
Tomorrow i'm going to local components seller to ask him about this modules. A module like this with bt 4.0+ would be perfect! The amazon's one seems quite good but it's too much expensive
 
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