Vintage Tube Radio 2 Google Nest Mini Conversion

This manual describes the conversion of a antique tube radio to a Google nest radio. Most of the tube radio’s lost their function because there are no radio’s stations on the AM and other bands anymore.

The Google nest radio gives the owner more functionality. There is internet radio, all local radio stations, Spotify playlists and all the other functions of the google nest. You can control the radio with a smartphone and with your voice.

From the 1920 throughout the 1980’s a lot of different radios are produced. This conversion set is based on European tube radio’s from the forties to the sixties.

The basic requirements of the radio are:

4 to 8 ohm dynamic loudspeaker (no 800 ohm bi-amply radio’s, no field coil speakers)

Radio’s with or without and green eye can be converted. (indicator tube 20mm like EM80)

Radio’s without mains isolation transformer can also be converted.

Also stereo radios can be converted but the radio becomes a mono radio (Google nest is mono)

Due to the variety of radio’s some modifications of the conversion kit might be necessary. The modification can be e.g. lengthening cables.

Some radios are more than eighty years old. The tubes, wiring and capacitors are not safe to use anymore. So none of the old electronics is used. They remain in the radio but are no longer activated (connected). So never connect an old radio to the mains. The can cause a short circuit or a fire.

With his conversion the radio is save to use, we only use the loudspeaker of the radio.

Basic operation

The google nest must be connected to the Wi-Fi network using the google home app on your phone. The Nest radio has the same functions as the google mini nest V2.

All functions of the radio are no longer working. You cannot switch on the radio anymore. Also the scale is not working anymore, you can still move the needle around but it has no function anymore. The nest radio is always on. The google nest is designed to stay on forever so the power consumption is very low.

The light of scale of the radio is on when the nest receives commands and stays on for about 10 minutes. If the nest radio is listening to your commands, the eye of the radio will light up. If the radio has no eye, the scale light will change colour.

On internet you can find a lot about the google assist commands, try them. Using the google home app the volume can be changed and the equaliser is controlled, you can also control the Spotify app.

 You can see a number of features in the youtube video.

Main Parts

1. Antique Radio
2. Google nest mini V2
3. Conversion kit

To order kit for dutch speakers: Click here

Other countries : please mail : info@xvaudio.nl or try this: Click here

Conversion kit contents:

1. 3d Printed parts
2. PCB
3. 2 * screw 3.5X16 mm
4. 2 * shrink tube
5. Connector
6. 2 * coloured LEDs
7. 2* white LEDs
8. Speaker cable nest side
9. Speaker cable speaker side
10. Power cable XN-2
11. Power cable hooked connector
12. Transparent tape
13. Drill template

 Used Tools:

1. Soldering iron
2. Tin
3. Trox 6 screw driver
4. Drill 6 and 12 mm
5. Scissors
6. Wire cutter
7. Glue
8. Screw drivers
9. Wire stripper

There are a number of steps.

Preparation

Disassemble

Connecting the loudspeaker

Connecting the LED’s

Mounting the Nest

Connect everything together and test.

The electronics of the Google nest radio is very small. It’s function is to control LEDs for dial lumination and the activity LEDs. After the last activity the dial LED remains on for about 10 minutes.

See the schematics of the electronics.

This electronics is implemented on a PCB. The assembled PCB is included in the conversion kit.

Start with a radio inspection. Is there an eye indicator present? What kind of eye do you have? How many scales light does your radio have? How to put the components in the radio?

The radio inspection in done in steps. To have a better overview of the radio, remove the rear of the radio.

Step 1:

Is there an indication eye present? If yes, please continue, if no please go to step 3.

If there is an indicator eye, the kit can convert 3 types:

If you have an eye of type: round(EM34), make a coloured LED assembly with 1 coloured LED

If you have an eye of type: oval (EM80), make a coloured LED assembly with 2 coloured LEDs

If you have an eye of type: rectangular (EM84), make a coloured LED assembly with 2 coloured LEDs

See the YouTube video of the assembly of the LED cable

In the youtube video at the end of the step 3 the the assembly of the LED cable is given.

Step 2:

Find out how many dial lights are present. Most radios have one or two dial lights.

If the radio has 1 dial light, make a white LED assembly with 1 white LED.

If the radio has 2 dial lights, make a white LED assembly with 2 white LEDs.

In the youtube video at the end of step 3 the the assembly of the LED cable is given.

Go to step 4

Step 3:

If the radio has no indication eye, there are two ways to create the activity LED.

1            Find a nice spot in the dial to glue an indication LED on.

2            Let the dial light change colour.

If option 1 is chosen:

Make a coloured LED assembly with 1 coloured LED

In the youtube video at the end of the this step the the assembly of the LED cable is given.

Find out how many dial lights are present. Most radios have one or two dial lights.

If the radio has 1 dial light, make a white LED assembly with 1 white LED.

If the radio has 2 dial lights, make a white LED assembly with 2 white LEDs.

In the youtube video at the end of the this step the the assembly of the LED cable is given.

If option 2 is chosen:

Find out how many dial lights are present. Most radios have one or two dial lights.

If the radio has 1 dial light, make a white LED assembly with 1 white LED.

If the radio has 2 dial lights, make a white LED assembly with 2 white LEDs.

In this YouTube videos an instruction of the LED cable is given.

Power cable assembly. In this step the power cable assembly is made. This assembly consists of 3 connectors this wires. 

In YouTube video the assembly of the power cable is demonstrated.

Most radios are well designed with respect to serviceability. Especially wear out parts like lights and indicator tubes are easy accessible. So most conversions are possible without disassembling the radio.

But sometimes the radio chassis needs to be removed from the radio. The removal of the chassis is not difficult but different for each radio. Try to find out on the internet how do this. An example is given in the following YouTube video.

With the rear panel removed, you can see the loudspeaker. The loudspeaker is connected with 2 wires. Remove both wires of the speaker.

Solder both wires of the speaker cable to the speaker. Solder the red wire to the + of red terminal of the speaker and the black wire to the other terminal.

In the YouTube video the connection to the loudspeaker is demonstrated.

There are 2 functions for the LED’s. The first is luminating the scale. The other function is to indicate the google nest is listening to your commands.

Most radio’s have 1 or 2 lights to luminate the dial. Find out what configuration you have (see preparation part). De lights are of the screw or bayonet style. Remove the lightbulbs.

The cable assemblies are already complete. Now you only have to fit the LED’s into the LED mount parts.

There are LED mounts for 1 LED (round hole in the middle) and for 2 LED’s (with the square hole). The 2 LED’s mount is to combine the dial LED with the activation LED.

Fold the wires of the LED 180 degree close the bulge in the wires and put it is the mount.

With the LEDs in it’s mount, put the mount in the light bulb sockets. You can use some glue to secure the mounts into the sockets.

In this youtube video the LED mounting is given.

The next steps are necessary to mount the nest.

Step 1: Open de nest and remove the loudspeaker.

Step 2: Mount the spider.

Step 3: Connect the loudspeaker cable to the nest.

Step 4: Place the powercable in the support.

Step 5: Glue the PCB and its support to the google nest.

See youtube video.

Step 1: Drill the holes in the rear panel of the radio (use template)

Step 2: Lead the cables through the rear panel.

Step 3: Connect the 3.5 mm power plug into the google nest.

Step 4: Screw the google nest to the rear with the supplied screws.

Step 5: Click on the support cap.

With the LEDs in place, the speaker connected and the google nest mounted on the rear panel, the system is ready to be connected.

Step 1: Connect the external power cable to the PCB.

Step 2: Connect the LEDs to the PCB.

Step 3: Connect the loudspeaker cable.

Step4: Reassemble the rear panel of the Radio.

See video for more details.

Now the hardware of the radio is ready to use.

Configure the Google nest.

On internet there are a lot of guides how to configure the google nest.

Step 1: Install google home app.

Step 2: Find device in google home app. And follow the instructions of the app.

See video for more information.

Now you are ready to play

This full video shows all steps.

Please visit us @ www.xvaudio.nl or click here

BTW

There are a lot of different radios , please let me know if there are any problems.