Many mention using a Bluetooth connection for their radio how do you do this?
I can see disadvantages I am sure there are a lot of advantages. I use an AM modulator which many of you use also this enables me to listen on as many radios as I like . I would assume the Bluetooth device would be a dedicated device needed for each radio.
Sorry if this is a dumb question I have no idea how to do this or where to obtain such a device and at what cost?
Regards Jimb

Jimb,
You buy a module,I bought mine from jcar for 40 bucks.
I then ran the 2 wires from my module to my Radiogram and the small module sits under it.
Then go to your phone or computer click on settings ,go to blue tooth.click connect to music device, now with the phone or the computer search Google for your favourite stations and click on live stream and and your Radiogram will play automatically.
This method will of course only play one radio at a time .

Pete

The best way would indeed be a fleapower AM transmitter. There's a few available and you get the choice of valve or solid state. This not only means you have a choice of one or many radios to listen in on but you don't have to modify any radios. Many of these transmitters are designed to accept a stereo audio input from phones, CD walkmans or even certain record turntables and the two channels are blended into a mono signal which is then pumped through the transmitter circuit.

Such transmitters will only cover half an average house so it won't land you with a dawn raid from the ACMA for running a pirate radio station.

Thanks Pete and Brad .
I think I will stay with my AM transmitters I have several different versions that I have built from published designs. My favoured is the MATE designed by Peter Lankshear it was published by Electronics Australia . Discovering Vintage Radio as a seperate magazine by Peter Lankshear .I have seen copies for sale on eBay on vintage radio site for $25.00. It is a valve transmitter I built it maybe 10 to 15 years ago it gets heaps of use and never skips a beat it covers all the house. I should take a portable radio out into the garden and check it is not transmitting too far I can always trim the aerial back. The next best is a kit can't remember the designer HRSA sell the basic bits as a kit it also works well.
Pete, where do the two wires you have run to your radio connect too, is that a connection to the pickup?
Regards Jim.

Jimb, I have a good Am transmitter Ian gave me ,The problem is there are no good Am stations in the country, so I went for the blue tooth that way I can listen to any Am or FM stations I want too. ,Oz or NZ , overseas etc.
I plug my 2 wires into the turntable socket on the main chassis and at a flick of the radio phono switch I get Am playing in stereo out of my Radiogram .I did not modify my Radiogram.
.
.I'm very happy I can listen to any station from Albury....free to Air up this way is about cows or sport.....so this is great as I love old music.

Pete

Jimb you have probably seen a few of my radio videos on Facebook. Most of them are by blutooth from my phone or tablet hooked to my AM transmitter. It sounds absolutely awesome on all my sets in the house. I get to play historical speeches just to set the atmosphere. Blutooth to the sets really is only effective if your giving the set as a gift to maybe a younger generation.

I have a copy of Peters "Mate" circuit, however, for a straight out sevicing unit, I used a dual gate FET for modulation.

Jimb, I tell you another good thing,
Many of these online stations have no Ads!
Or news too. Not all but some ,which I like because I have trouble getting those gruesome stories out of my mind.. I lay in bed at night and think? Gosh what is wrong with that persons mind ! Yuck.

You just connect the Bluetooth module output to the AM transmitter / Modulator input. That's it. Tune it in just like you do at present.

The advantage of a direct connection to your radiogram is the quality's better and you get stereo.

My bluetooth device is a BluDento BLD-HT.

https://www.ebay.com.au/p/17028938151

It is cheaper rip-off of the Audioengine D2.

It is basically a receiver with stereo RCA and optical line outputs. I use mine plugged in to the AUX input of my pre-amp. You can plug it straight into a AM modulator if you like.

Jimb, I'll tell you another good thing,
Many of these online stations have no Ads!
Or news too. Not all but some ,which I like because I have trouble getting those gruesome stories out of my mind.. I lay in bed at night and think? Gosh what is wrong with that persons mind ! Yuck.


PS I think we sold him one guys ! We get to keep our job anther week!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Monochrome.
That's a nice little unit ,I just looked it up.
I just use a Jaycar module and I need it to be for one Radiogram...but that's a nice unit.

Pete

To sum things up, this topic is an exercise in interfacing current smart devices with vintage radios - complete with limitless programme sources via the internet.

I currently have three radio streaming apps & Spotify on my phone. The radio apps are iHeart Radio, Online Radio Box & RNZ. iHeart Radio covers stations from OZ, NZ & US; Online Radio Box stations from all over the world.

I don't currently have a AM modulator - that is work in progress! At home the programme material is played through a valve stereo (solid-state pre-amp); in the car with a cheap Jaycar bluetooth/FM transmitter & at work on a digital radio with bluetooth.

Thank you all for your responses.
I never thought about feeding the Bluetooth device directly into the AM transmitter that is a great idea.
Just bought one on eBay for $6.29 could not find an item I.D. Was not sure how to add a link to this site. Not into all this modern computer stuff. I might have bought crap however at $6.29 including postage can't lose much sleep about the purchase.
The other technical issue I have cannot be solved on this forum I am sure some can relate to it. The issue is compatibility between my wife's music tastes and mine . My wife is a trained singer and likes classical stuff I can only take small dosses of this stuff and yes she was no particular fan of 2CH either . I tried one of Pete's suggestions this arvo looking for a suitable replacement for 2CH and the comment was that is just the same oh well!
Regards Jimb

I use the Radio Garden app. One of the nicest stations is called Arctic outpost from Norway. It plays mostly American 1920s and 30s music. It really sets the tone.