Forget Heathkits, high school science fairs, toys with “some assembly required”, and Ikea furniture. What can you do with a dead Bose radio, a surplus power supply, and a Sony stereo receiver salvaged from a car? Imagine them in the hands of a retired software engineer.

Here are the parts ...

1. Sony stereo receiver and wiring harness, salvaged from my former car. Model CDX-GT420U can play audio CDs and MP3 disks. It has an Auxiliary jack for an iPod and a USB jack for music on a thumb drive. And yes, it has a remote control.
2. Condor model TD-60W 12-volt power supply (but ... see below).
3. Metal sleeve that came with the Sony receiver.
4. Speaker connector from Radio Shack.
5. Electrical power jack and wall plate.
6. Audio cable jack and wall plate, from JerryCo.
7. TV antenna jack of unknown origin.
8. [inside the pill bottle] Chip of wood to close the slot where the power cord with its strain relief goes through the box.
9. Rabbit ears from an old TV (good enough for city reception).
10. Dead Bose radio, from which I removed everything but the genuine Bose waveguide speakers.
11. Custom-made box of scrap plywood, with holes cut for the various connectors.
12. Toggle on-off switch, from JerryCo.
13. Grounded power cord from a discarded appliance, with a built-in strain relief.
14. Subaru antenna adaptor from my former car.
15. Plastic face plate moulding that came with the Sony receiver.

Now, audiophiles, let’s put all this stuff together.

Buzzsaw ... jigsaw ... hacksaw ... hole saw ... drill ... rasp ... sandpaper ... glue ... clamps ... paint ... solder ... electrical tape ... voltage tester ... circuit tester ... nuts, screws, washers and bolts. Instructions? Why, you get to invent the instructions as you go along.

Hit a snag!

From: Ted Tenny
Date: October 4, 2011 4:58:17 PM GMT-07:00
To: Arturo Fonda
Subject: power supply woes

Arturo,

Help!

What I’m trying to do:
  Operate a car stereo, Sony model CDX-GT420U, indoors using a surplus 
power supply, Condor model TD-60W.

What’s happening:
  The car stereo is receiving power. When the stereo is turned off 
(nothing playing) it seems to be O.K., displaying the time and incrementing 
the time every minute.
  When I push the Source button on the car stereo, to select the tuner 
for example, it seems to start working. But then, before any sound comes 
out of the speakers, the display on the car stereo goes dark. Then it comes 
on again, goes dark again, comes on again, goes dark again, etc. every 
second or so. Turning it off, during the brief instant it is on, takes it 
back to displaying the time, which seems to be O.K.
  My DC voltmeter reads 15½ volts going into the car stereo when 
it is turned off (I know it’s supposed to be 12 volts).
  When I push the Source button on the car stereo, the voltmeter reads 
15½ volts at first, then it dips down by various amounts every second 
or so before bouncing back to 15½.

What should I do now?

Ted

Arturo to the rescue!

Arturo had me test the stereo using power from my car battery. Everything worked. We concluded that a Condor TD-60W power supply just doesn’t have enough juice to run the car stereo. Then I read him the power specs from the instructions that came with the receiver, and he found the right power supply: DVE AC/DC Adaptor, model DSA-0701-12A.

Many thanks to Arturo!