Panasonic RKA342ZA

This was my next project after the Admiral. It's a more recent model, a Panasonic transistor radio. I found a stamp inside the case indicating is was made in 1970.

Here's the front...

And the back

Unlike the Admiral YG743, this one is a transistor radio, not a tube. Here's a pic of the insides.

Also unlike the Admiral, this one was pretty clean. It must have been kept indoors and not out in the garage or attic or some sort of storage shed. I didn't have to clean out the insides at all - just a quick wipe-down of the exterior was all it needed. It was yet another $25 find off eBay.

After opening it up, I took out the insides.

First I took the speaker out. Old, paper cone, low watt, and not much good for anything.

I pulled the circuit board next. I had to take a knob off the front to get the board out.

Circuit board pulled.

In with the first new speaker, a standard 4-inch.

First speaker in where the old one used to be with a fine fit.

I cut down the circuit board to make room for the second speaker. Unlike the Admiral, this radio was not built for two speakers.

I'll be using a "reflective" sound design, where the second speaker faces the back. This means it sounds best when its about 4-6 inches away from a wall (or other solid surface).

Circuit board cut out.

Got the reduced sized circuit board back in. I ended up trimming the upper right corner some more so the second speaker would fit.

Second speaker.

I used a jig saw to cut a hole in the back panel for it.

Second speaker close up. Cutting circles free hand with a jig saw is hard.

Wiring in the amp. I used the same Bluetooth/receiver amp as for the Admiral. I drilled a hole and screwed the amp in.

Both speakers wired up.

All done and the back re-attached.

You can see the power cord going and the volume adjust knob for the Bluetooth receiver/amplifier and the blue LED for Bluetooth connectivity glowing through the upside-down "U" shaped cut out.

Front view.