Blaine's World

A Less Mysterious Display

Published

My recent trip to the local thrift shop yielded a new display for the radio. I have decided not to use the MDA monitor and instead use a small RCA color TV/monitor. This is an easy decision since the monitor will accept the Pi’s composite output without the need for an adapter.

I have never seen a color tube this small before. There is a speaker grille and a control panel mounted on the side of the unit.

On the back there are inputs for audio and video. I will only be using the video input as the radio cabinet already contains speakers.

The TV is powered by a 12V DC adapter or by a “D” cell battery sled.

The TV is too big to fit in the radio with the casing installed. The casing was a bit difficult to remove, but I managed to get past the outer shell that with a couple pairs of vice grips.

Inside the casing there was the following label:

I should probably find a good way to shield the tube and board once I get it installed in the cabinet. Hopefully something lightweight like aluminum or copper tape will do the trick.