Makita Jobsite Radio Gets A Few Extra Bells And Whistles

[Jose] added several features to a Makita AM/FM jobsite radio, and did such a good job that you can’t tell they weren’t originally part of the design. The original radio has a compartment for a battery pack used with Makita’s line of rechargeable tools, and offers AM/FM radio, as well as auxiliary audio playback via a pair of speakers. [Jose] augmented those speakers by adding a pair of tweeters as well.

Next on his list of features were a couple of power bus add-ons. In the image on the right you can see the results of adding an automotive cigarette lighter to the side of the unit. Opposite this you’ll find a pair of USB ports that are activated by a lighted toggle switch. The ports are part of a USB car charger that is patched into the battery with a flip of that switch.

Finally, there’s a built-in Bluetooth audio receiver that connects to the auxiliary input. As shown in the image on the left, he can now play tunes from his cellphone without the need for a cord. See him showing off the device in the video after the break.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfd40-mnTAg&w=470]

14 thoughts on “Makita Jobsite Radio Gets A Few Extra Bells And Whistles

  1. Great job on the project, great aesthetics, great ideas, and great work! Hopefully product development folks will have the creativity that you have into what should go into their products.

  2. I would assume while tethered by BT, the radio’s volume will be muted. Nice hack really, but on a real jobsite, all the goodies don’t amount to diddly. No one shows up on a construction site so they can hear music and if the range is but bt, it’s cool but not very practical.

  3. Mike, haters go gonna hate. That shit is tight. Jobsiste radio makes the day more enjoyable. Plus customizing your tools is a great hobby. I love the remote feature of my radio…..

    Another note, Rhudy probably thought “hackaday” was referring to his style of craftsmanship. Good luck breaking the bosch radio, I dropped it off a 2nd story roof onto a driveway no problem. Rhudy I will be turning it up to eleven, uncensored, all week just for you homo.

  4. Your all obviously yanks. All you can do is bitch and complain! I have had one for over 3 years now, and love it even more than day 1. And it’s not just construction sites. I talke mine to beach parties and music festivals. With a good 8-10 hours playback from one battery, I often find my iPod or phone running out of battery and carry a separate battery pack from them. This has inspired me to add this to mine! Also the amount of times a need a smoke….no lighter…..solved! But I have a cunning plan up my sleeve, to charge an iPod/iPhone, while using the same lead for audio aswell, freeing up cables! Sweet job broseph!

  5. this is rad. i have difficulty believing anybody on a site has a problem with tunes. i also don’t believe those comments were made by anybody who’s ever stepped foot on a site. complaining to the gc because music is loud or offensive? that’s a gonna be a fuckin laugh. breaking a dude’s stereo? that’s gonna be a fuckin beating.

    nice work jose.

  6. Breaking my radio on a jobsite? Pfftt, if you think you’re that crazy, I guess I must be a maniac for giving the beating of his life to this a-hole AC guy that cut my cord just because he “thought” that it was patched when it wasn’t… people be crazy ya’ll

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