“MobileMitter” Car AM Transmitter And Bluetooth/FM Adapter To Upgrade Or Ad Bluetooth To Your Retro Vintage Or Antique Car Radio
Regular price
$140.32
Bluetooth for Vintage Car Radios
Stream music wirelessly from your phone to any vintage AM car radio - no modifications required - with the MobileMitter AM transmitter Bluetooth for Vintage Car Radios.
You've worked hard restoring your vintage car radio and it looks perfect on the dashboard and sounds exactly as it should. Now you can stream Spotify, podcasts, and classic radio shows, for instance, directly to it, without touching a single wire inside the set with our Bluetooth for Vintage Car Radios. The MobileMitter makes this possible through a clever use of AM radio technology.
Official MobileMitter Bluetooth for Vintage Car Radios installation and demonstration - Retro Radio Shop
1. What Is an AM Transmitter With respect to Bluetooth for Vintage Car Radios?
Before diving into the MobileMitter, specifically, it helps to understand how an AM transmitter works as that's the clever trick at the heart of this upgrade. An AM transmitter converts an audio signal (from your phone, Bluetooth, or AUX input) into a low-power radio broadcast on the AM band (535-1705 kHz). Your vintage car radio then picks up that broadcast just as it would pick up any regular AM station.
AM (Amplitude Modulation) your audio varies the height (amplitude) of a constant carrier frequency
AM stands for Amplitude Modulation. In broadcasting, the transmitter keeps the carrier wave at a fixed frequency, but varies its amplitude (height) with the audio waveform. Therefore, your radio's AM detector circuit reads those amplitude variations and reconstructs the original audio. Consequently, because the MobileMitter transmits on a frequency of 1000 kHz, it is completely invisible to the radio's circuitry, the set simply "hears" it as a local station.
Why use AM rather than FM?
Importantly, Most pre-1960 car radios receive only the AM band (535-1705 kHz). Therefore, an AM transmitter is the only wireless solution that works with those original tuners. FM transmitters, by contrast, broadcast in the 87.5-108 MHz range, which older AM-only sets cannot receive at all. The MobileMitter also offers an optional FM module for later radios that include FM reception.
No Licence Required
2. How the MobileMitter Works
The MobileMitter Bluetooth for Vintage Car Radios works by plugging inline with your car's existing antenna cable, between the antenna mast and the radio's antenna socket. Subsequently, it does not require you to open the radio, modify its wiring, or alter the dashboard in any way. As a result, the set remains completely original and reversible.
Signal flow: Phone - MobileMitter AM transmitter - antenna cable - vintage car radio receives the broadcast
Inline antenna connection
Primarily, the unit intercepts the antenna lead. When you activate the MobileMitter, it transmits a low-power AM signal directly into the antenna circuit, which the radio receives at the frequency you have tuned to. When you deactivate it, the original antenna signal passes through unaffected, so you can still receive regular AM broadcasts.
Bluetooth and AUX inputs
The MobileMitter accepts audio two ways: via its built-in Bluetooth receiver (pair your phone exactly as you would pair any Bluetooth speaker) or via the supplied 3.5mm AUX cable for MP3 players, satellite receivers, tablets, or CD players. Both inputs subsequently feed the internal AM transmitter module.
Key-fob remote (12V) or microswitch (6V)
The 12V version ships with a small key-fob remote that toggles between the MobileMitter and normal radio reception, in other words, no internal radio wiring required. Alternatively, the 6V version (for older pre-war and immediate post-war vehicles) comes with a discreet microswitch that mounts under the dash or in the glovebox.
Optional FM module
For radios that only have AM, this optional FM module allows you to receive modern FM broadcasts. Furthermore, with decreasing numbers of AM stations available in rural areas, this addition significantly expands what your vintage set can receive.
Works in Rural Areas Too
3. Which Radios Is It Compatible With?
The MobileMitter Bluetooth for vintage car radio is compatible with virtually every vintage AM car radio that uses a standard antenna socket. For instance, this includes tube-type sets from the 1930s through the late 1950s, early transistor radios from the late 1950s and 1960s, and the AM-only push-button radios of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Not sure which version of the radio you have, or whether yours uses 6V or 12V? Our guide to identifying your vintage car radio walks through how to find the model number, determine the supply voltage, and confirm the polarity, by referencing the Retro Radio Shop Polarity Chart, of your system before ordering any parts.4. Installation - Step by Step
Above all, one of the biggest advantages of the MobileMitter Bluetooth for vintage car radio is its simplicity. Unlike an internal AUX input modification , which requires opening the radio and soldering into the signal path, the MobileMitter installs in minutes with no tools and no technical knowledge.
-
Identify your antenna cable
Locate the antenna lead running from your car's antenna mast to the back of the radio. On most vehicles it is a coaxial cable with a Motorola-style plug at the radio end.
-
Unplug the antenna from the radio
Pull the Motorola antenna plug out of the radio's antenna socket. No tools are needed for this step.
-
Connect the MobileMitter inline
Plug the antenna cable into the MobileMitter's input socket, then connect the MobileMitter's output plug into the radio's antenna socket. The unit sits in the cable run between the antenna and the radio.
-
Connect the power lead
Route the MobileMitter's red power wire to a switched 12V (or 6V) source, typically the accessory terminal on the fuse box so the unit turns off with the ignition. Connect the black wire to chassis ground.
-
Pair your phone via Bluetooth
Power on the MobileMitter. On your phone, open Bluetooth settings and pair with the device (it appears as "MobileMitter" or similar). Alternatively, plug your audio source into the supplied AUX cable.
-
Tune the radio and activate
Tune your vintage radio to a to 1000 kHz. Press the key-fob button (12V) or microswitch (6V) to activate the MobileMitter. The transmitter broadcasts on that frequency and the radio picks it up.
What comes in the box
- MobileMitter transmitter unit (grey or black)
- Bluetooth/AUX cable
- Power lead with in-line fuse
- Key-fob remote (12V) or microswitch (6V)
- Antenna inline adaptor plugs
- Detailed installation instructions
5. Sound Quality & Getting the Best Results
AM transmission is narrower in bandwidth than FM, but the results through a restored vintage car radio are surprisingly pleasant, warm, characterful, and entirely appropriate to the era of the receiver. Nevertheless, a few simple steps will maximise audio quality.
Service the radio first
A freshly recapped radio with clean controls will sound significantly better than an unserviced set. Retro Radio Shop can assist with this if required, Retro Radio Shop Repairs. Replacing old electrolytic capacitors in the audio output stage, in particular, transforms the sound.
Match the speaker impedance
Vintage car radios require correctly matched speaker impedances to deliver full output power without distortion. Impedance is a critical concept to understand when selecting speakers.
Set your phone's equaliser
Because AM transmission rolls off above approximately 5 kHz, boosting the midrange (800 Hz-3 kHz) on your phone's equaliser compensates for the frequency response of the AM channel and produces a fuller, clearer sound.
6. MobileMitter vs. Internal AUX Modification
Two approaches exist for Bluetooth for Vintage Car Radios. Consequently, choosing between them depends on your priorities around originality, sound quality, and technical skill.
If you want zero modifications and a simple plug-and-play experience, the MobileMitter is the clear choice. On the other hand, if maximum audio fidelity is the priority and you are comfortable with a soldering iron, kits like the internal AUX input kit can be adapted for injecting audio at the volume potentiometer on a car radio.
7. Further Reading & Resources
To get the most out of your vintage car radio, with or without the MobileMitter, the following resources provide essential background knowledge.
Ready to upgrade your vintage car radio?
The MobileMitter ships with everything you need and detailed instructions. No soldering. No modifications. Just Bluetooth audio through your original vintage AM radio.