Need a Tamper Proof / Password Locked FM Radio for Workplace. Suggestions?

pegaxs on 04/11/2019 - 19:26

Well, got some cry babies at work and people are fighting over the radio stations. Time to seek a solution. Instead of banning the radio full stop, it has been decided that a radio station will be decided upon and locked in. Problem is, people still change the radio and it sets the majority off again. (seriously, it's like dealing with kids)…

What I need is an FM radio with speakers built in, with as little in the way of buttons as possible.

What I would like;

Prefer no buttons. At all. Setup by Direct Wifi/Bluetooth connection or IR remote.
Prefer a display.
Maybe a way to set volume.
No way to change the channel at will. No presets, just one station, all the time.
If it has buttons, must be able to lock them out/disable them with a password (not a child lock)
Don't mind a DIY project (R.Pi/Arduino) if it's a full kit and not just a jumble of wires and a breadboard.
Happy to build a box for radio if required (ie: car radio solution)
Mains powered

What we cant use;

No Internet Radio (no internet, no Wifi, no 4G/3G/5G/2G… none of the G's)
No DAB. (We don't get reception here)
No mobile phone with FM and a lock screen. That would last about 2 mins before it "vanished".
No lock box/container.
Battery only powered. (It will never get charged.)

Hit me with some ideas on what I could do/use. Or I would be happy with a great deal on a bulk quantity of adult diapers and dummies for the big babies…

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

    • pegaxs on 05/11/2019 - 22:57

      Holy shit! That is a fantastic idea. Token operated machine and give out tokens for rewards. I like that idea!

      • Antikythera on 08/11/2019 - 01:51

        get a Sonos or similar so they can push songs from their phones.

  • phr0 on 05/11/2019 - 22:53
    -4

    What is this the 1950’s??? Why are you listening to radio in the first place? How old are you?

    Go buy a $5 pair of cheaply headphones, or use the free ones that come with your phone and listen to what you want like everybody else and stop trying to shove your music down other people’s throats.

    • pegaxs on 05/11/2019 - 23:01

      Why are you listening to radio in the first place?

      Hey boss, is that you posting?

      And we can’t have headphones at work due to “safety”.

      And just who is shoving who’s music down who’s throat? Good lord, drama much. Now I am 100% convinced you work there…

  • Dr Techno on 05/11/2019 - 23:07
    +2

    You can build your own selective FM radio, replace variable caps with fixed ones and done.

    https://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-FM-Radio-sure-Works/

    You could also use SDR (software defined radio) with a cheap $10 DVB-T tuner.. I guess you could use the raspberry pi and cmd lines with that.. probably the easiest route

  • Plug on 05/11/2019 - 23:52
    -4

    To be legally compliant you need a licence to play sound recordings in a commercial environment (which doubtless you already knew and have purchased) so just make it a case of "he who pays the piper…".

    FWIW my choice of radio station would be Cruise 1323 AM

  • lainey13 on 06/11/2019 - 00:23
    +1

    Google neck speakers

    • Switchblade88 on 07/11/2019 - 11:29

      That's called your vocal chords

  • Aerith-Waifu on 06/11/2019 - 01:42

    What kind of work place is this? Politicians’s head office????

  • berger on 06/11/2019 - 07:26
    +1

    Just have the radio in the office and run wires to speakers in the workplace.

    • pegaxs on 06/11/2019 - 07:43

      Office is too far away. If the office was closer, I would just use the wifi and internet radio.

      • spaceflight on 06/11/2019 - 20:02

        Have your tried ethernet over power adaptors?

        • pegaxs on 06/11/2019 - 21:06
          -1

          That would involve the IT Nazi. The less I have to do with her, the better. And it would require her giving us access to “her” network, which is currently locked up tighter than a fish’s bum chute. I think we even need permission to use Google at this point, let alone using it to stream music…

          It’s a nice idea though. It would work I suspect, but the network settings wouldn’t.

          • JoeSoap on 06/11/2019 - 22:18
            -2

            @pegaxs: so you don't get your way with her responsibility so you cast names in an open forum at her.

  • abb on 06/11/2019 - 09:26
    +1

    Happy to build a box, but don't want a lock box? I don't follow your line of reasoning.

    I would lock away the radio (if it's the lock as such that is the issue, you could seal it in a small cabinet with glue, bolts, etc), plug it into an amplifier (e.g. https://www.jaycar.com.au/25-watt-rms-compact-stereo-amplifi… ) which you leave accessible so people can adjust the volume (assuming they are adult enough to be entrusted with that), and wire up some cheap speakers in the 4 corners of the workshop.

    • pegaxs on 06/11/2019 - 09:38

      Happy to build a "housing/mounting" I guess. Meaning, if there was car audio solution that needed to be mounted, I would build a box to mount it on.

      And not a bad idea, but I don't want/cant have wires running everywhere. Just want a radio that is freestanding and self contained.

      • abb on 06/11/2019 - 11:00

        If you have an existing radio that fits the bill, I'd be making a lockable 'flap' that covers the controls…

  • RohanWoods on 06/11/2019 - 10:08
    +2

    I believe this is exactly what you want:
    https://www.thepublicrad.io/

    • pegaxs on 06/11/2019 - 10:11

      Getting closer. That's the general idea though. Super simple, volume control only. But no battery (mains powered) and needs to be a bit more powerful to get over the ambient noise.

      But I like your thinking…

    • johno3456 on 06/11/2019 - 21:42

      wow, I did not believe such a device would exist. Single channel FM. Tricky to re-tune.

  • Butt Scratcher on 06/11/2019 - 11:19

    Get one of those radio's that tune with knobs and yank out the knob

  • eris on 06/11/2019 - 11:24

    When I worked at a warehouse as a teenager, they used to have a different allotted radio station on each day. Alternating between youngies station one day and oldies station the next. Although, everyone was pretty chill about it. Maybe set up an agreed upon roster.

  • 900dollaridoos on 06/11/2019 - 11:31

    You wanna know what? There's such a thing as too much radio talk, and a fella oughta be (profanity)' aware of it.

  • Boostland on 06/11/2019 - 11:33

    What about something liker this with a fixed cap to set station
    https://core-electronics.com.au/fabfm-radio-kit.html

  • juzza87 on 06/11/2019 - 11:36

    What about external speakers and keep the equipment installed in the managers office under lock and key?

  • trapper on 06/11/2019 - 11:52

    Just put it inside some kind of cage/enclosure with a lock.

  • abuch47 on 06/11/2019 - 12:11
    +1

    get a basic bluetooth speaker that has no buttons, stream your radio station to it.

    • Rorschach on 07/11/2019 - 10:02

      Exactly this.

  • idonotknowwhy on 06/11/2019 - 14:25

    Keep a tranny on you and attach a Bluetooth transmitter. Then just use a Bluetooth speaker.

    • macrocephalic on 06/11/2019 - 17:07
      +7

      How does the LGBTQI community feel about this?

      • idonotknowwhy on 07/11/2019 - 09:52

        I didn't realize there was a QI appended now!

  • dufflover on 06/11/2019 - 15:38

    Funny thread but on a serious note if this issue is deserving this much effort at your office then it sounds like a pretty shitty place to work - like people (or the select individuals) who just refuse to compromise on the station if it was a rotating roster.

    Thing is, usually the picky bastards like that are pretty easy to pick out because they are OCD about most other things in life too …

    • pegaxs on 06/11/2019 - 16:04

      I agree. It is one of the pettiest things I have witnessed in a workplace. And to be honest, it's nowhere near as bad as it sounds. For 90~95% of the time, the radio is fine. It's only when certain volunteers come in or we have a change/new volunteers, it gets a bit sandpaperish.

      But the old saying is, "you can please some people all the time, and all people some of the time, but never all people all of the time."

  • Kiro on 06/11/2019 - 16:15

    Simple yet highly effective way to lock a radio staion is GLUE.

    • pegaxs on 06/11/2019 - 16:17

      Tried glue. They broke the buttons to get them working again. And the issue is that we do want times where we want to be able to change the radio with minimal fuss. Glue the bottons down would be a permanent solution that would cause more damage with them trying to bypass it again.

  • phokati on 06/11/2019 - 16:27

    Hide the radio and just keep any speaker our in the open, a bluetooth speaker perhaps.

  • gimme on 06/11/2019 - 18:16
    +1

    blow them up and start again

    • pegaxs on 06/11/2019 - 19:15
      +8

      Lol. Obviously you didn’t read any of the thread, got on your outrage train and it’s stopping all stations…

      I have said numerous times in this thread that I don’t care what station it is on. Also, I am not the manager. I am not even an employee, I am just a volunteer. I just took on the job of finding a solution. I have also mentioned that to me, the whole radio blow up is hilarious to me and it appears as though it has been blown all out of proportion, no thanks to comments like yours.

      So, next time, before you go off all half cocked and get all butt hurt and outraged about something, please, just read the thread. Even just some of it.

        • spaceflight on 06/11/2019 - 20:35
          +3

          You’ve just proven my deduction mate

          Are you Sherlock?

          Stop whining. Move on. Grow up.

          Why don't you?

        • smartazz104 on 06/11/2019 - 23:02
          +2

          You must be one of the idiot volunteers OP is talking about.

  • macfudd on 06/11/2019 - 19:46
    +1

    I think the cage idea is going to be the easiest overall - maybe something like a second hand wire cat cage from gumtree or something.

    Even with bluetooth speakers and stuff there'll be some clever dick who hacks it.

    With any solution you'll need to be prepared to up the ante - you put it in a cage with zip ties, they cut the ties
    You use a padlock - they use a broom through the cage holes
    You cover the holes in smaller mesh - they use a pencil
    You remove the buttons - they lever open a corner of the cage to get at it anyway
    You electrify the cage - they, well, that one might work quite well. Go straight to that.

    • pegaxs on 06/11/2019 - 20:52

      You electrify the cage - they, well, that one might work quite well. Go straight to that.

      Hahah! Found the answer. Time to end the thread… :D

      But seriously, it would remind me of that episode of the Simpsons where Lisa electrified the cupcake and Bart just kept touching it.

  • pandawelch on 06/11/2019 - 20:27
    +1

    Put it in a pet travel cage? Padlock the front, and stick/bolt it right in the middle.

    https://imgur.com/a/Re1WhAo

  • bmerigan on 06/11/2019 - 21:22
    +1

    Just buy the cheapest radio that comes with a remote, then disassemble and remove the buttons part.

  • stevecau on 06/11/2019 - 21:25
    +1

    Some seriously crap comments in this thread. As I work in radio, you can order a radio through something like Aliexpress and specify you want it locked into a frequency. I’m not sure of your chances with ordering just one. Radio 4CRB actually have a unit you can get locked to their frequency. I’ll be placing an order in the next year making sure that the anti competitive law isn’t breached first. I’ll be selling them for a station that does football calls and attendees want to listen

    • pegaxs on 06/11/2019 - 21:30

      I like the comments blaming me for all the stress and telling me to grow up, when I’m the one working on trying to save the radio… :D

      And yeah, I have been on both Alibaba and Aliexpress trying to find something like that, but to no avail as yet. If you get a link to something like that, let me know so I can have a look.

      • gimme on 07/11/2019 - 07:29
        +1

        Did you honestly expect different on a site 90% full of morons? Every other thread should have been a clue. Tempting as it is, ignore the majority and hopefully you'll get your answer from the 1/10 that actually know what they're talking about.

  • johno3456 on 06/11/2019 - 22:07

    You needed one of my old stereos. The first one (a Sony), its display fused so you cant tell what buttons did or worked. Fun times watching my kids pushing buttons and the like complaining about the music.

    Later a cheap samsung bluray / 5:1 stereo went nuts. It would open and close the bluray tray every 30 min or so, which meant the tv or music would switch feeds to bluray every 30 or so minutes. Easily fixed by opening up the bluray and disconnected the cable to touch surface. It stopped the false triggers but limited all control to the remote (they were on different circuits).

    So, either tune a clock radio in and set the volume, open it up and unplug or cut the wires going to the tuning controls or get something with a touch controls and a remote control, and open it up and disconnect the cable to the touch control. I prefer the later, as you can be the music bitch. Muhahahah

  • SgtGrumbles on 06/11/2019 - 23:17
    +1

    buy other FM transmitters and pump out white noise on the stations you don't like

    • pegaxs on 07/11/2019 - 11:04

      buy other FM transmitters and pump out white noise Shittyflute on the stations you don't like

      FTFY… :D

      And this is absolutely a possibility.

  • nextdoormaths on 06/11/2019 - 23:30

    Why not buy a reel of speaker cable and a roll of duct tape? Run the cable from the office out to some speakers by duct taping it to the wall/floor where no one will trip on it. From the office you can have any device controlling the radio (phone, computer, Chromecast audio etc). Only the speakers are with the workers so there is no way to change the station.

  • Mechz on 07/11/2019 - 01:23

    If I was in that workplace and you made me listen to garbage (ALL radio stations are garbage) I would get an FM transmitter connected to an mp3 player and overpower whatever channel you fixed the radio to. No need to break anything.

  • BartholemewH on 07/11/2019 - 07:27

    Not sure how they have so much free time in an industrial environment that they can vandalise the radio so often or would have time to select songs on a jukebox every ten minutes. It's blowing my mind.

  • Bid Sniper on 07/11/2019 - 07:48

    Only way I think of get off gum tree an old school amplifier, then a separate tuner and butcher the tuner. never heard of a single station radio.

    Suggest Kinderling children radio radio, Kinderling radio they do Xylophone covers of modern pop song, get a bit I creeped out when they do a Micheal Jackson cover though… but my 3yo like it, or maybe this,

    https://www.amazon.com.au/Fisher-Price-Classic-Record-Player…

    • pegaxs on 07/11/2019 - 08:47
      +1

      To teach them all a lesson, the boss wants to remove the radio… I told the boss that they would appreciate any station if I was allowed to put Shittyflute on for a week… :D

      I thought about buying an FM transmitter and piping Shittyflute on the same frequency as the FM station the mystery person keeps changing it to, just for a laugh, but I think that doing that may be illegal from the ACMA point of view…

      • Bid Sniper on 07/11/2019 - 09:54

        thats ***** gold

        pffft illegal who cares, range is too low anyway to be serious.

  • rompastompa on 07/11/2019 - 09:59

    Do you have a restricted office near by?

    Why don't you get a cheap two channel stereo put that in the office, and then run 30m of speaker cable and put the speakers in the warehouse or where ever you need it.

    • pegaxs on 07/11/2019 - 10:13

      Yikes! That looks like work AND effort… And the supervisor has an office where we work, albeit not separate space, but it could be done that way. If I was going to go the "rub cables" route, I would just make a lock box and put the radio in that and padlock it.

      • rompastompa on 07/11/2019 - 10:17

        Can you please provide a MS Paint floor plan of where the office is, and where you want the radio to be?

  • websterp on 07/11/2019 - 13:38
    +1

    Aliexpress

    Put this in a box/enclosure with only the IR LED visible from outside (drill a hole through or mount the IR sensor outside the box with two extension wires soldered on the board). You can buy polycarbonate jiffy boxes for this from Jaycar.
    You will also need an external antenna like this one and solder the antenna cable on the PCB where it is marked as external antenna.

    Connect two external speakers and use the IR remote to change and lock in the volume and the FM channel and you have your solution. Not a single button, no access to the internals and IR remote is the only method you can change channel.

    I have the exact same board neatly packaged with an external antenna inside an outdoor wall speaker in the alfresco and it works a charm with the radio and music via bluetooth when we are having a barbecue etc. Since the speaker is mounted high up the wall, the IR remote is the only way to change settings.

    And if you need more info or help building something similar, happy to help - dm me…

    • pegaxs on 07/11/2019 - 15:33

      Yeah, it kinda looks like I’m going to have to go with something like that. Shouldn’t be too hard to make/buy a box, mount some speakers and add a power supply…

  • harveyworld on 07/11/2019 - 14:07
    +1

    May be easier to employ your own permanent DJ…

    You could do birthday shout outs, music requests, company performance announcements and random quiz's throughout the day.

    Set up a bit of space for a dance floor and you also have an exercise area for lunch time aerobics too.

    Only problem I can see after that is complaints that the lighting wont be good enough so be prepared to invest in a couple of lasers and a mirrored ball.

    Next problem….

    • pegaxs on 07/11/2019 - 15:33

      Problem is, at the moment, everyone thinks they are the DJ. :D

      Will ask the boss about a dance floor and lighting. Sounds like a plan though…

      • harveyworld on 07/11/2019 - 16:55

        Jokes aside, I know from my own experience that musical tastes are very personal and I really doubt you're going to win the battle here.

        I've been in one office where one girl played her traditional chinese music for all to hear and sang along to it which drove everyone mad.
        I've been in warehouses where upbeat music was chosen by the younger teams who worked along to the beat, only for this to be objected by the older members of the team who labelled it as a constant row.
        Some people just can't concentrate with noise in the background and yet others work better.

        I am lucky as I feel I do work more efficiently as long as its 'my music' in the background, but then again I am able to use my phone where I choose to wear earbuds on low volume so that I can hear the phone and passing conversations. Yet I couldn't think of anything worse than being subjected to music that I didn't like all day long.
        Personally, I would rather have no music than listening to the wrong music every day - but then again music is extremely important to me and often drives my mood.

        This is a really tough one at a time where everyone has personal devices - so good luck in finding a station that plays a compromise of music to satisfy the masses.

  • mubd1234 on 07/11/2019 - 15:35
    +2

    Buy a soundbar which has FM radio capabilities, like so:

    https://www.kmart.com.au/product/tv-sound-bar/824485

    Keep the shitty remote under lock and key, and destroy the controls on the soundbar itself so they can never be used ever again. There are screws on the back so it should be easy to remove the rubber contacts which complete the button circuits on the board. The remote will do the same job as the controls.

  • Hirolol on 07/11/2019 - 20:55

    Put it up high, that requires a step ladder for it.
    Keep the step ladder in view of everyone so when ever someone goes to get the step ladder people can ask why they need it

    • pegaxs on 07/11/2019 - 20:57

      "Heeeeeey… where you going with the ladder???"

  • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2019 - 22:16

    If you have an older-type FM radio, coil spacing on this on the circuit board, is your key to band-shifting the radio to educate and entertain all with air traffic comm's only… :)

    That is not the suggestion you are looking for, but this just might be.
    It will still require some persuasion.

    I have a very shiny Mobil/Pegasus keyring in a draw somewhere. Pretend that I know precisely where that is and am now swinging it before your eyes like a pocketwatch….
    You are getting sleepy, very sleepy…

    You want to horrify/impress your boss at the same time. You want a Television, not a Radio..

    https://about.abc.net.au/radio-on-tv/

    Cheap S/H, salvaged, anything vaguely recent will have child-lock to stop even an IR blaster in a phone changing the channel. In menu settings there should be an audio-only/screen-off mode in order to save power, and maybe also TV on/off timer settings if you want to use those.
    Volume from speakers in a larger set, good enough.

    Schedule channel-switching in advance via the regular Freeview EPG.
    Unless wedded to a specific commercial station not mentioned, younger contingent of volunteers can decide on which of the three J's to listen to, and the older group, maybe one of the other stations. Who knows, maybe SBS Chill on 39/306 will serve as a happy medium?

    I suppose that if the TV at risk of being slolen, you might have to chain something via the VESA mount and burr the screws….

    If reading this in presence of others, now… cluck like a chicken! 🐓

    Awake! 👏

    :)

    Just an example - a Kogan tele on kerbay
    Any of these likely OK with anything bought -
    https://www.ebay.com.au/b/Television-Indoor-Antennas-and-Dis…

    It's an option for you.

    • pegaxs on 07/11/2019 - 22:47

      Gawd damn that is a manky looking remote on the fleabay. Think I need to shower just looking at it.

      And nice write up. I do like that idea. But the cool kids all like their syndicated commercial radio station with all the (fropanity)-wit DJs. The oldies like their 70~90’s rock station. None of these selections are available from the DTV spectrum.

      That and the space it has to fit in is not big enough for a TV of any size…

  • Morien on 07/11/2019 - 22:45

    Not sure how you could find that, but this might be a solution.

    Dumb speaker with chromecast audio soldered on. Have the chromecast audio on its own private (non-ssd broadcasting) wifi network, with a cheap android phone casting from an undisclosed location.

    • pegaxs on 07/11/2019 - 22:52

      Yeah. Not a bad idea. I was going to get something like some PC speakers with a sub. Open the sub up and hide it all in there.

      There are cheap Bluetooth/FM receivers I could just jam in the box as well.

      I have thought of using a phone with a SIM card in it and TuneIn app running internet radio and mounting the phone in an hidden location… but no one wants to pay for internet access, or those that do want to dictate what station goes on and that would most probably be country and western only or AM talk back…

  • BusMan247 on 08/11/2019 - 01:58

    Wow. Just wow.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 08/11/2019 - 07:29

    I'm fairly sure anybody with a Psychology background would agree with me when I say that you are tackling the problem backwards.

    I reckon 6-8 steps over maybe 2-3 weeks would solve the issue.

    Just say the word and I'll go into further depth.

  • AEKaBeer on 08/11/2019 - 07:39

    Or, just let them take the radio away. There will be enough complaints in a very short time (make sure of it) that management will relent and bring it back without you having to come up with something ridiculous.

    In saying that, if you still want to go down this route, get your boss to talk to the IT person about gaining network access to a whitelisted radio site. She might give you grief but surely not a manager.

    • pegaxs on 08/11/2019 - 07:51

      Yeah, that’s what the boss wants. And me, I don’t care if there is a radio or not, I just thought that there would have been a much easier solution available off the shelf. I personally think that a stint with no radio with have 2 positive benefits. 1: it would make them appreciate the radio if/when it comes back, 2: it may cause some of the dead wood to leave…

      And talk to the IT manager… hahaha. Good one.

  • mubd1234 on 08/11/2019 - 10:27

    Here's another idea - buy a toolbox from Bunnings. The sturdiest plastic one you can find. They will all have a place to put a padlock/combination lock to lock the lid.

    Then you can just get a mini/micro Hi-Fi system (or get them cheap from the Salvos or whatever) and keep the control unit inside the toolbox, with the speakers and radio antenna fed out through the crack in the lid to outside the toolbox.

    I actually reckon that would be by far the simplest and least destructive method of locking out the controls and retaining good audio quality.

    I currently use a toolbox in the fridge at my place to keep prying hands (i.e. dad and brother) away from my food.

    • pegaxs on 08/11/2019 - 10:37

      I was thinking about gutting a radio and moving all the parts over into a box and deleting access to the buttons. But I like this toolbox idea. Could mount everything inside it and put a padlock on the front. Even has a carry handle.

  • fortalyst on 08/11/2019 - 14:57

    Why no lockbox, OP? Could just get one of those with a $20 Sony radio in there, drill a hole in the side big enough to feed cables for a pair of USB-powered desktop PC speakers (and power those with a battery pack also stored in the lockbox)

  • Shwayne on 08/11/2019 - 16:21
    +1

    Park your car in the premises and play the radio through the windows and lock the doors, easy.

  • spriggan43 on 08/11/2019 - 17:00

    How's paying for this? Place speakers in the ceiling power and control them from the stereo/radio system located in a locked room.

    • pegaxs on 08/11/2019 - 17:12
      +2

      Depends on how much it costs. If it's a few dollars to get something off Gumtree, strip it down and put it in a new box, meh, I'll pay. If it's an off the shelf, password locked radio with no buttons… Boss pays.

      Oh, and I never thought about ceiling speakers. That is totally an option. Easy to run cables through the roof and back to the supervisor station… Cant get to the speakers and cant get to the radio…

  • oswade on 10/11/2019 - 23:22

    why not a cheap android phone with fm?

    • pegaxs on 11/11/2019 - 07:34

      Because things like phones and Bluetooth speakers would last about 5 mins before they were stolen. They pinch everything else that isn’t nailed down, so a phone or a Bluetooth speaker would be very appealing.

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