The soundboard feature works as follows: I modeled buttons similar to the Motorola DynaTAC, and each button has its own push button connected to a Raspberry Pi Pico W and DFPlayer Mini setup. I added audio clips of numbers one to nine on an SD card. When any number button is pressed—say, one—the device plays the audio that says “one.” Similarly, it works for two, three, four, and so on.

Additionally, there are six extra buttons similar to the original DynaTAC buttons. These have unique audio clips assigned to each. Pressing the star button plays a screaming sound, the hashtag button plays a meme sound effect, one button plays the Halo theme song, another plays the “and his name is John Cena” meme, and I even added a Rickroll to the setup. It’s a perfect way to annoy your neighbours, as it gets super loud.

There’s also a full Bluetooth speaker module fitted inside the device. It includes knobs for controlling volume, treble, and bass of the Bluetooth speaker.

The idea behind this project was to make a giant replica of the Motorola DynaTAC, on which I will slowly add new features and eventually turn it into a fully functional phone. I also wanted to add a chatbot to this setup, but that will be covered in version 2 of the project.

This article covers the entire assembly process of the build, including the electronics assembly, sanding and priming process, code for the soundboard, Bluetooth speaker implementation, and more—so let’s get started with the build.

MATERIALS REQUIRED

These were the materials used in this project-

• Custom PCBs
• ZK1002 Bluetooth Module
• CD74HC4067 Multiplexer IC
• Raspberry Pi PICO W
• DF Mini Player
• SD card
• Push Button 12x12
• RGB LED WS2812B
• LM317 LDO DPAK Package
• 1uF Capacitor
• 10uF Capacitor
• 330 Ohms Resistor
• 1K Resistor
• 10k Resistor
• 0805 Indicator LED
• Female Header Pins
• Connecting Jumper wires (single core)
• Speaker 8 ohms 5W
• Speaker 4 Ohms 25W
• Speaker 4 Ohms 10W
• Battery 12V 5.2Ah with BMS
• M6 Nuts and Bolts set
• M2 Screws
• M4 Screws
• 3D printed Parts
• Automotive filler
• Sandpapers
• Spray paint
• Spray primer
• TTGO T display S3 Long Board
• 7 Rolls of Hyper PLA White Filament
• 1 Roll of Hyper PLA Black Filament
• 1 Roll of Hyper PLA Grey Filament
• 1 Roll of Hyper PLA RED Filament
• Patience and Time

MOTOROLA DynaTAC 8000X LORE

Back in 1973, Martin Cooper, a Motorola engineer, made the first-ever handheld mobile phone, called the DynaTAC. The DynaTAC model boomed in the early 1980s. At that time, the phone was infamously called the “brick phone, ” and in 1983, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X became the first commercially available handheld mobile phone.

The name “brick” comes from the fact that it was a 33 cm tall phone that weighed almost 800 grams, with a huge antenna. It had a battery life of about 30 minutes after nearly 10 hours of charging. The cost was also diabolical—around $4, 000 at that time, which was extremely expensive even in that economy. Because of the price tag, it was more of a status symbol.

It became a pop culture icon, appearing in many movies. It was used by serious business people and was a technology ahead of its time.

It basically laid the foundation for the handheld phone era, which eventually evolved into the smartphone.

3D MODEL BREAKDOWN

The whole project started with researching the phone, studying images from different perspectives and views to capture details that would later be used in the model.

We selected two clear images of front-view and side-view images, then imported them into Autodesk Fusion 360 using the import canvas option in Fusion.

Both images were calibrated so that the width of the phone measured around 240 mm, which scaled it correctly and allowed us to begin the modeling process.

From the front view, we sketched the outline of the phone and then extruded it, which gave us a solid block. This solid block was then viewed from the left side, where we created another sketch that followed the DynaTAC’s shape and performed...