Pimoroni PIM261 Raspberry Pi Zero W Pirate Radio Project Kit

Ahoy, mateys! If ye be becalmed on a sea of silence why not build you very own Pirate Radio kit! This internet-connected radio is loaded to the gunwales with everything you need, including a Raspberry Pi Zero W, a flash new pHAT BEAT DAC and stereo amp, a 5W speaker, and a beautifully retro acrylic enclosure to make it look ship-shape. It'll take you around 30 minutes to assemble.

The Pirate Radio uses the new pHAT BEAT DAC and stereo amp to drive the single speaker (which can be set to mono at the DIP of a switch). The pHAT BEAT uses the same I2S mono DAC and amplifier that is used on the Speaker pHAT and Picade HAT, and there is also one on the starboard side for stereo goodness! Two rows of 8x RGB LEDs make the perfect VU meter, and there are 6x buttons along the edges to control your audio, Captain.

Because the Raspberry Pi Zero W has a built-in wireless LAN and Bluetooth, it means that there's no longer any need for a USB Wi-Fi dongle. And to round it all off, there are three different software projects for your Pirate Radio: an internet radio, a Spotify streaming box, or an AirPlay speaker.

The nifty Pimoroni one-line installer will get your pHAT BEAT configured and install the VU meter plugin for ALSA that uses the RGB LEDs on pHAT BEAT to display sound levels. There is also a Python library to allow you to control the LEDs independently, if you wish, and to program the buttons to do whatever you wish.

Kit contents (also requires microSD card - not supplied)
Raspberry Pi Zero W
pHAT BEAT DAC and stereo amp, with VU meter and six buttons
Male and female 2 x 20 pin headers
Single 5W 4Ω speaker
Blue acrylic enclosure
50cm USB A to micro-B cable
USB A (female) to micro B (male) adaptor
Mini to full-size HDMI adaptor
Sticker sheet (personalise your Pirate Radio!)
Comes in a reusable kit box

• Pi Zero W with single core CPU and built-in wireless LAN and Bluetooth
• Take around 30 minutes to assemble (female and male headers require soldering)
• Dual I2S DAC/amplifiers
• 3W per channel
• 2x Push fit speaker terminals
• DIP Switch to select blended mono or stereo modes
• 16x RGB LED pixels
• 6x Edge-mounted push buttons
• Software installer and ALSA VU meter plugin
• 5W 4Ω speaker with pre-soldered wires
• Blue acrylic enclosure
• Adaptor kit
• 50cm USB A to micro-B cable
• Python library

To assemble the kit check out the assembly guide here.

For more information, tips, projects, and a whole lot more, visit the Pimoroni Learning Centre here.