Alex Eames has reviewed the Pimoroni Pirate Radio kit which features a Raspberry Pi Zero W. The kit, which requires assembly, costs £40 and includes the Zero W and most of the parts you need inside a nice project box. You just need to add an SD card and Pi power supply or USB battery. Read Alex’s review here. (Photo credit: Alex Eames)

Opinion

I got hold of a Pirate Radio kit myself recently. It really is very cute and is a nice blue colour with a frosted perspex front. The VU meter on the side is a nice touch, although I would’ve preferred it if it was a bit more responsive at lower volumes, but I guess that’s just a case of tweaking the Python script. The software itself is good as are the instructions for assembly and software installation, although you will need to hunt around for that pesky configuration file that lists the playlists. I managed to find it eventually but can’t remember where it is right this second. The web interface that you can use is a bit basic, but functional. The sound produced by the included speaker isn’t stellar, but then what do you expect for something that small? However, it’s easily slightly-better-than-radio-quality, so no complaints here.

I enjoyed putting the kit together (as Alex said in his review, a video might’ve been nice and a bit clearer, but heigh ho) and can recommend it to anyone who wants a little Pi-powered radio.

They’re out of stock at the moment, but you can see them on the Pimoroni shop site here or on The Pi Hut here.