Kindly Morrow
FM Radio DIY Kit with OLED Display - Soldering Practice
Solder a working FM radio in an afternoon. This through-hole kit tunes the full 87-108MHz broadcast band, displays live frequency on an OLED screen, and runs on a rechargeable 18650 cell. No programming, no breadboard, no prior experience required.
Every component is through-hole with wide-pitch pads and full silkscreen labeling, so nothing is guesswork. The 115.8x75mm PCB teaches real analog RF principles: tuning circuits, signal filtering, and onboard power regulation. Those concepts map directly to SDR work and I2C tuner modules like the RDA5807 when you're ready to go further.
Things to build with this
- Mount the finished board inside a vintage tin with a 3W passive speaker and wire the 3.5mm output through a PAM8403 amp module. You get a self-contained desktop radio with real analog volume control and a retro footprint.
- Pair the completed kit with a weatherproof ABS enclosure and a USB LiPo booster board wired to the 18650 holder for a camp radio that runs a full weekend on one charge without touching a wall outlet.
- Use this kit as a hands-on reference circuit while studying the RDA5807M datasheet. The analog tuning and filtering stages here are direct analogs to what the I2C-controlled chip does in software, making the transition from hardware to code-controlled RF work concrete instead of abstract.
Key Features
- FM tuner: 87-108MHz, full standard broadcast band coverage
- OLED display: shows current frequency and station info in real time
- 18650 battery holder: onboard rechargeable power, no wall adapter needed
- Audio out: 3.5mm jack, works directly with headphones or powered speakers
- PCB: 115.8x75mm with wide-pitch through-hole pads and complete silkscreen labeling
- Component style: all through-hole, zero SMD parts
- No programming required: fully analog control, functional straight off the iron
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need any soldering experience to build this?
No. All components are through-hole with large pads and clear silkscreen labels. A basic 25-40W soldering iron, some solder, and flush cutters are all the tools you need.
Does the 18650 battery come included?
No, the 18650 cell is not included. Any standard protected 18650 lithium-ion cell works fine. Salvaged cells from old laptop packs are a popular option.
Can I connect this to a microcontroller or extend it later?
The kit runs fully standalone without any code. If you want to go further, the signal chain here gives you a concrete reference for working with I2C-controlled tuner modules like the RDA5807M, which you can drive from an Arduino or ESP32.
What speakers work with the 3.5mm output?
Any headphones or powered speaker with a 3.5mm input works directly. For passive speakers, wire a PAM8403 amp module between the kit output and your speaker. It runs off the same 18650 supply.
Why we stock this
Curated by Kindly Morrow. We test and vet every product before it hits the store. If we wouldn't use it in our own builds, we don't sell it.
Things to build with this
Fun projects to try once you get your hands on it.
Your first blinking LED (seriously)
The "hello world" of hardware. Wire an LED to a board, write 3 lines of code, watch it blink. Then realize you can make it do anything.
Temperature logger with a graph
Read a sensor, log the data, plot it on a web page. Your first real IoT project. Show it to someone and watch their eyes light up.
Desk button that does one thing
Big red button on your desk. Press it and something happens. Order pizza. Turn off all the lights. Play a sound effect. You decide.
Build a theremin (sort of)
Ultrasonic distance sensor + a buzzer. Wave your hand and it changes pitch. It sounds terrible and you will love it.
