Kernelcon Hardware Hacking Village Project
🔊 What is this?
Build your own real FM radio receiver using the RDA5807 chip.
No internet.
No streaming.
Just raw RF pulled out of the air and turned into sound.
This is old-school radio… powered by a very modern chip.
🧰 What You’ll Build
A working FM radio that can:
- Tune live stations (like 91.9 KCOB – The Cob)
- Output audio to headphones or speaker
- Run completely offline
⚙️ What’s in the Kit
Typical components you’ll see:
- RDA5807 FM tuner IC
- PCB + passives (resistors, caps)
- Buttons (tune / volume)
- Audio output stage
- Antenna connection (or just a wire)
The chip does most of the heavy lifting internally:
- RF tuning
- Filtering
- FM demodulation
🔌 Build Overview
You’ll be:
- Soldering components to the board
- Installing buttons + audio output
- Connecting an antenna (even a wire works)
- Powering it up and tuning stations
📡 How It Works
- Antenna receives RF signals
- RDA5807 locks onto a frequency
- FM signal gets demodulated into audio
- Audio goes straight to your ears
Simple. Elegant. Slightly magical.
🛠️ Build Info
- Difficulty: Beginner → Intermediate
- Time: 45–90 minutes
- Skills:
- Soldering
- Basic electronics handling
🎯 Kernelcon Mode
Once you’re done:
- Tune to 91.9 FM (KCOB – The Cob)
- Listen to live Kernelcon radio
- Compare builds with others
- Hack it further 👀
🧠 Pro Tips
- Pay attention to component details – one short leg/one long leg!
- Keep solder joints clean (this matters more than you think)
- If it’s silent → check power and audio path first
🚀 Hack Ideas
- Add an OLED display
- Add a rotary encoder for tuning
- Build it into a badge or wearable
- Pair it with your own low-power transmitter
🔥 Why This Project Rocks
- It’s fully off-grid
- Teaches real RF fundamentals
- Immediate payoff when it works
- You literally build a radio from scratch
🧭 HHV Motto
Build it.
Tune it.
Hack it.