Normally we echo the most curious projects that exist related to the Hardware Libre for those who want to reproduce it or simply to know its existence. The retro world has had a great life thanks to Hardware Libre, a second life that is not limited only to video game consoles but also to old gadgets such as a simple radio.
A user named Thinkernut has created an old radio which not only plays AM and FM music but can also play the music from Spotify or Soundcloud.
The operation is very simple. In this case, a Raspberry Pi Zero W has been used together with an LCD screen to reproduce the band change effect and a case created with a 3D printer. In this case Emerson AX212 radio model reproduced, a radio model from 1938.
Under that housing is not only inserted the Raspberry Pi board but also a 2.500 mAh battery, a speaker that connects to the raspberry board thanks to an expansion board, power and volume buttons as well as buttons to reproduce the various elements of the old radio.
But the most important thing is not in the elements but in the software. In this case, thanks to Mopidy we have a music player written in python that takes the music from various sources that we indicate, including Souncloud or Spotify. The list of components of this project as well as the necessary software can be found in this Official guide.
This project is very curious and it is also very customizable. Not only can we make the radio catch music from Spotify or just podcast but we can also customize the radio model and even use an old radio to give a new life to the gadget and reuse materials. Now the limit is on us Do not you think?