I'm a complete beginner looking to build my first working radio. I've heard there are various types of radios, but I'd love some guidance on the simplest option to get started. If you have any tutorials or other beginner-friendly project ideas, that would be awesome too!
3 Answers
A great beginner project is to try building a crystal radio. It's one of the simplest types and primarily picks up AM radio signals. The best part? If you have a strong enough signal, it can work without a battery! Check out this tutorial on how to build one: [Instructables Crystall Radio Project](https://www.instructables.com/Build-an-antique-style-crystal-radio/).
If you’re looking into transmitters, consider using a Si5351a module with an Arduino. It’s pretty affordable and straightforward. For about $10-$30, you can get the module and Arduino needed to set it up. This is definitely more advanced, but if you have some programming skills, it can be rewarding! Also, some folks recommend USB stick-type software-defined radios at the receiving end, which is quite easy to use as well.
For the absolute basics, you could start with a diode radio which is really simple to make. It only uses a diode to rectify the signal, and it's a great way to understand radio waves without getting into heavy electronics.