Kitronik FM Radio Project Kit V3.0

The Kitronik FM Radio Project Kit V3.0 is a soldering and electronics assembly kit for building a working FM radio in secondary Electronics, Design & Technology and STEM projects. Supported by printable teacher and student resources, it combines practical circuit construction with opportunities to investigate components, troubleshoot assembly and design a custom enclosure.

The downloadable 34-page V3 teaching pack provides suggested teaching sequences for a three-hour electronics project or a ten-hour product design project covering both the electronics and an enclosure. Teachers can adapt these sequences using the supplied worksheets, component exercises, answer sheets and evaluation activities.

Students solder the through-hole components onto a PCB with the surface-mount radio receiver and audio amplifier ICs already fitted. Twenty photographed assembly steps and component-placement tables guide the build, while the PCB checking sheet helps students inspect solder joints, component positions and power connections before testing.

Once assembled, the radio has tuning and volume controls and plays through the supplied 66mm speaker. It can be powered by 3 x AA batteries (not supplied), and onboard reverse polarity protection helps protect the circuit against incorrect battery connections.

For a broader Design & Technology project, students can research existing radios, develop a specification, sketch and model an enclosure, review designs with classmates, manufacture their enclosure and evaluate the finished product. The teaching pack includes worksheets and mechanical dimensions to support this process. Enclosure materials are supplied separately.

The kit also suits makers and electronics enthusiasts who want a practical soldering project with a useful finished result. Soldering equipment, basic hand tools and batteries are required.

Features:

• Build a working FM radio with tuning and volume controls.
• Practise through-hole soldering, component identification and circuit assembly.
• Surface-mount radio receiver and audio amplifier ICs are pre-fitted to the PCB.
• Includes an 8 ohm, 66mm speaker and a 3 x AA battery holder.
• Features onboard reverse polarity protection.
• Supports electronics assembly and custom enclosure design projects.
• PCB measures 88mm x 46mm, matching the dimensions of the previous version.
• Supported by downloadable V3 build instructions and teacher and student resources.

Teaching Resources:

The V3 teaching pack provides materials for planning lessons, supporting independent student work and extending the build into a product design project. It includes:

• Suggested three-hour electronics and ten-hour electronics-and-enclosure teaching sequences.
• A design brief and an explanation of the design process.
• Printable research, specification, design and group review worksheets.
• Packaging, instruction manual and product evaluation activities.
• An illustrated soldering guide and photographed assembly instructions.
• Resistor and capacitor identification exercises, with answer sheets.
• A PCB checking sheet for inspecting the completed assembly.
• PCB, control and speaker dimensions for enclosure design.
• Explanations of radio operation and the kit’s circuitry.
• Extension ideas for adding a power switch and improving the tuning mechanism.

Teachers can select the activities that suit their students and available lesson time. We recommend assembling a demonstration unit before starting the classroom project.

Contents:

• 1 x 0R resistor.
• 1 x 68K resistor.
• 1 x 100K resistor.
• 1 x 10K resistor.
• 2 x 220K resistors.
• 1 x 470R resistor.
• 1 x 6.8K resistor.
• 1 x 10K potentiometer.
• 1 x 100K 16mm linear potentiometer.
• 2 x 100nF ceramic capacitors.
• 1 x 1nF ceramic capacitor.
• 2 x 22pF ceramic capacitors.
• 1 x 33pF ceramic capacitor.
• 2 x 470nF ceramic capacitors.
• 1 x 470pF ceramic capacitor.
• 1 x 100uF electrolytic capacitor.
• 1 x 10uF electrolytic capacitor.
• 2 x 1uF electrolytic capacitors.
• 1 x 3 x AA battery holder with flying leads.
• 1 x 8 ohm, 66mm speaker.
• 1 x timing crystal.
• 1m x single-core wire for speaker connections and an antenna.
• 1 x Kitronik FM Radio Project Kit V3.0 PCB with pre-fitted FSV4825 radio receiver and FM8002A audio amplifier ICs.

Requires:

• Soldering iron and solder.
• Wire cutters and wire strippers.
• 3 x AA batteries (not supplied).
• Enclosure materials and suitable construction tools if completing the enclosure design project.

Dimensions:

• PCB length: 88mm.
• PCB width: 46mm.

Video:

Resources:

• V3 Essential Information, including assembly instructions and circuit information.
• V3 Teaching Resources, including suggested teaching sequences, printable worksheets and answer sheets.