FM Radio Assembly Kit

Name: FM Radio Assembly Kit
Brand: The Science Hut
SKU: 14:10#Kit with shell
Price: 29.95 USD
Availability: InStock

$29.95

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Build your own FM radio from scratch!

Then sit back and enjoy your favourite FM radio shows and music!

This hands-on DIY FM Radio Kit is a great way to have fun and learn about electronics. Solder each part, connect every wire, and watch your creation come to life as it tunes in real stations with crisp, clear sound. Perfect for anyone that enjoys building things, from teens to age 65+.

With a digital display, quality sound, and the choice of battery or USB power, this project is as rewarding to build as it is to use. This kit make a great gift for any age, from curious teens to seasoned radio enthusiasts — and it's a perfect way to learn STEM skills while having fun. The kit contains a very wide variety of components making it an excellent project for anyone seeking to take their soldering skills up a level. It also makes a fantastic weekend project to do with the kids.

Amaze your friends when you tell them you built it yourself! Find out more about this kit in the dropdown sections below.

What's Included?

Includes all components required to build your own FM radio:

Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
STC15W404AS microcontroller
RDA5807 FM receiver module
TDA2822 audio amplifier IC
74HC595D shift register
AMS1117-3.3V voltage converter
4-digit digital display
0.5W 8Ω Speaker
200KΩ potentiometer
Transistors
- S8550 ×4
IC sockets
- DIP-28
- DIP-8
Metal film resistors
- 10KΩ ×5
- 1KΩ ×5
- 510Ω ×8
Ceramic capacitors
- 0.1 μF ×4
Electrolytic capacitors
- 1 μF/50V ×1
- 100 μF/16V ×4
AUX audio socket (3.5 mm)
SMD micro USB socket
USB power wire
SK12D07VG4 Toggle switch
AA battery box
3 mm Red LED
Red/black wire set
Push buttons + caps ×4
Antenna (extends 7.5–25 cm)
Acrylic case and fixtures

Learning Outcomes and Benefits

See radio technology in action: learn how FM signals are captured, processed, and amplified into sound you can hear.

Master a variety of components: work with resistors, capacitors, transistors, integrated circuits, and LEDs, gaining hands-on familiarity with what each does.

Advance your soldering skills: tackle both through-hole and surface-mounted components, learning the techniques and precision needed for professional-level assembly. This is especially important since many electronics today (such as mobile phones and gaming systems) use micro-IC's, such as the SMD shift register included in this kit—building this kit will give you some experience in working with these small chips.

Strengthen problem-solving abilities: follow a detailed build process, troubleshoot connections, and see how each decision affects the final result.

Develop real-world electronics skills: the same principles used in building this DIY FM radio kit apply to audio gear, communications devices, and countless modern technologies.

Boost focus and patience: the kit encourages methodical, step-by-step thinking, which is valuable in any STEM field.

Enjoy the pride of a working creation: when you finish, you’ll have a functional FM radio you can use daily, showing off your skills to friends and family.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What skill level is this kit best for?
A: It’s ideal for intermediate to advanced builders; however, even a beginner can build it by following our detailed step-by-step instruction manual; just take your time with the smaller SMD components. The mix of through-hole and surface-mount parts makes it a great project for anyone ready to move beyond basic soldering projects. For younger builders, some help from an adult is recommended—great activity for parent-child bonding time!

Q: Does it require soldering?
A: Yes. This is a soldering project that involves attaching a variety of components to the PCB. A fine-tipped soldering iron is recommended for the surface-mount parts. Refer to the Tools and Materials Required section for more info.

Q: How is it powered?
A: You can power the radio using the USB cable (included) connected to a 5V power supply (such as a phone charger or a USB power bank) or with 2 × AA batteries.

Q: What FM stations can it pick up?
A: It can tune across the whole standard range of FM frequencies (87–108 MHz). Reception depends on your location, antenna position, and surrounding interference. The set frequency is displayed to one decimal place on the digital display screen.

Q: What is the reception and sound quality like?
A: Reception: Good across strong to moderate FM stations; the RDA5807 chip is sensitive and stable. Expect all local stations to lock in clearly using the supplied telescopic antenna.

Audio Output: Crisp and clear for a small 0.5 W speaker. Louder listening (or bass-heavy music) might benefit from an external speaker or headphones via the AUX jack. The chip includes noise elimination, has high sensitivity, and a strong anti-interference ability. The circuit includes a potentiometer that you can adjust to fine tune the audio output to stay within the capabilities of the speaker.

Q: Does the FM radio auto-tune to stations?
A: Yes, just press and hold the F+ or F- buttons and the radio will automatically seek the next available FM radio station and then lock onto that frequency—no 'fine-tuning' needed, the FM radio chip does it all!

Q: Is this safe for children?
A: Recommended for ages 12+. Young builders should have adult supervision, especially when using a soldering iron.

Product Specifications

Dimensions (approx., when completed):

Length: 11.0 cm
Depth (including buttons and battery box): 3.5 cm
Height: 7.1 cm
Antennae length: adjustable from 7.5 to 25 cm

Frequency range: Includes the entire FM range from 87.1 MHz to 108.0 MHz (adjustable in increments of 0.1 MHz).

Output power: 0.5W (or use headphones via the included AUX jack for enhanced listening).

PCB Type: combination of SMD and through-hole components.

Case material: clear acrylic with steel fixtures.

Power Supply: Includes a battery compartment for 2 x AA batteries (not included) or USB cable (included).

Assembly and Usage Info

Anyone can build this FM radio following our detailed step-by-step instruction manual which can be downloaded from the link below. The password to open the manual was sent to the same email that you placed your order from. Can't find it? Just Contact Us!

Download: FM Radio Assembly Kit Instruction Manual

Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced
Age Rating: 12+ (adult supervision required for under 16's)
Assembly Time: Typically 3-6 hours

Tools and Materials Required

Tools required for this kit

Soldering iron
Solder wire

We sell these items as a bundle for just €25.95 (or currency equivalent) which saves 10 percent! Just click the link below to select your countries plug type and add to your order.

SOLDERING IRON & WIRE BUNDLE

Of course, you only need to buy the tools once; you'll use them again and again for your future electronics projects!

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Links and References

Our blogs & videos related to electronics kits:

Ultimate Guide to Electronics Kits

STEM Electronics as a Hobby

Youtube video: Tools, tips and tricks for soldering electronics kits

Other Useful References:

How Radio Works

Shipping and Warranty Info

Shipping Information

Orders are processed for dispatch within 1–2 business days. Typical delivery times following dispatch for this product, depending on region are:

US: 5-8 days (Orders are shipping as usual. The U.S. government shutdown isn’t causing any delays.)
UK: 5-8 days
EU: 6-13 days
Canada: 7-14 days
Australia: 7-14 days

All orders are shipped with tracking, where available. Please refer to our Shipping Policy page for further detail.

Warranty & Satisfaction Guarantee

All electronics kits come with a 14-day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not happy with your purchase, contact us and we’ll arrange a refund or replacement — no hassle. Please note that to qualify for a replacement or refund, kits must be in their original, unused condition. Please refer to our Returns and Refunds policy for more information.

Packaging

We aim to minimize waste while protecting your order. All electronic kits are securely packaged in padded mailing bags containing anti-static ESD bags and/or rigid plastic boxes (depending on the product) to ensure the safety of the electronic components. An example of electronics kit packaging can be viewed HERE. If you're purchasing this item as a gift and would rather that it was in a box, we also sell quality gift boxes at the following link: Quality Gift boxes.

Ships from: International Warehouse

View full details

Built with my grandson.

A little smaller than I envisaged.
We found the smd components very challenging and unfortunately damaged a micro chip. Contacted the company and was able to get a replacement, which was dealt with very promptly.
A good company to deal with!

Hello, thank you very much for taking the time to leave this review, we really appreciate it. Delighted to hear you brought your grandson in on the experience, a lovely way to spend quality time with kids! The FM radio kit is indeed one of the more challenging ones thanks to those small SMD chips. Glad to hear you got there in the end with the replacement part and we really appreciate your positive endorsement of our customer service.

Not for beginners

After a frustrating time assembling mine, it didn’t work and I have no idea why. The kit is not for those who are learning soldering as they go (myself included) and there’s no way the smaller surface-mounted components can be soldered with only the traditional methods in the instruction manual.

Hi Wissam, thank you for your feedback, we appreciate you taking the time to share it. Sorry to hear that your radio isn't working after you built it. Agreed, this kit is not ideal for beginners or novices, and we do indicate that fact on the product page—if you look on the 'Further product information' section, you'll see we have this kit rated as 'Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced'. While it is difficult (as stated in the manual) to solder the SMD chips using traditional soldering methods, our technicians field test and verify everything that they include in the instruction manuals to confirm that they can be readily accomplished as written. Furthermore we have sold this kit a lot and the vast majority of customers were able to successfully build it following the instructions in the manual. If you'd like us to help to troubleshoot your radio, feel free to reach out to us on info@thesciencehut.com.; include some close-up photographs of your soldering work. There are a lot of things that can go wrong—any component soldered in the incorrect polarity, a short circuit between any stems of the components, or scratches or scrapes along the conductive trace on the PCB will all result in a non-functional device. Include as many photos as you wish but make sure they are sharp and clear; our technical team can take a look to see if they can identify anything wrong and then advise you about how you can repair it.

High quality, low price

I built the digital clock for use on my ham radio bench. The kit was complete and well made. The PCB (printed circuit board) is well made and of a size that even the eyes of an old man (me) can see clearly. Assembly is straight forward with no difficult parts to mount.
All of the parts were there and this kit is easy to assemble. A young builder or beginner could build it and learn about it from the experience.

Hi Michael, thank you for taking the time to write a review, we really appreciate it! Well done on completing your clock! There's a lot of soldering in that kit, 400+ welds, glad to hear you found it was easy to manage all the same. I see you've ordered other kits from our selection too - the most challenging one will be the FM radio because, unlike this clock kit, it does have some fairly small components to mount. Your FM radio kit should be with you in the next few days. Be sure to check out the detailed instruction manual that we emailed to you after you purchased the FM radio kit, as it contains lots of tips and advice on how to set those components successfully (if you've deleted/lost the email, the instructions can also be downloaded from the product page, or you can just email us at info@thesciencehut.com and we can send you a copy). If you need any questions answered during assembly, just email us - we'll be more than happy to help!

FM Radio Assembly Kit

I purchased the FM Radio Kit. It is a good-looking kit. With a ½ watt speaker, you will want to listen to this radio with earbuds. The instructions, which you can download, are well-written and will take you step-by-step through the process of building this kit.

One word of warning: if you are not experienced with a soldering iron, you should probably find someone to solder in the STC15W408AS chip for you. While the other two surface-mount chips can be placed by the method outlined in the instructions, this chip has an extremely low tolerance for errors. You will need a very steady hand, a small tip on your iron, and very likely some sort of magnifier. It can be done as per the instructions, but use great care. I used solder paste and a heat gun instead of an iron.

I experienced a problem with my kit that you almost certainly will not – some manufacturing shorts on the board. These were easily dealt with (I know how).

Depending on your experience, but especially after placing the IC (packaged) components, you should use a digital multimeter to check that things are connected where they should be and not where they should not be. This is to rule out problems caused by soldering errors.

One final note: Amazon sells this kit for $10-$15 less.

Hello Dennis, thank you kindly for leaving an honest and fair review. We really appreciate it. Also, thank you for the advice you've shared in your review; we wholly agree with it, and from our emails back and forth, we know this advice is coming from someone who is very experienced in electronics (so readers, take heed). We did share your feedback relating to the presence of shorts with the manufacturer of this kit and we're awaiting their response - we'll circle back with you by email once we have that to let you know the outcome. Your ability to create a working radio despite the possible faults is testament to your experience.

NO INSTRUCTIONS!!!!

nice kit but as others have said there are no instructions provided

Hi T.C., thank you very much for your purchase and for taking the time to leave your review, we really appreciate it. You likely havd already built your kit, but just for future reference there are detailed instructions available to download from the product page for this kit. Indeed, the majority of the kits we sell have instructions available on the product page, along with links to a useful blog post and video with tips on how to assemble electronics kits. We also have a Technical Support team who are available to help if you run into any difficulties, just email questions to info@thesciencehut.com

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