Keep That Old Radio Alive With An ESP32
A hobbyist has created a small AM transmitter using an ESP32-S3 microcontroller to keep vintage tube radios functional as legacy broadcast bands disappear. The device takes an online radio stream and transmits it via RF signals generated from a GPIO pin, utilizing a 3D-printed enclosure with a wire coil for radiation. While the project may have legal implications, the low power output is considered unlikely to cause significant interference.
- ▪The project uses an ESP32-S3 to convert online radio streams into AM broadcast signals.
- ▪A 3D-printed box with a widely spaced wire coil is used to radiate the signal effectively.
- ▪The transmitter currently outputs on the 200kHz European long wave band.
- ▪The creator acknowledges potential legality issues but notes the low power makes detection unlikely.
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| Original publisher | Hackaday |
| Canonical URL | https://hackaday.com/2026/10/07/keep-that-old-radio-alive-with-an-esp32/ |
| Publication time | Thu, 08 Oct 2026 02:00:32 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-10-08T02:03:19.924Z |
| Last seen | 2026-10-08T02:03:19.924Z |
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| Cluster | SGFbL4-Fw5n9 · 1 stories |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Keep That Old Radio Alive With An ESP32 No comments by: Jenny List October 7, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy As the legacy AM broadcast bands fade away, what happens to the millions of devices built to receive them? Many of them will go into e-waste, but with a century of radios to choose from, some of them are collector’s items. Vintage tube radios like the ones [GarethDaviesLondon] has would go silent, so he’s made a small AM transmitter to keep them alive. At its heart is an ESP32-S3, which takes an online radio stream and transmits it through RF generated with a pulse chain on a GPIO. Generating analogue signals from radio to video with a microcontroller is nothing new, but perhaps the more interesting part of this one comes in how he radiates enough from that pin.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Hackaday.
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