September 2026

Home Assistant with a Raspberry Pi

This short series explores the world of home automation, and creates the core of a system that interfaces with a broad range of commercial smart home devices, plus hundreds of DIY sensors and remote-control interfaces. Some community-supported home automation platforms are reviewed. Our feature project utilises Home Assistant, an enthusiast-friendly open-source platform dedicated to DIY automation projects.

Home Automation Satellite
Using a Raspberry Pi Pico W

This simple but powerful board lets you connect a multitude of sensors, displays, relays and other devices wirelessly to a HomeAssistant-based Home Automation network. It utilises at its core a Raspberry Pi Pico W module. Full details of building your own home automation network, and how they work,  are described this month.

USB-C Power Monitor (Part 2)

This compact device is menu-driven and lets you monitor voltage, current, power and energy supplied to a USB-C device. Full constructional details are provided this month.

‘Mic the Mouse’ constructional project

This practical prank of a project is a mouse-shaped circuit board with a difference: it only “squeaks” when everything is quiet. Make a noise, and Mic the Mouse goes into hibernation. Guaranteed to raise a laugh – hopefully, anyway! A compact self-contained design, complete with a prop-stand.

Max’s Cool Beans
Weird & Wonderful Arduino Projects

Max finds another application for the Retro Games Console: running cellular automata simulations and such. We also make progress in building our Chronological Contraption.

Audio Out

Our analog audio enthusiast reports on the Retrotech UK annual event. It’s an ever popular and expanding venue exhibiting and trading in old electronic gear built the old-fashioned way. It’s organised by the British Vintage Wireless Society and you can find more details on their web site.

Power Electronics
Part 6: DC-to-AC Converters

Our series moves onto the topic of DC-AC converters, technology that has been around a long time but has come to the fore in recent years.

Teach-In 2026
World of Wireless – an introduction to Radio and Wireless technology
Part 12.11 Long distance radio communications

The final instalment of our popular and entertaining tutorial series dedicated to radio and wireless offers plenty of advice and pointers outlining today’s state of the art in long distance radio comms. How to receive transmissions, as well as enjoy amateur radio, is explained in this article which will appeal to both budding and experienced ‘radio hams’ everywhere. This month’s practical project  is an RF Amplifier.

Circuit Surgery
“Plant Music” and using a 555 to measure resistance

Our in-house ‘surgeon’ Ian Bell re-visits the ubiquitous 555 timer, a chip that is increasingly overlooked these days in favour of programmable microcontrollers but still has plenty to offer. An application for measuring resistance using a 555 is suggested. Then the novel subject of ‘plant music’ is ‘cultivated’ – creating sounds derived from the response of living plants!

Techno Talk

Max muses about developments that might be coming over the horizon, including holographic smart glasses, liquid cooled smartphones and virtual acoustic worlds. Whatever next? Max has the answer!

Coming up – in the Oct/ Nov issues

High performance Digital Preamplifier & Crossover; Power Rail Test probe;  Ducted Heat transfer Controller