PIrateRF – Turn a $20 Raspberry Pi Zero into a 12-mode RF transmitter
I built a software-defined radio transmission platform that runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero W. It spawns its own WiFi hotspot and serves a web UI — connect from any device and you have a portable RF signal generator with 12 transmission modes: FM broadcasting with RDS, FT8, RTTY, FSK, POCSAG paging, Morse code, SSTV image transmission, voice cloning via live mic, spectrum painting, IQ replay, carrier wave, and frequency sweeps. Everything runs through a browser interface. Upload audio files, type messages, configure frequencies, and transmit. The Pi's GPIO pin does the actual RF generation via…
In plain words
PIrateRF is a software-defined radio transmission platform that runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero W, transforming it into a portable RF signal generator accessible through a browser interface. It supports 12 transmission modes including FM broadcasting, FT8, RTTY, Morse code, SSTV image transmission, voice cloning, and frequency sweeps. Users can upload audio files, configure frequencies, and transmit through any connected device via the Pi's WiFi hotspot. No external radio hardware is required, as RF generation occurs through the Pi's GPIO pin. The system includes preset management, playlist building, and multi-device control capabilities.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
I built a software-defined radio transmission platform that runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero W. It spawns its own WiFi hotspot and serves a web UI — connect from any device and you have a portable RF signal generator with 12 transmission modes: FM broadcasting with RDS, FT8, RTTY, FSK, POCSAG paging, Morse code, SSTV image transmission, voice cloning via live mic, spectrum painting, IQ replay, carrier wave, and frequency sweeps. Everything runs through a browser interface. Upload audio files, type messages, configure frequencies, and transmit. The Pi's GPIO pin does the actual RF generation via rpitx — no external radio hardware needed. Written in Go with a real-time WebSocket frontend. Includes a preset system, playlist builder, and multi-device support (connect multiple phones/laptops to the AP and share control). Without an antenna the signal barely reaches 5 meters, which makes it perfect for indoor experimentation and learning about RF protocols without causing interference. All my testing was done indoors with no antenna attached. Built this because I wanted a single portable tool to experiment with every common RF transmission mode without hauling around expensive SDR equipment. Pre-built SD card image available if you want to skip the build process. GitHub: https://github.com/psyb0t/piraterf Blog post: https://ciprian.51k.eu/piraterf-turning-a-20-raspberry-pi-ze...
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