This Might Be the Most Steampunk Radio You’ll Ever See

While we’ve seen display projects from Christine Thompson before — including a VFD alarm clock as well as a 14-tube Nixie display unit — her SteamPunk Radio is, as she puts it, “without a doubt the most complex I have undertaken.” The device tells the time and date on the top eight tubes, along with the radio frequency, volume, temperature, and humidity (though not all at one time) on the remaining eight arranged on the bottom.

The housing for the build is made out of a restored radio cabinet, giving it a full steampunk theme with blinking lights, coils wrapped around glass enclosures on the top, and a plethora of lights that could inspire any mad scientist. There’s even motor driven clockwork on display, plus a pair of gauges, and a trio of outdoor faucet-style handles allow for user adjustments. Finally, perhaps the most impressive element of the SteamPunk Radio is an electromagnet-actuated Morse key for simulated 1800s-style communication.

A pair of Arduino Megas are linked together via an I2C distribution board for control of this ambitious device, which took around 200 hours to construct. Although Thomson’s write-up isn’t meant for someone to follow in its entirety, there’s still a huge amount of information that could be useful if you want to create your own one-of-a-kind gadget. It’s also documented in the video/slideshow below, with live action footage starting at around 9:10.