So what is your goto kit for Raspberry Pi?

[nlinecomputers]

I‘ve built a couple of Raspberry Pi units in the past with CanaKit but I am curious what everyone else has done.

The couple I built were for tracking internet uptime, downtime, and reliability.

 

[GTP]

Always wanted to play around with a Pi, but never seemed to have the time.
There are so many projects to consider now.
Maybe in the future.

 

[Diggs]

Same here although I have the time I don't really have an application where I've needed one. I've done some monitoring also but always used an old thin client.

 

[Markverhyden]

I've always gotten CanaKit. But that was when I lived in MA and bought almost everything from Microcenter which pushed CanaKit. I'd rather stick with a larger outfit for support purposes. I've done a router appliance before. But now I'm working on a 4g/LTE router that'll stay in my van.

 

[Blues]

CanaKit is solid what I used for my one project I really liked some aspects of a Vilros kit but not for the $5-$10 more it was running. I think if/when I do another Pi project I might just go for less kit and more pieced together. Right now my only Pi is an OMV+Plex box though I still have to run my Subtitled stuff through my PC as the Pi struggles to keep up with 480p encoding on the fly. I know I could go grab text based subtitle files but I like the looks of the image format ripped from my discs. I am likely going to put my 4k content on my PC as well since some of the streaming devices are not 4k compatible and it will have to encode down to 1080p for those.

I am tempted to try and pick up one to build a little retro console for old NES, SNES, SEGA, etc. main reason I haven't done that yet is time and toying with the emulators to learn them as well as figuring out how to get a ROM collection going as I am only interested in games I own but I am not familiar with creating ROMs and certain I need tools for it when it comes to old cartridges. Also step into gray zones of I own the PS3 Sega collection game if I were to "acquire" ROMs of the games on it is that really "ok"? Last hurdle is I really want to play some PS2 titles which seems to be the hardest system for the Pi to handle that I want to emulate.

 

[frase]

Digging up, though just got a Pie Zero W - just set it up and tinkering. I have the Header though have not soldered in in as yet, don't know if I will or not.

SPECS:

• 1GHz single-core ARMv6 CPU (BCM2835)
• VideoCore IV GPU, 512MB RAM.
• Mini HDMI and USB on-the-go ports.
• Micro USB power.
• HAT-compatible 40-pin header.
• Composite video and reset headers.
• CSI camera connector.
• 802.11n wireless LAN.

 

[Blues]

I have wondered about a Pi based "smart" Thermostat as I still don't know why the most basic thermostats off so little programmability and why programable ones cost so much. I have seen so many wild swings I hate flipping from Heat to Cool and want to just set an upper and lower temp threshold and let the thermostat do what ever to stay in range.