Reddit mentions of LoveRPi Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Computer with Heatsinks

I made this Pi controlled irrigation system. The goal was to make it as user friendly as possible. It is not finished yet. I had to get a working proto going as soon as possible because I moved to a different state and my parents are selling this house. Not to mention fall semester starts on Monday. I plan on working on this as much as possible on my free time and then make a guide and share my code with everyone so others can benefit from my work. If you want my current code and want to improve on it please PM me. Also, I would love it if you shared your version with me as I will implement it into my code. I want to share my best with everyone.

P.S. I did not document my code at all. I mainly hard coded all of this in the past few days since I was limited on time. I am also a noob on Kivy and this is my first big Pi project.

Edit: Below are the hardware

Landzo 7 inch touch panel - 40.88

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B - 39.99

32 GB flash - 15.69

DS3231 RTC Clock Module - 5.99

4 channel relay - 6.99

Uxcell enclosure - 9.99

M2.5 hex spacer screws - 9.98

Modified internal panel - 8.30

Total: 137.81

PS. Definitely could be cheaper. For me it sure was because I had some of the parts already available that came in a some sort of kit.

> I'm new to all of this, and I have zero experience with coding/programing/etc.

Do not feel intimidated. This isn't difficult. It'll take some time and patience, but it's very rewarding getting your system up and running.

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> I was thinking of getting an all in one kit like this oneIs there any downside to this?

Do not buy that over-priced garbage. The biggest gripe to the kit is the unknown PSU, and small/generic memory card.

What you'll need:

• $40 Raspberry Pi 3
  
• $20 MicroSDXC Card - any size. 64GB for $20 seems to be a solid deal.
  
• $20 Case - it can be as low as $5. I choose this one for fun.
  
• $10 Power Supply - You can try one you have around the house first. If you ever get the low-voltage warning icon, you'll need a proper PS
  
• $13 Mini Keyboard - I use mine all the time. Others use basic USB keyboards from Goodwill. Others SSH into the console. This is optional.
  
  Again, there are some very optional parts above. It can be as cheap or expensive as you want.
  
  
• Cheap: Pi3 w. $5 case and have everything else (keyboard, memory card, power supply, controller) at home, you're at $45.
  
• Not cheap: Pi3 w. $20 case, $45 128GB MicroSDXC, $20 back-lit keyboard, $10 power supply, $50 Wii U Pro bluetooth controller = $145
  
  --------------------------
  
  >So If I get this kit, I can just hook it up to my tv with an HDMI, add my ROMs via SD card, and plug in my USB controllers and I'm good to go?
  
  If you go the route of piecing together your own kit from higher quality parts, the only thing missing is the RetroPie image on the SD card.
  
  At a very high-level:
  
  
• Flash RetroPie onto your SD card. To make your life easier, you'll need access to a computer.
  
• Power up the assembled unit (SD card in the Pi. Pi in the case. Connect a keyboard. Power on).
  
• Configure WiFi
  
• Enable SSH
  
• Transfer Roms
  
• Configure a controller
  
  --------------------------
  

It's better to buy the parts separately. You'll need the following:

The Pi, obviously:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CMC50S0?pldnSite=1

A MicroSDXC Card if you don't already have one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DOB6YQA?pldnSite=1

A power supply:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MZX466R/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c_x_1_w

A USB Keyboard if you don't have one lying around:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WWDMZQL?pldnSite=1

Controllers - there's tons to choose from. Depending on which games you plan on playing. If you want to do 8-bit and 16-bit games, an SNES style controller is probably best, that would work for obviously SNES, but Genesis or NES games as well. If you don't mind wires, go with the Buffalo SNES USB Controller. If you want to go wireless, go with 8Bitdo. The 8Bitdo also gives you few more options in terms of colors, so you get get one that looks like an American SNES controller with the purple buttons, an international SNES controller with rainbow buttons, an NES style controller with an SNES button layout, etc. Just don't cheap out, you'll see some SNES USB controllers on Amazon for dirt cheap, but they're terrible. Either get the Buffalos or the 8BitDos, or if you have an original SNES controller, you can get an USB adapter for it.

For Playstation or N64 games and anything newer, you would need a controller with more buttons and analog sticks. Again, you have tons of options, you can get Dualshock, X-Box 360, or Wii U Pro controllers, plus Logitech has some controllers that also have the right amount of buttons. These controllers can also be used for older games if you only want one set of controllers.

As for the case, you have tons of options, just search Amazon and see what case fits your style. Just be sure it fits the Pi 3.

Oh, and finally, you'll also need an HDMI cable if you don't have one.

Once you get all that, setting it up is rather easy. It seems intimidating, but I'm a total newbie when it comes to tech stuff, and I was able to get mine up and running without any major hiccups. If I could do it, I'm sure you could. It is pretty easy if you just follow instructions. And if you get lost and need help, you can always post on Reddit and someone will be willing to help out.

I found this slightly cheaper alternative. You can get the pie with heat sinks cheaper than separate purchases.