I never considered myself as an expert, as I'm still learning new things each month, and you never know everything. But the idea behind this category is to help you discover these new things. You can either wait for them, using the same stuff and knowledge until something doesn't work as expected, OR try new hardware, new software, new projects! I prefer the second alternative with Raspberry Pi, as there is so much to learn. On this page, I give you a few examples of what you can check to go further than your current skills.
Fast and Serious
My recommendation: If you are here on the expert page, you probably tried many systems or projects. And each new project starts with the preparation of one new SD card (when everything works on the first try). When you start, any SD card is OK. But when you start using your Pi almost every day, you can save lots of time by choosing a fast SD card.
Strong points: It’s the best one in my comparative review (link here), and you’ll take almost half the time to flash, install and update anything with it (compared to the basic ones).
Alternative: If you also need a giant storage space to keep everything on your Raspberry Pi, you can now find SD cards up to 1 TB. This other model from SanDisk is the fastest one available currently (Amazon).
SunFounder Raspberry Pi Robot Kit
My recommendation: I don’t have it yet, but it’s probably my next purchase, and it looks awesome!
It’s a kit to build your car and control it in Python. Plus, there are many sensors you can use to avoid obstacles.
Strong points: I will update this as soon as I can test it, but it seems one of the most advanced robots for now at this price point, and the look is fun!
Alternative: If you prefer playing with your system and code only, a cluster project is an interesting option to consider. You can find all the information (like hardware and installation) in this post.
PDF: 74 Raspberry Pi Commands
My recommendation: If you need some help to learn the Raspberry Pi commands, you’ll like this cheat sheet with the 74 most useful commands on Raspberry Pi. I’m sure you don’t know all of them 🙂
Strong points: This PDF file is available for free. For each command, you get the syntax, a description, some examples and a side note to go further.
Raspberry Pi Touchscreen
My recommendation: I’m using this screen since my old PC screen died, and I’m pretty happy with it. It’s small, so not for a desktop usage, but definitely useful to have a quick overview of what happens when you are on a temporary project (basically when the Pi won’t boot ^^).
Strong points: The “touch” feature works with a USB cable. This could be a weak point, but I find it very convenient because it works on any operating system.
You can read my full review here.
Python Masterclass
My recommendation: If you already know most of the things about the Raspberry Pi system and hardware, the skill I recommend you to improve is coding. It will help you a lot, whatever your projects and platform. Programmer is a highly demanded job, and it can be useful even in your career.
Strong points: Python is a good choice. It’s the default language on Raspberry Pi, but it’s also one of the most used programming languages in the world (Java and C/C++ still resist ^^)
Alternative: If you are also an expert in programming, you can find many other courses on Udemy, on various topics. They are cheap, and it’s probably the best way to expand your skills once you have the basics (I recommend security or AI if you are interested).
Philips Hue
My recommendation: Philips Hue are smart lights. You can manage them from your phone to change colors, intensity or switch them on/off. But the interesting point is that there is an API available, that you can control from your Raspberry Pi (in Python for example). It unlocks a giant list of projects ideas 🙂
Strong points: I already have a tutorial on the topic, so you won’t feel lost when trying them. You can check the tutorial here.
Complement: If you want to go further, you can also add some light sensors to your project (Amazon), so you can adapt the light intensity to the current daylight in a room.
Wi-Fi Extender
My recommendation: Even if recent models of Raspberry Pi includes a Wi-Fi adapter, it’s not really convenient when you are flashing a new operating system almost every day like me 🙂
I have to do the basic configuration each time, and my Wi-Fi password is too long for this! So, I’m doing the configuration one time on a Wi-Fi extender, and I plug my Raspberry Pi on it with a basic Ethernet cable.
This way, I’m using DHCP all the time, and never type my Wi-Fi password.
It’s a bit of money, but it saves me a lot of time 🙂
Strong points: There are 4 gigabit Ethernet ports on this model, so you can plug several Raspberry Pi, or add your TV, your game console, etc.
And by the way, it’s an excellent Wi-Fi extender, even if I’m not using it for this reason.
Need more?
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Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you use them, I’ll get a small commission. The commission comes at no additional cost to you. RaspberryTips is a participant in the Amazon Associates and other companies affiliate programs. I recommend these products because I use them myself and I know them. This is simply a list of what I use and love