First, you'll need to buy some stuff. There's no getting around it. Unless, that is, you've attended one of my events and gotten a complete Tweet Monkey kit!
The list of materials below is absolutely everything you need to get started.
Next to each item, you'll find links to purchase online. You would be better off on many of these components to buy them in bulk to keep your cost low. For some items, it's difficult to buy a small enough quantity to complete a single project. I think you should go ahead and stock up and use the extras for new maker projects!
| Item | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 3 | $36.00 | Amazon |
| 16GB Class 4 SD Card | $6.00 | Amazon |
| Monkey | $8-14 | Amazon |
| Mini-breadboard | $6.00 | Amazon |
| P16NF06L MOSFET | $0.88 | Digi-Key |
| 1/4W 10k Resistor | $0.01 | Digi-Key |
| 1/4W 33kΩ Resistor | $0.01 | Digi-Key |
| 1/4W 330Ω Resistor | $0.01 | Digi-Key |
| Blue LED | $0.59 | Digi-Key |
| 2' 22-gauge wire | $6.00 | Amazon (small quanity, bulk red, bulk blk) |
| Jumper wires | $7.50 | Amazon |
| Micro-USB power supply | $4.50 | Amazon |
| 2 AA batteries | $5.00 | Amazon |
Total cost if you add all of this up is something like $84.00, but I'm that you already have some of the supplies such as the USB power supply and the batteries, so it's really not quite that much.
Additionally, you'll need some wire clippers or strippers for cutting the wire and exposing the conductor. No soldering is required for this project.
Next, learn how to modify the monkey.