Makers and amateur radio

Practical maker projects for radio amateurs — from your first microcontroller and software-defined radio right through to ready-to-follow building guides.

The maker movement is dedicated to building, repairing and experimenting — with creativity, collaboration and the latest technology. What used to be called ‘tinkering’ and DIY is now the maker scene. It shares the same curiosity as amateur radio: understanding things for yourself, building them yourself, improving them yourself.

Anyone new to amateur radio will find projects and starting points here — and those who are already QRV will find new ideas for the workbench.

Getting started — where to begin?

Three areas where makers and radio amateurs overlap most closely today:

  • Microcontrollers — the ESP32 and Raspberry Pi are the all-rounders: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth already built in, reading sensor data, controlling antennas and rotors, automating measuring equipment. ESP32 · Raspberry Pi
  • Receiving with SDR — a radio receiver as software: receive and decode aeronautical radio, weather satellites or ADS-B aircraft data using affordable hardware. Pure reception does not require a licence. SDR on uska.ch
  • Licence-free wireless networking — LoRa on the 868 MHz ISM band, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: networked sensors, telemetry and mesh networks with ready-made firmware such as Meshtastic.

Licence-free radio projects — the ISM band

Many projects can be built and operated entirely without a radio licence — on the licence-free ISM/SRD bands (433 MHz, 868 MHz, 2.4 GHz). DIY ideas:

  • LoRa on 868 MHz (ISM) — licence-free wireless networking with ultra-low power consumption over long distances: sensors, telemetry and mesh networks with Meshtastic.
  • 433/868 MHz modules — reading, decoding and controlling wireless sockets, weather stations and sensors.
  • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth & Zigbee (2.4 GHz) — networked devices, telemetry and home automation.
  • Reception with SDR — receive aviation radio, weather satellites or ADS-B; reception only is licence-free. SDR page
  • Measurement and antenna technology — GPSDO, antenna analyser, spectrum analyser.
  • Inspiration from the maker world: Hackaday · Elektor

And with an amateur radio licence? Then you gain access to dedicated frequency bands, higher transmission power and projects such as the HAMNET high-speed network, digital modes (JS8Call, VARA, Codec2) or LoRa-APRS on 433 MHz — as an iGate or tracker. How do I become a radio amateur?

Build guides & circuits — Elektor collection

A curated collection of Elektor build guides to follow — from simple receivers to measuring instruments. The downloads are freely available.

Radio technology

Circuits

Measuring

Power supplies and regulators