Deepen your understanding of antennas, RF, electronics, and microcontrollers — then put that knowledge to work building custom station accessories and projects.
Antenna & RF Basics
Deepen your understanding of antennas, feedlines, matching, and RF propagation.
- ARRL Antenna Fundamentals — Comprehensive introduction to antenna theory, types, feedlines, SWR, and practical construction.
- Antenna-Theory.com (Free) — Educational site covering antenna types, radiation patterns, impedance, and design principles with diagrams.
- 4NEC2 Antenna Modeler (Free) — Free NEC-based antenna modeling software for Windows — design and simulate antennas before building.
- W2AEW RF & Electronics Videos (Free) — Excellent YouTube channel with clear explanations of RF concepts, test equipment, and electronics fundamentals.
- ARRL RF Exposure Safety — FCC RF exposure evaluation requirements for amateur stations and the ARRL calculator tool. Proper grounding and RF safety protect your equipment, your family, and your neighbors. The FCC requires amateur stations to evaluate their RF exposure.
Electronics & Microcontrollers for Station Projects
Build custom station accessories, keyers, rotator controllers, and more using Arduino and Raspberry Pi.
- Arduino Tutorials (Free) — Official Arduino getting-started guide and project tutorials — the foundation for homebrew station accessories.
- Raspberry Pi Tutorials (Free) — Official project guides for Pi — build APRS igates, digital mode hosts, SDR servers, and repeater controllers.
- Adafruit Learning System (Free) — Hundreds of tutorials on electronics, sensors, displays, and microcontrollers applicable to ham radio projects.
- All About Circuits (Free) — Free textbooks, calculators, and community forums covering DC/AC circuits, semiconductors, and digital electronics.
- Khan Academy — Electrical Eng. (Free) — Video lessons on circuit analysis, components, signals, and systems — great for self-paced foundational learning.
- Hackaday Ham Radio Projects (Free) — Community project showcase — Arduino keyers, antenna analyzers, SDR builds, and creative ham radio hacks.