RF-focused hardware and software YSWS.
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- Spend time designing a hardware project. Your project must incorporate RF or a communication scheme other than traditional Wi-Fi or BLE. Consider LoRa, Wi-Fi HaLow, or a custom modulation scheme.
- Apply for a grant. Submit CAD, PCB files, firmware, and a cost optimized BoM, to recieve funding up to $200, depending on the amount of effort you've put into the project, and how complex it is. Expect about $4 per hour spent on your design.
- Build your project. Time spent building your project will allow you to earn Watts (W), which you can spend in the shop.
- Demo your project. Submit a video demo of your project, along with final CAD, code, etc. You must completely build and demo your first project before getting a grant for a second.
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- Come up with an RF related software project. This could be a I/Q capture analyzer, a P25 demodulator, or anything else you can connect to RF/communication.
- Code it. Track your coding time with Hackatime, and earn Watts (W) that you can spend in the shop later.
- Ship it. Ship your project, and you will earn Watts (W) for time spent on your project. Expect ~5W per hour, but this rate is subject to change based on the quality of your project.
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- Study! hamstudy.org is your friend. If you've never done this before, you're studying for the tecnician exam, however, upgrading to general or extra also counts.
- Take the exam. Find a session at hamstudy.org/sessions, and sign up. Be aware, you will need to pay the $5 exam fee. You will also need to pay the $35 application fee to the FCC, however the ARRL can reimburse you for it.
- Once you've passed the exam and gotten your callsign, you will receive enough Watts (W) to buy your first radio in the shop.
- LilyGo T3 S3 Meshtastic.
- Quansheng UV-K6: Hackable beginner radio.
- Seeed Wio Tracker L1
- RTL-SDR: Cheap, powerful SDR dongle.
- Baofeng DM-32UV: Cheap DMR radio.
- RAK WisBlock Meshtastic Starter Kit.
- HackRF One with Portapack: Advanced SDR in a mobile package.
