Lmst

#RadioHacks

Simple D-STAR Transceiver Uses Inexpensive Hardware

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/03/02/simple-d-star-transceiver-uses-inexpensive-hardware/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/esp32-d-star-data-transceiver-0-2-screenshot.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>[Yeckel] recently put the finishing touches on an ambitious implementation of a simple D-STAR (Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio) transceiver using some very accessible and affordable hardware. The project is <a href="https://github.com/yeckel/D-StarBeacon" target="_blank">D-StarBeacon</a>, and [Yeckel] shows it working on a LilyGO TTGO T-Beam, an ESP32-based development board that includes a SX1278 radio module and GPS receiver. It even serves a web interface for easy configuration.</p>
<p>What is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-STAR" target="_blank">D-STAR</a>? It’s a protocol used by radio operators for voice that also allows transmitting low-speed data, such as short text messages or GPS coordinates. While voice is out of scope for [Yeckel]’s project (more on that in a moment) it can do all the rest, including send images. That makes beacon-type functions possible on inexpensive hardware, instead of requiring a full-blown radio.</p>
<p>As mentioned, voice is a big part of D-STAR. While [Yeckel] was able to access the voice data, attempts to decode it were unsuccessful. A valiant effort, but we suppose voice decoding isn’t terribly relevant to beacon-type operations like transmitting

Simple D-STAR Transceiver Uses Inexpensive Hardware https://hackaday.com/2026/03/02/simple-d-star-transceiver-uses-inexpensive-hardware/
#RadioHacks #APRS #Beacon #Dstar #ESP32

Adding a Panadapter to a Classic Receiver

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/25/adding-a-panadapter-to-a-classic-receiver/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="375" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/pan.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>There was a time when only the richest ham radio operators could have a radio with a panadapter. Back in the day, this was basically a spectrum analyzer that monitored a broad slice of the receiver’s intermediate frequency so you could see signals on either side of the receiver’s actual frequency. Today, with SDR technology and computers, this is an easy thing for receivers to implement. But what if you want to refit a classic radio? It isn’t that hard, and [Mirko Pavleski] shares his notes on <a href="https://hackaday.io/project/205086-sdr-panadapter-for-vintage-tube-radios/details" target="_blank">how he tackled the project</a>. You can also check it out in the video below.</p>
<p>The plan is simple. A FET amplifier taps the radio’s IF stage before the first IF filter. This provides good isolation and buffering. Then, an emitter follower stage provides a matched output to the SDR through a low-pass filter. The SDR remains tuned to the IF frequency, of course. The rest is essentially software and procedures.</p>
<p><span id="more-921522"></span></p>
<p>Of course, your exact connection to your radio will differ unless you have the same receiver shown in the video. A modern scope with an FFT should be able to help you quickly locate a good s

Adding a Panadapter to a Classic Receiver https://hackaday.com/2026/02/25/adding-a-panadapter-to-a-classic-receiver/
#RadioHacks #Panadapter #Sdr

Meshtastic Does More Than Simple Communication https://hackaday.com/2026/02/22/meshtastic-does-more-than-simple-communication/
#RadioHacks #Alarm #Communication #ESP32 #Heltec #Homeautomation #Homeassistant #LoRa #Meshtastic

Meshtastic Does More Than Simple Communication

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/22/meshtastic-does-more-than-simple-communication/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/meshtastic-alarm-main.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>Meshtastic has been experiencing a bit of a renaissance lately, as the off-grid, long-range radio text messaging protocol gains a ton of new users. It’s been used to create mesh networks in cities, during disasters and protests, in small groups while hiking or camping, and for search and rescue operations. Although it’s connected plenty of people together in all of these ways, [GreatScott!] wanted to put it to work connecting some computing resources instead. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC0o99nN2D0" target="_blank">He has a garden shed that’s too far for WiFi, so Meshtastic was used to connect it instead</a>.</p>
<p>This isn’t a project to bring broadband Internet out to the shed, though; Meshtastic is much too slow for that. All he really wanted to do here was to implement a basic alarm system that would let him know if someone had broken in. The actual alarm triggering mechanism is an LED emitter-detector pair installed in two bars, one of which sends a 12V signal out if the infrared beam from the other is broken. They’re connected to a Heltec ESP32 LoRa module which is set up to publish messages out on the Meshtastic communications channel. A second module is connected to the WiFi at the house which i

Bruteforcing Accidental Antenna Designs

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/17/bruteforcing-accidental-antenna-designs/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="449" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/first-ones-e1771218648286.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>Antenna design is often referred to as a black art or witchcraft, even by those experienced in the space. To that end, [Janne] wondered—could years of honed skill be replaced by <a href="https://something.fromnothing.blog/posts/accidental-antennas/" target="_blank">bruteforcing the problem with the aid of some GPUs?</a> Iterative experiments ensued.</p>
<p>[Janne]’s experience in antenna design was virtually non-existent prior to starting, having a VNA on hand but no other knowledge of the craft. Formerly, this was worked around by simply copying vendor reference designs when putting antennas on PCBs. However, knowing that sometimes a need for something specific arises, they wanted a tool that could help in these regards.</p>
<p>The root of the project came from <a href="https://arxiv.org/html/2412.12360v1" target="_blank">a research paper</a> using an FDTD tool running on GPUs to inversely design photonic nanostructures. Since light is just another form of radio frequency energy, [Janne] realized this could be tweaked into service as an RF antenna design tool. The core simulation engine of the FDTD tool, along with its gradient solver, were hammered into working as an antenna simulator, with [Janne] using LLMs to also tack on a validat

Bruteforcing Accidental Antenna Designs https://hackaday.com/2026/02/17/bruteforcing-accidental-antenna-designs/
#RadioHacks #Ai #AntennaDesign #Gpu #LLM

A Basic Guide To Shielding https://hackaday.com/2026/02/16/a-basic-guide-to-shielding/
#RadioHacks #Absorbersheets #RF #Shielding #Shieldingcabinet #Shieldingtape

Harmonic Radar Finds Hidden Electronics

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/12/harmonic-radar-finds-hidden-electronics/

<div><img alt="A diagram of a radar system is shown. A pair of antennas is shown on the left, with beams illuminating a number of electronic devices, labelled as "Concealed Targets."" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="449" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/harmonic_radar-e1770527229391.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div>
<p>For as long as small, hidden radio transmitters have existed, people have wanted a technology to detect them. One of the more effective ways to find hidden electronics is the nonlinear junction detector, which illuminates the area under investigation with high-frequency radio waves. Any P-N semiconductor junctions in the area will emit radio waves at harmonic frequencies of the original wave, due to their non-linear electronic response. If, however, you suspect that the electronics might be connected to a dangerous device, you’ll want a way to detect them from a distance. One solution is harmonic radar (also known as nonlinear radar), such as this <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/11006501" target="_blank">phased-array system</a>, which detects and localizes the harmonic response to a radio wave.<br /><br />One basic problem is that semiconductor devices are very rarely connected to antennas optimized for the transmission of whatever harmonic you’re looking for, so the amount of electromagnetic radiation they emit is extremely low. To generate

Harmonic Radar Finds Hidden Electronics https://hackaday.com/2026/02/12/harmonic-radar-finds-hidden-electronics/
#RadioHacks #Continuouswaveradar #Fmcwradar #Nljd #Nonlinearjunctiondetector #Radar

These Ultra-Cute, Handsfree Walkie-Talkies Are Built For Cycling https://hackaday.com/2026/01/29/these-ultra-cute-handsfree-walkie-talkies-are-built-for-cycling/
#Microcontrollers #RadioHacks #ESPNow #ESP32 #Espressif #Oled #Voicedetection #Walkietalkie

Buildling A Light That Reacts To Radio Waves https://hackaday.com/2026/01/29/buildling-a-light-that-reacts-to-radio-waves/
#Art #LEDHacks #RadioHacks #FilamentLEDs #Led

A 1990s VNA Gets An LCD https://hackaday.com/2026/01/10/a-1990s-vna-gets-an-lcd/
#RadioHacks #Lcd #VectorNetworkAnalyser #Vga #Vna

The Unreasonable Effectiveness of the Fourier Transform https://hackaday.com/2026/01/07/the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of-the-fourier-transform/
#Cons #RadioHacks #Fouriertransform #Ofdm #Orthogonalfrequencydivisionmultiplexing #Radiotelecommunications

DIY Grid Dip Meter Teardown https://hackaday.com/2026/01/07/diy-grid-dip-meter-teardown/
#RadioHacks #RepairHacks #Teardown #Griddipmeter #Griddiposcillator #Triode

An RP2040 Powered ADS-B Receiver https://hackaday.com/2026/01/07/an-rp2040-powered-ads-b-receiver/
#RadioHacks #Adsb #CC1312 #Drone #Rp2040

The Cutting Truth about Variable Capacitors https://hackaday.com/2026/01/01/the-cutting-truth-about-variable-capacitors/
#Parts #RadioHacks #Capacitor #Radio #Variablecapacitor

Bringing A Yagi Antenna to 915MHz LoRa https://hackaday.com/2025/12/31/bringing-a-yagi-antenna-to-915mhz-lora/
#RadioHacks #LoRa #Meshtastic #Yagiantenna

Lessons Learned After Trying MeshCore for Off-grid Text Messaging https://hackaday.com/2025/12/06/lessons-learned-after-trying-meshcore-for-off-grid-text-messaging/
#RadioHacks #LoRa #Meshcore #Meshtastic #Radio

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