These are personal amateur-radio projects built for learning and actual use. Some are finished equipment; others work electrically and still need the kind of enclosure and cleanup that makes a prototype look complete.
25-watt UHF repeater
Functional prototype · enclosure and identification still in progress
One of my favorite projects is a functional 25-watt UHF repeater prototype. It combines two mobile radios, an isolated audio interface, computer control, a USB audio path, and a compact duplexer.
I used a NanoVNA to retune the duplexer for the amateur-frequency pair. The process required working back and forth between the receive and transmit sides, maintaining the necessary isolation while limiting transmit-side loss. The radio and audio path work. Automatic identification and a permanent enclosure remain before I would call the project finished.
Portable radio go-kit
Field equipment
The portable go-kit is built around the less glamorous reality of field radio: the transceiver is only one part of the station. The kit has included an HF radio, tuner, VHF/UHF radio, audio equipment, coax, support cables, lights, test equipment, and battery power in a transportable protective case.
Its purpose is to make setup repeatable and keep the pieces that solve common field problems in one place. The exact equipment can change, but the system-level idea remains the same.
Portable power
Homebuilt and field-tested
I have built several portable power arrangements for radio. One early system placed a 35 Ah lead-acid battery in a metal ammunition can with charging, USB power, automotive outlets, external binding posts, and a meter. Other setups use LiFePO4 batteries selected for easier transport.
The important part is not the container. It is protecting the wiring, providing the connections actually used in the field, understanding the available operating time, and making it easy to charge the system safely.
IC-7300 digital field setup
For some portable events, I bring the IC-7300, a laptop, power, and an appropriate field antenna for digital operation. I have configured digital modes on both Windows and Linux and have spent a good deal of time solving the ordinary integration problems involving drivers, audio levels, control connections, timing, and logging.
This is less a single boxed project than a repeatable station configuration. It is included here because reliable integration is what turns several individually functional devices into a useful field station.