RF Roadmap (2026)

Purpose

My interest in how the physical world works came back in 2025 after reading Remembrance of Earth’s Past by Cixin Liu and listening to the Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe podcast.

I don’t have a formal science or engineering background beyond high school. This roadmap is my way of building understanding from the ground up, using amateur radio as the hands-on entry point into physics and RF systems.

The goal isn’t to rush toward expertise, but to build a solid, intuitive understanding over time—through both practice and theory.

Learning Approach

I’m trying to understand ideas, not just memorize them. For each topic, I aim to be able to:

  • Explain it in simple terms (as if to a non-technical person)
  • Connect it to real systems like radios, phones, or satellites
  • Understand where the equations come from, even if I can’t fully derive them yet
  • Make reasonable predictions about what should happen in real RF situations

I’m loosely following an undergraduate electrical engineering path, but at a slower pace and focused on understanding over coverage.

To get there, I’ll rebuild my math foundation starting from trigonometry and calculus, and eventually work up to vector calculus and electromagnetics. The end goal is to be comfortable with the ideas behind Maxwell’s equations and wave behavior—not just the formulas.

Study Materials

I’m starting with what I’ve already been doing in amateur radio (HT operations and Technician license work), and building from there toward the General exam and HF operation in late 2026.

Radio / RF

  • ARRL General Class License Manual
  • Radio Theory Handbook — Ron Bertrand (VK2DQ)
  • Electronics tutorials and reference material

After the General exam, I’ll shift more into structured EE-style study.

Math

  • Trigonometry identities
  • MIT OpenCourseWare 18.01 – Single Variable Calculus
  • MIT OpenCourseWare 18.02 – Multivariable Calculus
  • MIT OpenCourseWare 18.03 – Differential Equations
  • MIT OpenCourseWare 6.003 - Signals & Systems

  • MIT OpenCourseWare 6.013 or 6.630

Circuits

  • Fundamentals of Electric Circuits — Alexander & Sadiku

This is the first major problem-solving focus. I’m prioritizing working through problems, not just reading.

Physics / E&M

  • MIT OpenCourseWork 8.02 – Electricity and Magnetism
  • Engineering Electromagnetics — Hayt & Buck
  • Introduction to Electromagnetics — Griffiths (after vector calculus)

Operating

I’m building a home station centered around an Icom IC-7300 and a 40-meter vertical ground plane antenna.

The goal is to use the station as a lab, not just for communication. I want to connect theory to real behavior in the field.

Examples of experiments:

  • Changing radial configurations and observing effects on signal reports and noise floor
  • Comparing predicted vs observed signal strength and propagation
  • Logging differences and trying to understand what models miss

I’ll also focus on SDR tools and digital modes, especially for weak-signal work and signal analysis.

Software / Mapping

I’m also interested in connecting RF behavior to geography.

Over time, I want to use tools like QGIS and possibly PyQGIS to explore how terrain, distance, and environment affect propagation.