Building radio receivers from scratch is still a popular project since it can be done largely with off-the-shelf discrete components and a wire long enough for the bands that the radio will receive.

We’ve seen no shortage of projects that use the ESP8266 or ESP32 to add “smart” features to existing home appliances, often by pairing the microcontroller with a radio or IR transmitter.

That includes launching a new six-week academy where students get to build their own ham radio for free and from scratch. “We're finally pursuing that dream of providing this after school ...