<p> Lots of people think the “maker culture” is a relatively new phenomenon. However, one group has been doing it for close to 100 years: amateur radio operators. While some dismiss amateur radio as an aging artifact from decades ago, today’s radio amateurs are putting together wide area wireless networks, developing digital protocols that use the tiniest amount of bandwidth, and building radios from scratch. This presentation will review the basics of amateur radio, the advantages over unlicensed devices, and areas of interest you can apply to your existing projects. </p>