page_title: Amateur radio homebrew
section_title: Practices
hierarchical_section_title: Amateur radio homebrew / Practices
context_page_description: Homebrew is an amateur radio slang term for home-built, noncommercial radio equipment. Design and construction of equipment from first principles is valued by amateur radio hobbyists, known as "hams", for educational value, and to allow experimentation and development of techniques or levels of performance not readily available as commercial products. Some items can be home-brewed at similar or lower cost than purchased equivalents.
context_section_description: Homebrewing differs from kit-building in that "homebrew" connotes the process of constructing equipment using parts and designs gathered from varied and often improvised sources. Even the most skilled homebrewer may not have time or resources to build the equivalent of modern commercially made amateur radio gear from scratch, as the commercial units contain custom integrated circuits, custom cabinets, and are the end result of multiple prototypes and exhaustive testing. However, constructing one's own equipment using relatively simple designs and easily  obtainable or junk box electronic components is still possible. Homebrew enthusiasts say that building one's own radio equipment is fun and gives them the satisfaction that comes from mastering electronic knowledge.
caption: Workbench of "homebrew" enthusiast K6ESE
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