This is a home for the projects that accumulate around a workbench: old equipment given new jobs, radio experiments, small fabrication problems, and software written because the hardware needed it.
Working buildsRotaryCell
RotaryCell turns a Western Electric Model 500 into a self-contained cellular telephone without modifying the original phone. The added electronics connect through its existing network block and jacks, preserving the original rotary dial, handset, internal wiring, and mechanical bell.
The conversion is completely reversible. The current build places and receives calls and recreates traditional dial, reorder, and receiver-off-hook tones.
- Requires no permanent modification to the original telephone.
- Places and receives cellular calls.
- Uses the original rotary dial, handset, network block, internal wiring, jacks, and mechanical bell.
- Recreates dial, reorder, and receiver-off-hook tones.
- Uses an ESP32/LilyGO and Silvertel AG1171.
- Uses custom carrier and Audio/Reset boards to simplify assembly.
- Includes a draft illustrated build guide for reproducing the conversion.
Current: Multiple phones are operational with the custom carrier and Audio/Reset boards. A draft build guide is now available for review while the documentation and rear USB-C mounts continue to be refined.Latest update: September 20, 2026
Field experimentsMeshCore / LoRa
Long-range, low-power mesh networking experiments using portable nodes and solar-powered repeaters.
Current interests include practical coverage, antenna placement, power budgets, mapping, and equipment that can remain unattended.
Current: Long-range mesh networking, antenna placement, mapping, and unattended solar node experiments.No Project Log entries yet.
N1RDUAmateur Radio
Station notes, radio projects, repair work, antennas, and experiments under the call sign N1RDU.
This section will collect the useful details that otherwise end up in notebooks, folders, and half-remembered conversations.
Current: Station, antenna, radio, and repair projects.No Project Log entries yet.
Flight projectsDrones
Multirotor and fixed-wing aircraft, control systems, repairs, flight testing, and the inevitable collection of spare propellers.
This section will cover individual builds, useful modifications, camera and radio equipment, and lessons learned in the field.
Current: Multirotor and fixed-wing builds, repairs, and flight testing.No Project Log entries yet.
Workshop tool3D Printing
Functional parts, brackets, enclosures, repair pieces, and prototypes made when the right part either does not exist or takes too long to buy.
Models, printer changes, material notes, and the more useful finished pieces will gradually be collected here.
Current: Functional parts, enclosures, prototypes, and printer projects.No Project Log entries yet.
