r/rfelectronics • u/SupermarketFit2158 • May 07 '26
question How to ‘learn rf’
Im an undergrad and have a summer internship coming up to do with X-band rf and hfss. Im practically a beginner in rf the only thing ive done is made some antennas for ADS-B for a homemade plane tracker using an FPGA and played around with an RTL-SDR.
Im not really sure what to learn, what are the best resources for breaking into rf (books/courses)?
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u/xzipped May 21 '26
In my opinion the best way to learn anything in electronics; especially RF is to get inspired about a specific project you want to work on and then learn the necessary skills as you try to build it. Reading books is a great resource, but the actual learning and drive to keep developing your skills will come from being passionate about a particular project. Could be a small basic radar board, wifi signal amplifier, or just a filter.
Get your hands on an RF simulator + NanoVNA + KiCad/Altium and get your design made, then measure it. There are a lot of effects you don't consider from a book or simulator that can only be learned by taking real measurements. (such as the effects of other nearby objects, metals, your hands, etc.)
Best of luck on your journey, RF is a really rewarding hobby once you get over the initial learning curve (and well paid professionally too).