61% matchMaker & Engineering
Combat Robotics
Design, build, and drive a fighting robot, then send it into the arena against another.
At homeCommunityMid-range gear
Cheaper to startMore solo
Similar hobbies
20 hobbies · ranked by compatibility with Ham Radio
Top pick64%matchMaker & Engineering · closest to Ham Radio
Synth Building
Solder your own synthesizers and modules, then patch them into sounds nobody else has.
At homeCommunityLow physical load
Cheaper to startMore solo
How they line up · scored 1–10
Cost to start
Social level
Hands-on craft
Learning curve
Mental focus
Ham RadioSynth Building
More hobbies like Ham Radio
ranked 2–2061% match
60% matchMaker & Engineering
Model Engineering
Machine miniature working engines and live steam locomotives on a lathe, part by part.
At homeCommunityModerate physicality
Cheaper to startMore solo
59% matchMaker & Engineering
3D Printing
Watch a digital design rise into a real object, layer by molten layer.
At homeLow physical loadMid-range gear
Cheaper to startMore solo
58% matchMaker & Engineering
Robotics
Build a machine and write the code that makes it move on its own.
At homeCommunityLow physical load
Cheaper to startMore solo
55% matchMaker & Engineering
Watchmaking
Strip, service, and reassemble a mechanical watch movement, a hundred tiny parts under a loupe.
At homeLow physical loadMid-range gear
Cheaper to startMore solo
54% matchMaker & Engineering
Drone Building
Solder and tune your own FPV quadcopter, then fly it first-person through the air.
At homeCommunitySteep learning curve
Cheaper to startMore solo
54% matchMaker & Engineering
Desktop CNC
Design parts in CAD and watch a desktop machine carve them from wood, plastic, or metal.
At homeModerate physicalitySteep learning curve
Cheaper to startMore solo
53% matchMaker & Engineering
Model Rocketry
Build a rocket, light it, and watch it punch into the sky.
At homeMid-range gearModerate physicality
Cheaper to startEasier to start
53% matchMaker & Engineering
Automata
Build hand-cranked machines where cams and gears bring a little carved scene to life.
At homeLow physical loadMid-range gear
Cheaper to startMore solo
52% matchMaker & Engineering
Laser Cutting & Engraving
Cut and engrave precise designs into wood, acrylic, and more.
At homeModerate physicalityTinkering
Cheaper to startMore solo
48% matchScience & Curiosity
Oral History Collection
Record the stories people carry before they're lost.
At homeCommunityLow physical load
Cheaper to startEasier to start
48% matchMaker & Engineering
Telescope Making
Grind and polish your own telescope mirror by hand, then see the sky through glass you figured.
At homeCommunityMid-range gear
Cheaper to startMore solo
47% matchMaker & Engineering
Home Automation
Wire your home to respond to you, with lights, locks, and routines on autopilot.
At homeMid-range gearModerate physicality
Cheaper to startMore solo
47% matchMaker & Engineering
Data Visualization
Turn a spreadsheet into a chart that finally makes the point.
At homeCommunityLow physical load
Cheaper to startEasier to start
46% matchPerformance
Competitive Debating
Build an argument on your feet and win the room with it.
CommunityLow physical loadSteep learning curve
Cheaper to start
46% matchMaker & Engineering
Retrocomputing
Restore and program vintage computers, recap a dead board and boot a machine from 1984.
At homeCommunityLow physical load
Cheaper to startMore solo
45% matchCollecting & Appreciation
Mechanical Keyboards
Build a keyboard that sounds and feels exactly the way you want.
At homeCommunityLow physical load
Cheaper to startEasier to start
43% matchMaker & Engineering
Ethical Hacking
Break into systems on purpose to find the holes before attackers do.
At homeCommunityLow physical load
Cheaper to startMore solo
42% matchMaker & Engineering
Coding for Fun
Build tools, games, and little machines out of pure logic.
At homeCommunityLow physical load
Cheaper to startEasier to start