What is Radiocraft?
Radiocraft is a Minecraft mod that adds ham radio into Minecraft Java edition.
- Adds realistic, immersive communication
- Survival-friendly, challenging, and satisfying functionality
- Educational and accurate (albeit simplified) representations of the real ham radio hobby!
Radiocraft is an ARRL grant-funded project that started in January of 2023. We received a $22,000 grant from the ARRL on 12/21/2022, and have been working on development and design for some time now!
We have a discord server where you can track and interact with development, learn more about the game, report bugs, suggest features, and more! https://discord.gg/7RejQDX2DG
What is Ham Radio?
Ham radio is a hobby and service that involves using the radio frequency spectrum for various purposes, such as communication, experimentation, education, and emergency assistance. Ham radio operators, also known as amateur radio operators or hams, need to obtain a license from their government to operate on certain frequency bands and follow certain rules. Ham radio allows hams to talk to other hams across the world, or even into space, using different modes of transmission, such as voice, text, image, and data. Ham radio is also a way to meet new people, learn new skills, and have fun!
If you want to learn more about ham radio in real life, check out the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), or if you’re an international user, visit the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).
The ARRL is the organization that made this project possible, so consider showing your support by becoming an ARRL member.
You can also see our press releases on the blog page: https://radiocraft.w1btr.com/index.php/blog/
What is Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox video game that allows players to create and explore a virtual world made of cubes. It is randomly generated and nearly infinite, allowing players to explore unique worlds on their own or with other players on one of the thousands of selfhosted servers. Players can build structures, craft items, fight enemies, and interact with other players in various game modes. Minecraft: Java Edition is the original version of Minecraft, developed by Mojang Studios for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is the most customizable and moddable version of the game, with support for player-made skins, maps, servers, and mods.
Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time, with over 300 million sales and over 100 million active players of all ages, genders, and demographics.
What is a Minecraft “Mod?”
A Minecraft mod is a modification or add-on to the original game of Minecraft that changes or enhances some aspects of it. Mods can add new content, such as blocks, items, mobs, biomes, dimensions, or mechanics, or they can improve the game’s performance, interface, or quality of life. Mods are created by talented developers who use various tools and programming languages to create their own custom features for Minecraft. Some mods are standalone, while others require other mods or libraries to work. Mods can be installed manually or through mod loaders, such as Forge or Fabric, that make the process easier and more compatible. Mods can also be grouped together in modpacks, which are collections of mods that work well together and create a specific theme or experience for the game.
Radiocraft is a mod that adds ham radio items and ham radio functionality to Minecraft. It requires a couple of mods for it to run, too!
Where We’re At
The mod is not done. We have public alphas available on our Discord server and a public beta will be releasing soon.
Alpha Testing Server Status:
See the initial Proposal
Lots of things have changed from the initial proposal, but you can learn about it here: Radiocraft Initial Proposal.
Why Such an In-Depth Project Proposal?
There aren’t many Minecraft mod developers that are also ham radio operators. We’re adding as many details as possible so that the developer does not need any prior experience with ham radio in order to complete the mod.