Welcome to EnergyGuy LLC
This website documents my work in amateur radio, electronics design, and engineering projects. I'm Mervyn Martin, a Navy veteran (Cryptologic Technician - Maintenance), stroke survivor, and lifelong learner currently based in Merced, California.
These pages preserve technical knowledge, project documentation, and designs that I hope will be useful to others in the amateur radio and maker communities. Everything here is shared in the spirit of ham radio: experimentation, learning, and helping others.
Featured Projects
Station Grounding System
Complete guide for amateur radio station grounding with lightning protection. Star ground configuration optimized for Paradise, CA fire risk area.
Read More →Raspberry Pi SDR Cluster
High-availability cluster for software-defined radio applications. Corosync/Pacemaker configuration with Faraday cage RFI shielding.
Read More →RF Filter Design
CW filter design for (tr)uSDX QRP transceiver. 600 Hz Chebyshev bandpass filter with measured frequency response.
Read More →Neveready USB-C Battery
3D-printable power bank design. 4× 18650 cells with USB-C Power Delivery output for POTA operations and field use.
Read More →Antenna Designs
Longwire, dipole, and loop antenna designs with modeling data, SWR measurements, and field performance notes.
Read More →Telegraph Systems
Wireless telegraph key, loop current telegraph networks, and Vibroplex bug restoration documentation.
Read More →Current Focus Areas
- Amateur Radio: Preparing for Technician license exam (May-June 2026), planning 27' mast installation for EFHW and vertical antennas
- POTA Operations: Portable station design for Parks on the Air activations, QRP operations with (tr)uSDX transceiver
- SDR Cluster: Raspberry Pi and Rock64 cluster for multi-band monitoring, RFI mitigation with Faraday cages
- 3D Design: OpenSCAD parametric designs for print-on-demand business (amateur radio accessories, adaptive equipment)
- Telegraph Restoration: Documenting vintage equipment restoration and modern telegraph system designs
Philosophy
I believe in the amateur radio tradition of experimentation and sharing knowledge. These projects represent real-world solutions to practical problems, documented thoroughly so others can learn from both successes and failures.
As a stroke survivor working with reduced mobility, many designs include adaptations for one-handed operation and accessibility. If these help someone else, that makes the work worthwhile.
Note: This site is under active development. New projects and documentation are added regularly. All designs and documentation are shared under Creative Commons licenses where applicable.
Recent Updates
- January 2026: Station grounding plan completed, corosync cluster configuration documented
- January 2026: Neveready USB-C battery case design, darkroom safelight design
- January 2026: Home office deduction calculator, research time log template
- January 2026: CW filter design and frequency response measurements
Technical Background
My electronics and radio experience comes from:
- U.S. Navy (1983-2004): Cryptologic Technician - Maintenance (CTM), SIGINT operations, darkroom photography
- Self-Education: Ongoing study of RF theory, filter design, antenna theory, and digital signal processing
- Practical Experience: Building and testing antennas, SDR systems, and test equipment on a working man's budget
73 de Mervyn Martin
Merced, California