These modules have been around for a while, but they fascinate me. For only US $12,88 you get a fully functional 1 Watt transceiver working on either VHF or UHF. The last letter in the model number tells you which version it is. The modules are available on eBay from seller Dorjigroup (link).
Hamshop.cz sells PCBs including the DRA818 series:
In combination with an Arduino you can build a full-featured transceiver.
Schematics below (courtesy kh-gps.de)
It’s time to order these and do some soldering- and programming work. Maybe I go for a dual-band transceiver…
Links to documentation (PDF): DRA818U, DRA818V
For more information on finished projects go to http://www.kh-gps.de/dra.htm, where you can find schematics and example Arduino code.