There would be a receiver and a separate transmitter, usually repurposed from commercial units, a home-made logic unit with a microprocessor to keep an eye on everything, and a hefty set of ...
For the cost of a cheap set of screwdrivers ... it wasn’t uncommon to find RTL-SDR compatible devices for less than $10 from import sites. Opening up a contemporary RTL2832U+E4000 receiver ...