  The southern Auger Observatory provides an excellent test bed to study the
radio detection of extensive air showers as an alternative, cost-effective, and
accurate tool for cosmic-ray physics. The data from the radio setup can be
correlated with those from the well-calibrated baseline detectors of the Pierre
Auger Observatory. Furthermore, human-induced radio noise levels at the
southern Auger site are relatively low. We have started an R&D program to test
various radio-detection concepts. Our studies will reveal Radio Frequency
Interferences (RFI) caused by natural effects such as day-night variations,
thunderstorms, and by human-made disturbances. These RFI studies are conducted
to optimise detection parameters such as antenna design, frequency interval,
antenna spacing and signal processing. The data from our initial setups, which
presently consist of typically 3 - 4 antennas, will be used to characterise the
shower from radio signals and to optimise the initial concepts. Furthermore,
the operation of a large detection array requires autonomous detector stations.
The current design is aiming at stations with antennas for two polarisations,
solar power, wireless communication, and local trigger logic. The results of
this initial phase will provide an important stepping stone for the design of a
few tens kilometers square engineering array
