Arduino Pro Mini with AA batteries

Then why the transistors between the Arduino and the radio, which, incidentally, are connected in a way that will eventually destroy the Arduino (no base resistor to the one labeled "N")?

Always post ALL the code. Snippets are not only useless, they lead to misunderstandings like the above. And DON'T go back and edit your post to correct mistakes that others point out to you. It makes it hard for others to interpret the thread.