A Raspberry Pi 4 (4 GB), the Seeed WM1302 Pi HAT + WM6108 HaLow module (the mesh radio), a Heltec V3 LoRa board, a u-blox GPS, a PiSugar UPS + battery, a 900 MHz antenna, and a microSD card. The full parts list with buy links is on the build page.
Does it need internet to work?
No. CicadaTAK operates entirely on its own mesh network with no internet connection required. Mapping, messaging, voice, and position sharing all work offline. If a node has internet access, it can optionally share that connection with other nodes on the mesh.
What phones are supported?
The CicadaTAK app is live on both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play). Connect your phone to the CicadaTAK node's WiFi access point and the app handles everything else.
How far can the mesh reach?
Individual node-to-node range is 1+ mile line-of-sight and 500+ feet through walls at 913 MHz. The mesh extends with every node you add — each node relays traffic automatically, so adding a node between two distant points bridges the gap.
Do I need a ham radio license?
No. CicadaTAK operates on the 902–928 MHz ISM band (unlicensed in the United States). No license is required. The published image is configured for US operation only.
Is the mesh traffic encrypted?
Yes. The HaLow radio link uses WPA3-SAE encryption. On top of that, application-layer messages are encrypted end-to-end using a team passphrase you set during setup. The encryption keys never leave your mesh.
My node won't connect to the mesh.
Check that all nodes are on the same mesh channel (913 MHz default), using the same mesh password, and that the HaLow radio is detected (SSH in and run morse_cli -i wlan0 channel). If the radio isn't showing, try a reboot. For persistent issues, email us with the output of batctl n and dmesg | grep morse.
Can I use CicadaTAK with ATAK?
Yes. CicadaTAK nodes broadcast Cursor on Target (CoT) messages compatible with ATAK — enable CoT forwarding in the app settings and join a node's WiFi with your ATAK device. No TAK server is involved on either side: like OpenMANET itself, situational awareness rides serverless multicast. Deeper ATAK integration, including voice bridging, is on the roadmap.
How do I update the firmware?
Download the latest firmware image from the flash page, flash it to a new microSD card, and swap the card in your node. Your node will re-enter setup mode on first boot. Alternatively, you can update the gateway software over SSH without reflashing.