Documentation

Onboarding

Budget Planning Common Beginner Mistakes First Boot Learning Path Legal Basics for Beginners How the Beacon Saves Lives Understanding the Modes in One Page Morse Code for Beginners Parts Overview Reading the OLED Screens Radio Basics for Complete Beginners Safety First Tools You Need Using the BOM Builder Using the Interactive Demo Welcome to the Wiki

Getting Started

Bench Power Bench Testing Basics Boot Process Build Configurations Choosing a Build Configuration Static Safety and ESD ESP32 Troubleshooting Checklist Frequently Asked Questions First Transmission First Use Project Overview Quick Start Guide Shopping List Sourcing Parts System Architecture Troubleshooting Version Selection Workspace Setup

Power & Battery

Hardware & Components

Build & Assembly

3D Printing the Enclosure Assembly Guide Assembly Sequence Audio Jack Wiring Audio Troubleshooting Bench Checklist Breadboard Prototyping Building Your Own Case Button Actions in CONFIG Mode Button System Details Button Troubleshooting Case Cutouts Guide Case Materials Circuit Description Connector Types Datasheet Reading Dummy Load and Bench Testing Electrical Specifications Enclosure Options Flux and Solder Glue and Adhesives GPIO Pin Map Reference GPIO Pin Mapping Ground Planes and Counterpoises Ohm's Law Resistors, Capacitors and Passives Schematic Reading Screw and Fastener Guide Soldering Basics Soldering Iron Guide Two-Beacon Bench Test Waterproof Build Waterproofing and Enclosure Sealing Wire and Connectors Wire Gauge Guide Wiring and Connectors Wiring Order and Routing Wiring Quick Reference

Radio & RF Design

Antenna Cable and Connectors Antenna Design Antenna Efficiency Antenna Height Matters Antenna Length Reference Antenna Mounting Antenna Quick Select Antenna Testing and Tuning Antenna Theory Primer Antenna Troubleshooting Antenna Design and Selection Coax Loss Tables dBm Explained Foliage Loss The Fresnel Zone GPS Antenna Placement Half Wave Dipole Helical Antenna Homebrew Antenna Interference Sources at 433 MHz Line of Sight and Terrain LoRa vs FSK Modulation in the Beacon Morse Timing and Audio Sync Mountain Effects on Radio Propagation and Range Propagation Modes Quarter Wave Antenna Radio Quick Start Radio Shadow Receiver Testing RF Basics for the Beacon RF Design & Link Budget RF Exposure Safety RF Interference and Noise RSSI Explained Sensitivity vs Selectivity SWR Explained SX1262 Datasheet Notes SX1262 Frequency Ranges SX1262 Registers Transmitter Testing Tropospheric Ducting Troubleshooting RF Issues Urban RF Environment VSWR Measurement

Frequencies & Regulations

Firmware & Software

Arduino CLI Guide Boot Loop Troubleshooting Boot Screens and Errors Changelog Code Style Guide Config Backup Config Dashboard Why the Dashboard Uses System Fonts CONFIG Payload Format Configuration Reference Dashboard HTTP API Dashboard Rendering ESP32 ADC Guide ESP32 Flash Security ESP32 Interrupts Guide ESP32 RTC Notes ESP32 Serial Debug Output ESP32 Timers Guide ESP32 WiFi Hardware esptool Guide Extending the Serial Protocol Factory Reset and Recovery Firmware CW Decoder Firmware System Monitoring Frequency Setting over Serial The Button System in Firmware How Firmware Loads Configuration Firmware Deep Sleep Firmware Error Codes Firmware GPS Handling The Firmware Main Loop Firmware NVS Keys Firmware Overview The Payload Builder Firmware RSSI Measurement The Scan Cycle in Detail Firmware Scan Engine The Firmware State Machine Firmware Tone Generation The TX Cycle in Detail Firmware TX Scheduler Upgrading to v5.5 Firmware Update in the Field Firmware Wake Sources The Watchdog Benchmark Demo Mode Flash Troubleshooting No Boot? Troubleshooting No Display? Troubleshooting NVS Configuration Store PlatformIO Guide RTC RAM State Battery Logging over Serial Serial Bridge Guide Serial Command Automation Serial Command Protocol Serial Debug System Serial Monitor Guide Software Build Process Unit Testing the Firmware Upload and Monitor What's New in v5.5 What's New in v6.0 WiFi and Security WiFi Configuration Portal WiFi Troubleshooting

USB & Connectivity

Android OTG Guide Bridge Automation Bridge Security Bridge Troubleshooting Bridge TUI CH340 Driver Install CP210x Driver Install Report Position Page USB-Serial Adapter Troubleshooting Serial Port Detection Termux: Serial Bridge on Android USB Cable Types USB Connection Guide USB Power vs Data Web Serial: Browser-Only Option

GPS & Navigation

Morse & Communication

Modes & Operation

Glossary of Modes and Settings BEACON Mode CONFIG Mode EMERGENCY Mode LISTEN Mode SEARCH Mode Mode Screens and Icons Operating Modes Scan Engine Details

Field Operations & Rescue

Avalanche Rescue Operation Avalanche Safety Basics Beacon Care Seasonal Beacon Log Template Cleaning and Inspection Crevasse Rescue Distance Estimation from RSSI Emergency Cheat Sheet Emergency Communications Plan Emergency Kit Emergency Response Minute by Minute Emergency Response Scenarios Field Checklist Field Deployment Guide Field Maintenance and Storage Field Repair Kit Field Signals Cheat Sheet First Aid Kit Ground to Air Signals Group Communication Plan Hiking Safety Homing Technique Homing with the Serial Bridge Hypothermia Recognition Incident Command Long Term Storage Mirror Signaling Mission Debrief One Bridge, Several Beacons Night Operations Off-Grid Position Sharing Outdoor Testing Guide Pack Check Routine Position Logging Workflow Pre-Trip Checklist Repeater Position Reporting Ridge Crossing Technique Safety Guidelines Safety Quick Rules Search Patterns and Procedure Signal Strength Mapping Signal Triangulation Signaling Techniques Snow and Signal Behavior Snow Shelter Signaling Snow Signal Math Storm Operations Terrain Reading for Radio Trip Planning Water Damage Recovery Weather Planning Whistle Signals Winter Operations Winter Pack

Building Effectively

Effective Build Strategy Build Quality Gates Bench Jigs and Fixtures Rework and Desoldering Build Time Planning Build Log and Tracking

Build Variants

Displayless Build Minimal Build Multi-Beacon Network Multi-Beacon Operations Multi-Beacon Frequency Planning Repeater Beacon Standard Build Configuration

Project & Reference

RF Design & Link Budget

Free-space path loss, link budget math and realistic range expectations for 410-525 MHz

RF Design & Link Budget

Overview

The Aegis-Beacon uses the SX1262 transceiver in CW (Continuous Wave) mode for emergency beacon transmissions. The signal is detectable by any AM-mode receiver on the same frequency.

Frequency Range

Parameter	Value
Operating Band	410-525 MHz
Default Frequency	433.500 MHz
Frequency Steps	100 kHz
Max Frequencies	10 per cycle

Link Budget Analysis

TX Parameters (SX1262 + E22 PA)

Parameter	Value
Output Power	+22 dBm (RadioLib) / +30 dBm (E22 PA)
Antenna Gain	0 dBi (wire) / 2 dBi (whip)
Feedline Loss	0 dB (direct)

RX Parameters (Typical Scanner)

Parameter	Value
Sensitivity	-120 dBm (AM mode)
Antenna Gain	2 dBi (whip)
Noise Floor	-110 dBm

Free Space Path Loss

CODE

FSPL(dB) = 20*log10(d) + 20*log10(f) + 32.45

Where:
  d = distance in km
  f = frequency in MHz

Example: 433.5 MHz, 5 km

CODE

FSPL = 20*log10(5) + 20*log10(433.5) + 32.45
     = 13.98 + 52.74 + 32.45
     = 99.17 dB

Link Margin

CODE

Link Margin = TX Power + TX Antenna - FSPL + RX Antenna - RX Sensitivity

With E22 PA (+30 dBm):
= 30 + 0 - 99.17 + 2 - (-120)
= 52.83 dB (excellent margin)

With RadioLib (+22 dBm):
= 22 + 0 - 99.17 + 2 - (-120)
= 44.83 dB (good margin)

Maximum Range Estimates

Condition	Range
Line of Sight (LOS)	15+ km
Mountain terrain	5-10 km
Urban/suburban	1-3 km
Through snow	3-9 dB loss at 1m depth
Through foliage	5-10 dB loss

Warning

Range estimates assume clear line of sight. Real-world performance depends on terrain, obstacles, and antenna quality.

Antenna Considerations

Quarter-Wave Lengths

Frequency	Length
433.5 MHz	17.3 cm
462 MHz	16.2 cm
868 MHz	8.6 cm

Best Practices

Vertical orientation for omni-directional coverage
Keep antenna away from battery and metal enclosure walls
Ground plane (copper foil) improves gain by ~3 dBi
E22 SMA connector — use quality 433 MHz whip antenna

CW Signal Characteristics

Modulation

Type: CW (Continuous Wave) — on/off keying
Detection: Any AM-mode receiver
Bandwidth: ~500 Hz (narrow)
Audible: Yes, through earpiece/speaker

Comparison with Other Modes

Mode	Bandwidth	Sensitivity	Audible
CW (Aegis)	~500 Hz	-120 dBm	Yes
FSK	~125 kHz	-130 dBm	No
OOK	~10 kHz	-115 dBm	Yes

Note

CW mode is chosen for maximum compatibility. Any AM-mode receiver can detect the signal without special software.