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

Sourcing Parts

Where to buy each component, how to spot clone pitfalls, and how to handle shipping and lead times.

Sourcing Parts

Every part in the BOM is a commodity. The game is shipping time and clone quality, not availability.

Where to buy

Part	Best source	Notes
ESP32 DevKit V1	AliExpress, Amazon	Any reputable clone works; avoid no-name brands with missing USB chip
E22-400M30S	AliExpress	Buy from a store with real photos of the module
SSD1309 2.42” OLED	AliExpress	Confirm 7-pin SPI, not 4-pin I2C
NEO-6M GPS	AliExpress	Confirm the module includes the ceramic patch antenna
TP4056	AliExpress	Get the version with DW01A protection
18650	Local store, Amazon	Buy brand-name protected cells
Buttons, passives	AliExpress assortment kits	Cheap and cover future builds

Clone pitfalls

ESP32: fake CH340/CP2102 chips can fail to enumerate. If the PC does not see the port, suspect the USB chip, not your code.
OLED: some “SSD1309” panels ship with SSD1306. The firmware supports both, but I2C-only 4-pin panels will not work.
E22: counterfeits exist with reduced PA output. Compare against the datasheet’s current draw if you have a multimeter.
GPS: some modules ship without the backup battery; that is fine, the beacon uses RTC RAM instead.

Shipping times

AliExpress standard: 1-4 weeks depending on region.
Amazon/local: 1-3 days but 1.5-3x the price.
Buy the ESP32, radio, OLED, and GPS in one order to save on shipping.

Ordering as a set

The Shopping List page links each part to specific listings. For a team order, buy 3-4 of each module: the per-unit shipping is the same and you get spares for the price of one extra unit.