The Frontier Kit
Own Your Signal.
Everything you need to know about what's in the kit, how the technology works, and why it matters when the grid goes down.
A Radio Mesh in a Box. No Infrastructure Required.
The Frontier Kit is a complete off-grid communications system. Inside the box you get a Frontier node in a custom enclosure and an Android EUD with ATAK pre-loaded, everything configured, linked, and ready to power on.
It lets your team send encrypted text messages and share live GPS positions with each other, without cell service, without WiFi, and without any monthly fee. Range varies by terrain, but a single node covers open ground for miles. Deploy more nodes to extend the mesh further.
It's low bandwidth, text and data only, no voice. That's also why it runs for days on a charge and keeps transmitting in conditions that knock out cell networks entirely.
Long-range, low-power radio. Works line-of-sight, elevation is your friend.
Every node repeats for the others. More nodes = more coverage and redundancy.
Offline mapping with live team positions. Everyone sees everyone, no internet needed.
Every message is end-to-end encrypted. Intercepted packets are worthless.
How It Connects
Every Node Extends the Network
Messages hop automatically from node to node. A node at a high point repeats for the whole group, no configuration needed.
Node B at the ridge has line-of-sight to both Trailhead and Basecamp, bridging terrain that would block a direct link.
What is Meshtastic?
Meshtastic is open-source firmware that runs on LoRa radio hardware. LoRa (Long Range) is a radio protocol purpose-built for long-distance communication at low power. It trades bandwidth for range, the right trade-off when you need texts and GPS positions to reach miles away on a single battery charge.
LoRa is line-of-sight radio, so open terrain and elevation are your advantage. Get a node high, a ridge, a rooftop, a tree line, and your signal extends for miles. Dense woods and terrain will reduce that range. That's physics, not a flaw. But it's also exactly where the mesh architecture earns its keep.
Every Frontier node in the field acts as a repeater. A message hops from node to node automatically until it reaches its destination. Drop a node at the trailhead, one at the ridgeline, one at basecamp, and your mesh routes around obstacles without you having to manage it.
The more nodes deployed, the more coverage and redundancy you have. Nodes don't require EUDs to repeat, a bare node in a pack is still extending your mesh.
What is ATAK?
ATAK, Android Team Awareness Kit, is a mapping and situational awareness platform that runs entirely offline on your Android EUD. It doesn't need the internet and it doesn't need a cell signal. It uses your device's GPS for your own position, then transmits that position over the Meshtastic LoRa mesh so everyone else on the network can see where you are.
The result: every person in your group shows up as a live marker on an offline map. You can see your whole team's positions in real time, send text messages through the mesh, drop pins that appear on everyone's screen, and measure distances between any two points.
Each device uses its own GPS, then shares over the LoRa mesh. Every teammate shows up on the map, no cell or internet needed.
Drop a pin and it propagates across the mesh instantly, every teammate sees it on their screen.
Measure between any two points or teammates directly in ATAK. Know your spacing, plan your approach.
Pre-loaded maps work with zero connection. Your terrain, your routes, your waypoints, no signal required.
Nodes vs. EUDs, What You Actually Need
This is the question we get most often, so here's the honest breakdown.
Nodes
The Mesh Backbone
A node is the LoRa radio hardware running Meshtastic firmware. Its job is to transmit, receive, and repeat messages across the mesh. Every node you deploy extends the network, more coverage, more redundancy, more routes. You don't need one node per person. A node without an EUD still functions as a repeater. Put one at a high point and it boosts your mesh for the whole group.
EUDs
One Per Person
An EUD (End User Device) is the Android device running ATAK. It's your map, your messaging interface, and your GPS position transmitter. Each person who needs to see the map and send messages needs an EUD. You do not need an EUD for every node, EUD count is determined by team size, not node count.
A four-person team in dense woods might run 2 EUDs (for the team leads) and 4 nodes total, with two bare nodes placed at high points to boost the mesh through the tree cover. Only 2 people need the map. All 4 nodes extend the network.
Ships Fully Programmed. Ready to Deploy.
We don't ship you parts and a setup guide. We build it, program it, and test it before it leaves our hands.
LoRa radio hardware flashed with Meshtastic firmware, mounted in a custom enclosure with antenna.
Android device with ATAK pre-installed and linked to your node. Your map is ready from the first power-on.
Encryption keys, channel names, and Meshtastic settings are loaded before shipping. No configuration required.
Battery included. Built for multi-day operations, not a weekend toy.
Power on and your mesh is live. ATAK shows your team on the map. The only thing left to do is deploy.
Ready to Build Your Kit?
Choose your Frontier Kits and repeaters, and we'll build, program, and ship it ready to deploy.
Shop the Frontier Kit