Three RBaken devices lined up in autumn forest leaves with radar screens lit

RBaken Off-grid team radar

RBaken is a Meshtastic device with custom on-device radar firmware, built-in GPS, orientation sensor, one-button activation, frequency-optimized antenna, and 24 h+ battery life - built for instant team awareness in the field.

Back the test batchBuild your own

What RBaken does

Two RBaken devices in grass with radar screens showing teammate distances

On-device radar

Glance at your screen - see every teammate's position and distance on a radar view. No phone, no pairing, no app. Just press the button.

Meshtastic

3 radar PRs in review upstream

Free radar firmware

Runs the RBaken radar firmware, a Meshtastic build with the radar view added. All standard Meshtastic features still work, and the radar changes are in review for the official project. It is free and runs on other boards too.

Get the firmware
RBaken on a multicam plate carrier with antenna deployed

Built for the field

Built-in GPS and 6-axis orientation sensor feed your position and heading directly into the radar. 170 g, 24 h+ battery, MOLLE and belt carry in two positions. Water-resistant.

Name and specifications

RBaken

R - radar, direction, situational awarenessBaken - Dutch word for marker, beacon, point of reference

For centuries, travelers and crews used bakens to stay oriented in difficult terrain and on uncertain routes. A baken did one job well: it showed the way, marked a position, and helped people find each other again.

RBaken is built on that same idea, for modern field use: a shared position picture for your team. One button, a clear radar view, no phone in your hand. Just the signal, the map, and the people you are moving with.

Band
EU868 LoRa, 5 dBi antenna
Firmware
Meshtastic + radar view
Sensors
GPS, 6-axis IMU
Battery
24 h+
Weight
170 g
Size
116 × 55 × 38 mm
Carry
MOLLE, belt (two positions)
Water
Resistant, not submersible

Limited test batch

Five RBakens are built and sitting on the bench in Amsterdam. I cannot sell them: RBaken has no CE marking yet, and I would rather say that plainly than dress it up.

So I am asking five people to chip in towards what comes next, the certification work and the next iteration. Each of them gets one of these prototypes as a thank-you. €70 is what a unit costs me in parts; I make nothing on it.

What I want back is real feedback from real use, so the next version is built on evidence instead of my own assumptions.

A tan RBaken with its radar screen lit, more units stacked behind it
Limited test batch5 of 5 open
  1. BKN1Open
  2. BKN2Open
  3. BKN3Open
  4. BKN4Open
  5. BKN5Open

€70 contribution, plus postage €6-14 depending on country.

Thank-you: one RBaken, a 5 dBi antenna, cable and manual. Pick one unit only if you already have another Meshtastic node.

Back the test batch€70

Backing for a team of three?

Three units in one parcel, postage covered: enough to run the radar as a small team from day one.

Other ways to get one

  • RBaken Build Pack parts laid out: printed case, RAK modules, antenna, battery and screws

    Build it yourself

    The RBaken Build Pack: print files and a step-by-step guide. You source the parts.

    See the build pack
  • Three RBaken devices resting on forest ground among dry leaves

    Pre-assembled kit

    Soldering done, add the RAK radio and a battery. Or ask for a finished device. Not a pre-order.

    Tell me you want one

Free tools

  • The tested Meshtastic devices side by side, each showing the radar

    Radar firmware

    Free and open source, whichever way you get your RBaken. It runs on other Meshtastic boards too.

    Get the firmware
  • 2 km3 kmlag 12 sREALLYON THE MAPRange3.1 kmUpdatesevery 45 sBattery31 h

    Configuration planner

    Range, update rate and battery life for your team size, worked out before you go out.

    Open the planner