Flamingo is a specialized cave and confined-space communications system derived from Meshtastic and optimized for SAR or expedition operations. The goal of Flamingo is to provide a reliable system that is versatile, efficient, and substantially cheaper than alternative commercial systems.
Building off of the work done by Vangelis, we currently have custom “Cavenode” and “Hybrid” nodes that are compatible with other commercial radios. Both node types function as relays or personnel radios in rugged, water-resistant enclosures. Cavenodes include an integrated buzzer for feedback during hands -free setup, while the Hybrid adds a larger folding antenna and an RS485 link for wired digital comms.
All Flamingo radios are based on the RAK4631 LoRa module with a WisBlock baseboard and can operate for approximately 10–14 days on a single 18650 Li -ion battery. Modifications made to Meshtastic include expanding the hop limit from 7 to 255 hops, optimizing for a chain topology but providing for a regular mesh. Hybrid nodes allow seamless bridging between both RF links and traditional cave comms phone wire with the RS485 module.
Flamingo has been tested in caves and operated during multiple mock rescue exercises with the HCRU. We ’ve demonstrated 16 hops with under two minutes of latency among 20+ nodes. We ’ve demonstrated mixed wired/ wireless networks exceeding 4,500ft of distance in multiple exercises. Recently operational test kits have been delivered to HCRU and other partners. Additional improvements include a hands -free setup mode and a method for syncing batches of radios’ settings.