Location and Tracking | Blackout Comms

Mapping Options for Blackout Comms

Blackout Comms gives you two strong ways to see maps and cluster positions. You can also use both options. Whether you prefer using your phone/tablet or going completely phone-free on the device itself, you’ve got flexible offline-capable options.

1. Blackout Comms Live Companion App (Phone/Tablet)

The dedicated Android app provides a rich, larger-screen mapping experience plus extra mesh analysis tools.

Key Benefits

Beautiful, interactive map with your position and all trusted cluster members.
Real-time or last-known locations via the encrypted mesh.
Additional tools: mesh performance graphs, signal analysis, and more.
Connects to any of your devices over Bluetooth.

Best for: Users who want a bigger screen and deeper diagnostics while still keeping everything offline after initial setup.

Learn More

* Pro License NOT Required On the Device

2. On-Device Firmware Maps
(T-Deck & Pager)

View maps and cluster positions directly on the Lilygo T-Deck or Pager — no phone needed.

Key Benefits

Fully self-contained offline mapping.
Your position stays centered as you move.
Clear markers for all trusted devices in your private cluster.
Four zoom levels for the right level of detail.
Neighbors screen shows direct RF range vs. mesh reach.

Best for: Fully phone-free operation, minimal gear, or when you want a quick glance at cluster locations on the device itself.

Map Setup

Download Map Packs

* Pro License Required On the Device

Blackout Comms offers offline mapping and tracking, using its built-in encrypted mesh capability, along with mesh memory., which lets you see last-known positions of even powered-off devices!

With either option, no internet or cell service is needed, if you've already downloaded the maps.

Viewing Locations On a Communicator

Locations are always encrypted
To display map tiles, a per-device license is required
Completely private & encrypted location sharing, within the cluster
It may take a moment for the map to fully load - just give it a few seconds initially.
Devices can “hide” by disabling location sharing

On a touchscreen Blackout Comms communicator, you can touch any green or yellow GPS icon to view location.

On a pager, access location from the home screen or from the contacts screen.

How to Set Up Maps

Option A: Direct Download on the Device

Insert an SD card into your licensed T-Deck or Pager.
Add a 2.4 GHz WiFi connection (a phone hotspot works well).
Go to the Location screen — the device will automatically download map tiles for your current area (one-time process).
Or go to Settings → Location → Pre-Download Maps to fetch a specific area or coordinates.

Option B: Download Tile Packs from Computer

Visit the Blackout Comms Map Pack Tool in your browser.
Navigate to the area you want, enter your license key, and download the pack.
Power off your device, remove the SD card, unzip the files into the /maps/ folder, and re-insert the card.

Download Map Packs

Notes

Map downloads require a licensed Blackout Comms device (one-time ~$25 fee; license travels with the SD card).
Any devices you purchase here are automatically licensed, and we can pre-download maps for you.
Tiles are stored permanently and can be copied to other licensed devices.
A compatible SD card is required for on-device maps. Any T-Deck or Pager you purchase from us will already have this.

Tracking Mode

Location is typically broadcast every 2 minutes. Tracking mode causes a device to broadcast location much more frequently (2-3 times/minute), enabling a more live view of a device’s location. Tracking mode is disabled by default and must be explicitly enabled per-device.

Enable tracking mode via settings or by sending the Enable Tracking command to a node.