Understand
Building an Off-Grid Satellite Reticulum Bridge for the Colorado Backcountry
Overview
A tech builder attempts to create a first-of-its-kind Reticulum satellite relay bridge using a Raspberry Pi Zero, a RockBLOCK 9704 satellite modem, and supercapacitors. Carrying the rig on a 14-mile trail run up to 13,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies during the Aspen Backcountry Heavy Half, the goal is to establish a two-way encrypted message conversation via the Iridium satellite network with family back home without cell service. Although tree cover and signal windows prevent a live round-trip conversation during the race, later server logs confirm messages successfully escaped the mountain, and a subsequent retest back home under open sky successfully proves the complete two-way text bridge.
Key points
- The project combines a Raspberry Pi Zero, a RockBLOCK 9704 Iridium satellite modem, supercapacitors, and custom software forks to interface with the open-source Reticulum network.
- Reticulum enables decentralized, censorship-resistant, asynchronous store-and-forward communication without relying on central gatekeepers.
- During a 14-mile trail run in the Aspen mountains reaching 13,000 feet, live message acknowledgments fail due to tree cover and signal limits, but server logs later verify that four messages successfully reached the cloud bridge.
- A subsequent retest under a clear sky back home successfully achieves a complete two-way text conversation using the rig, proving the bridge functions properly.
- While the Iridium bridge works, it relies on a paid, proprietary corporate network, highlighting the ongoing need for open-source, community-owned long-haul infrastructure.