Platform: iOS on the App Store. Android in closed beta (Play Store). Mission: The fastest way to get a team on a shared map without infrastructure.
Status: Complete — App v1.4.0+63
BLE Long Range, signal quality, FixPhrase location encoding, OSM offline tiles.
- BLE Long Range capability detection (Coded PHY)
- Connection quality indicator (RSSI-based, rolling 5-sample average)
- FixPhrase: 4-word location encoding (~11m accuracy, order-independent)
- OpenStreetMap offline tile downloads (source selector)
- Coordinate bar cycles between MGRS and FixPhrase
- Signal bars in peer HUD and team roster
- 1,034 tests, 0 warnings
Status: Complete — App v1.5.0+64
Real ECDH key exchange, actual Coded PHY negotiation, emergency beacon, tactical messaging.
- ECDH P-256 key exchange wired into BLE connection handshake (per-peer derived keys)
- Actual BLE Coded PHY negotiation on Android (setPreferredPhy S8 after connection)
- Per-connection PHY tracking (LR badge only when Coded PHY confirmed)
- Emergency beacon: one-tap SOS with GPS, 30s retransmit, full-screen alert on all peers
- Pre-canned tactical messages (7 types + 160-char free text) over CRDT control system
- Message notification banners with sender callsign and auto-dismiss
- 1,088 tests, 0 warnings
Target: May-June 2026 — Range multiplier + Android production
- Meshtastic BLE bridge via
meshtastic_flutterpub.dev package - Auto-detect Meshtastic nodes by GATT service UUID
- Translate Field Link positions to/from Meshtastic Position messages
- Bridge mode UI: "Extend range via LoRa?" prompt when radio detected
- LoRa-relayed peers shown with mesh icon (distinct from BLE peers)
- Fallback: BLE direct when no radio, LoRa when available
- Convert Apple ASC to organization account (Estus Holdings LLC, D-U-N-S pending)
- Create Google Play organization account
- Promote Android to production track on Play Store
- Android QA on physical devices (Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus minimum)
- F-Droid submission (Firebase-free build flavor, FLOSS-compliant)
- BetaList submission + Product Hunt launch
- Session templates (SAR Hasty Search, Hunting Party, Family Hike, Training Exercise)
- Show HN post #2: "Red Grid Link now bridges to Meshtastic"
Target: Q3 2026 — Hard differentiation from MGRS (solo → team)
- Buddy system pairing: assign buddy pairs, alert if buddies separate beyond configurable distance
- Check-in timer: Lead sets interval, members tap to confirm, missed check-ins escalate (member → Lead → team)
- Status board: one-tap status broadcast (Green/Amber/Red/Black) visible on team roster
- Rally point management: designate rally points, "Rally on Bravo" shows distance/bearing/ETA for all members
- Sector assignment: Lead draws named sectors on map, assigns members, crossing alerts
- Search pattern generator: parallel track, expanding square, sector search with waypoint sequences per member
- Live tactical drawing: Lead draws routes/arrows/circles on map, syncs to all peers in real-time
- Photo sharing: snap + broadcast with GPS coordinates, compressed for BLE/LoRa bandwidth
- Hasty search patterns: auto-generate parallel track patterns for defined area
- Clue logging: timestamped, geotagged entries with photo attachment
- ICS form generation: 201, 202, 204 auto-populated from session data
- Track recording per member: breadcrumb trails, coverage analysis, gap detection
- Geofence compliance logging: every boundary entry/exit with timestamp and member ID
- Guide mode: pre-configure sessions for clients before trip
- Client devices covered under guide license (no individual Pro required)
- Post-trip AAR auto-emailed to clients
- CoT XML position reports (emit valid Cursor on Target events)
- CoT bridge: Field Link peers appear on ATAK maps as SA markers
- ATAK users appear on Red Grid Link maps
- Transport via Meshtastic LoRa or shared WiFi (multicast UDP)
Target: Q4 2026 — Full C2 capability
- Task assignment: Lead assigns tasks to specific members with waypoint + instructions
- Task completion tracking: member marks done, Lead sees status on roster
- Route planning with MGRS waypoint sequences per member
- Voice clips: 5-second compressed voice notes with GPS stamp, sent over BLE/LoRa
- Freehand annotation drawing mode (complements tap-to-place)
- Interactive team movement replay with timeline scrubber
- Time-on-task tracking: active time, distance covered, average speed per member
- Cascading alerts: missed check-in escalates (Lead → buddy → team → external contact)
- GPX/KML import/export for pre-planned routes and sector boundaries
- Elevation profile along planned routes (DEM data)
- Line-of-sight calculator between two MGRS positions
- Terrain difficulty scoring for route segments
Target: Q1 2027 — Multi-team + cloud capabilities
- Cloud session relay (encrypted WebSocket via Cloudflare Workers)
- Web dashboard for team leads and incident commanders (browser-based, read-only)
- External observer mode: read-only view for ICs or family liaisons
- Multi-team bridging: two or more Link sessions with shared Lead overlay
- Shift handoff: transfer session to incoming Lead with summary of positions/assignments/tasks
- Multi-hop BLE mesh (relay through intermediate peers)
- Team management portal (invite members, manage seats, billing)
- Integration API (webhook on position update, task completion)
- Garmin inReach integration (satellite messaging + position relay)
Target: Q2 2027
- External GPS receiver support (Bluetooth NMEA devices)
- Barometric altimeter calibration (phone sensor fusion)
- Heart rate monitor integration for SAR team health monitoring
- Environmental sensors (temperature, pressure for weather tracking)
Target: Q3 2027
- Training scenario builder (define objectives, boundaries, events)
- Real-time scoring for land navigation exercises
- Instructor mode (observe all teams, inject events, grade performance)
- Performance analytics dashboard (accuracy, timing, route efficiency)
- Simulated peer positions for solo practice
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | All modes, 2 devices, 1 map region, Red Light theme |
| Pro Monthly | $3.99/mo | All themes, 8 devices, unlimited maps, AAR, messaging |
| Pro Annual | $29.99/yr | Same as monthly, 37% savings |
| Lifetime | $149.99 | All Pro features forever |
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| SAR Team | $199/yr | Up to 20 devices, ICS forms, sectors, check-ins |
| Outfitter/Guide | $499/yr | Pre-configured sessions, client coverage |
| Military Training | Custom | Instructor mode, scoring, scenarios |
- SAR team direct outreach (50 teams, offer 6-month free Pro)
- Show HN posts (after each major feature: Meshtastic, CoT)
- Subreddit engagement (r/SearchAndRescue, r/Meshtastic, r/hiking, r/hunting)
- Technical articles (Dev.to, Hashnode)
- Product Hunt launch
- Apple Search Ads: "walkie talkie", "offline map" only
- $3/day budget, measure CPI before scaling
- Session templates reduce return friction
- Post-session debrief drives reviews
- Meshtastic hardware creates investment lock-in
- Team management creates organizational lock-in
| Competitor | Their Strength | Our Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| ATAK | Feature depth, military standard | Zero setup, cross-platform, no server |
| Meshtastic | Multi-km LoRa range | No hardware required (bridge for upgrade) |
| MeshCore SAR | Messaging + voice + tracking | Phone-only, no hardware purchase |
| goTenna Pro X | Professional mesh comms | $0 vs $849/device |
| Garmin inReach | Satellite coverage | Team tracking vs point-to-point |
| Paper maps + radios | No battery dependency | Real-time SA, GPS precision |
Red Grid Link is developed by Red Grid Tactical. Feature requests and bug reports welcome via GitHub Issues.
For partnership, enterprise, or integration inquiries: redgridtactical.com