Hacker Con Badges

503 Party 2019 · United States · 2019

DC503 5ohBEE Pager

SMART Response XE RF party pager

The 5ohBEE is a source-backed 2019 503 Party pager and game artifact documented by the Apache-2.0 `pdxbadgers/5ohBEE-2019` repository as a SMART Response XE-based pager project.

DC503 503 Party United States Portland Party Badge Pager SMART Response XE ATmega128RFA1 RF RSSI EEPROM HugQuest WANNAHUG North America
Event503 Party 2019
SeriesDC503
LocationUnited States / DC503 party archive
CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

5ohBEE firmware and repository contributor

Dean Pierce / pierce403

Repository commits by pierce403 cover early setup, RF buffering, logo addition, HugQuest, HUG tokens, WANNAHUG, versioning, and RSSI support.

Source

5ohBEE firmware and setup contributor

sibios

Repository commits by sibios cover README/setup work, file reorganization, hexdumper work, and multi-function/chat-mode development.

Source

SMART Response XE support library author

Larry Bank / BitBank Software

SmartResponseXE.h names Larry Bank and BitBank Software as the author/publisher of the support library interface used by the sketches.

Source

bee artwork credit

Ivycraft

The README image alt text credits the bee art to https://github.com/ivycraft; the artwork is not promoted as a catalogue image without complete image reuse provenance.

Source

party-pager community

DC503

The repository metadata describes the artifact as SMART Response XE based pagers for the 503 Party 2019.

Source

repository publisher

PDX Badgers

GitHub organization publishing the public 5ohBEE 2019 source tree.

Source

Why It Mattered

It records a DC503/PDX Badgers party lineage that repurposed classroom response hardware into a wearable RF message surface with chat, channel scanning, persistent names, and a playful HUG-token game.

Hardware

The public repository setup instructions target SMART Response XE hardware, a USBasp programmer, an ATmega128RFA1 development-board profile, and a bundled SmartResponseXE support library. The radio helper code initializes the ATmega128RFA1 low-power 2.4 GHz transceiver on IEEE 802.15.4-style channels 11 through 26, manages RX/TX LEDs, receive buffers, RSSI reads, and byte/string transmission.

Software & Apps

The sketches include basic RF chat and pager experiments, RSSI scanning, EEPROM-backed name storage, hex-dump/debug modes, and HugQuest v1.5. HugQuest adds commands for setting names and RF channels, reading HUG-token state, mining and sending HUGs, scanning RSSI, sleeping/waking the display, and the WANNAHUG infection/unlock mechanic stored in EEPROM.

Lore

The repository description calls the project SMART Response XE based pagers for the 503 Party 2019. Its README shows the 5ohBEE identity and credits the bee art to Ivycraft, while the commit history preserves development milestones such as adding the bee art, multi-function mode, HUG tokens, WANNAHUG, the RainSec-enjoyed 1.0 release, and RSSI support.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

badge game source-backed

HugQuest HUG-token game

HugQuest v1.5 stores HUG tokens, supports mining and sending HUGs, tracks names, and displays token state through the SMART Response XE interface.

Compatibility: DC503 5ohBEE Pager

Source
firmware behavior source-backed

RF chat and pager sketch

five-oh-BEE.ino implements display-backed message buffers, keyboard input, RF reads, RF byte writes, and byte-3 submission delimiters for simple pager/chat behavior.

Compatibility: DC503 5ohBEE Pager

Source
flashing workflow source-backed

USBasp and Arduino provisioning

The README tells builders to use USBasp udev rules, add the 5ohBee board package to Arduino, install the SmartResponseXE library ZIP, compile sketches, and upload.

Compatibility: DC503 5ohBEE Pager

Source
persistent state source-backed

EEPROM-backed identity state

The sketches use EEPROM for stored names and HugQuest token/infection state, keeping the pager identity and game state across restarts.

Compatibility: DC503 5ohBEE Pager

Source
radio diagnostic source-backed

RSSI scanner mode

The RSSI sketch and HugQuest command path scan channels 11 through 26 and display channel signal-strength readings on the SMART Response XE screen.

Compatibility: DC503 5ohBEE Pager

Source
radio platform source-backed

ATmega128RFA1 RF channel stack

RadioFunctions.h initializes the ATmega128RFA1 2.4 GHz transceiver and constrains channels to 11 through 26 for packet send/receive and RSSI reads.

Compatibility: DC503 5ohBEE Pager

Source
repurposed hardware source-backed

SMART Response XE base pager

The repository description and README frame 5ohBEE as a SMART Response XE-based pager project with board setup through an ATmega128RFA1 development-board profile.

Compatibility: DC503 5ohBEE Pager

Source
wireless game mechanic source-backed

WANNAHUG infection mechanic

HugQuest includes WANNAHUG transmission, infected-state persistence, a displayed ransom-style HUG-token prompt, and an unlock command requiring HUG tokens.

Compatibility: DC503 5ohBEE Pager

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

artwork-license boundary note

The README credits the bee art to Ivycraft and the repository is Apache-2.0, but this pass does not treat that as a complete image-publication provenance record for the catalogue hero slot.

The catalogue preserves the artwork credit as source context while leaving the visual empty until a specific image can be cleared under the project image rules.

Confidence
README credit plus repository license
Status
documented
Timeframe
current catalogue build
Source note
5ohBEE README, 50bee.png repository asset, LICENSE, and badge.gallery image policy.
distribution-scope caveat note

The repository proves a real 503 Party 2019 pager project, but this pass did not recover a final quantity, recipient list, sales record, or attendee-wide distribution statement.

The record avoids claiming universal 503 Party, DC503, DEF CON, or RainSec distribution and limits itself to the public repository's party-pager scope.

Confidence
source-backed but incomplete
Status
needs final handout record
Timeframe
2019 archive pass
Source note
pdxbadgers/5ohBEE-2019 repository metadata and commit history.
missing rights-cleared image note

No 5ohBEE image is published because this pass did not identify a physical documentary photo or official reusable raster render with complete source URL, license or permission basis, attribution, and processing notes.

The entry remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying the bee artwork, repository screenshots, social photos, generated art, or placeholder visuals.

Confidence
local project policy
Status
needs licensed original replacement
Timeframe
current catalogue build
Source note
badge.gallery image policy and pdxbadgers/5ohBEE-2019 source review.
party-pager classification note

The public source trail describes SMART Response XE-based pagers for the 503 Party 2019, not an official DEF CON admission badge or a BSidesPDX conference credential.

The catalogue models 5ohBEE as a DC503 party pager and game artifact while keeping official conference badge lineages separate.

Confidence
repository description and firmware evidence
Status
documented
Timeframe
503 Party 2019
Source note
pdxbadgers/5ohBEE-2019 repository metadata, README, and firmware sketches.
reused-hardware source caveat note

The project repurposes SMART Response XE classroom-response hardware and publishes setup and firmware files, but this pass did not recover a complete hardware modification guide, BOM, enclosure record, production log, or photographed final handout set.

Hardware claims stay limited to the SMART Response XE platform, ATmega128RFA1 radio path, USBasp/Arduino workflow, and the source files reviewed.

Confidence
public repository archive
Status
documented
Timeframe
2019 archive pass
Source note
5ohBEE README, RadioFunctions.h, SmartResponseXE.h, and sketch sources.

Resources

50bee.png artwork asset artwork provenance lead · Repository artwork asset referenced by the README with an Ivycraft credit; retained as a source clue but not promoted as a public badge image because image-specific reuse provenance is incomplete. 5ohBEE LICENSE license · Repository Apache-2.0 license file; used as source-code and documentation licensing evidence, not as a cleared documentary badge-photo source. 5ohBEE README project readme · Primary setup source for the 5ohBEE name, SMART Response XE board preparation, USBasp assumption, ATmega128RFA1 board profile, bundled SmartResponseXE library, and keymap notes. HugQuest.ino firmware source · HugQuest v1.5 source for name setup, HUG-token accounting, WANNAHUG infection and unlock behavior, channel/RSSI commands, sleep handling, and EEPROM persistence. RadioFunctions.h radio support source · ATmega128RFA1 radio helper source documenting 2.4 GHz channel setup, RF byte/string send, receive buffers, RX/TX LEDs, RSSI reads, and SparkFun/Beerware attribution. SmartResponseXE.h hardware support header · SMART Response XE support header naming Larry Bank / BitBank Software and documenting the LCD, keyboard, flash, sleep, and drawing APIs used by the 5ohBEE sketches. five-oh-BEE.ino firmware source · Basic pager/chat sketch source using SmartResponseXE display support, RadioFunctions RF send/receive, channel 11 setup, keyboard entry, message buffers, and byte-3 message termination. pdxbadgers/5ohBEE-2019 repository firmware and setup source repo · Public PDX Badgers repository described as SMART Response XE based pagers for the 503 Party 2019, with README, Apache-2.0 license, helper archives, firmware sketches, and artwork asset.

Sources

GitHub / PDX Badgers: pdxbadgers/5ohBEE-2019 Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary repository source for the 503 Party 2019 SMART Response XE pager project, Apache-2.0 license metadata, helper archives, firmware sketches, contributor trail, and bee-art source clue. GitHub / PDX Badgers: 5ohBEE README Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary setup source for the 5ohBEE identity, SMART Response XE preparation, USBasp workflow, ATmega128RFA1 board profile, SmartResponseXE dependency, and keymap documentation. GitHub / PDX Badgers: 5ohBEE LICENSE Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary license source documenting Apache-2.0 terms for the repository; no local image is derived from the bee artwork or other repository media in this pass. GitHub / PDX Badgers: five-oh-BEE.ino Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary firmware source for RF chat/pager behavior, channel 11 initialization, keyboard entry, message buffers, radio byte writes, and byte-3 message termination. GitHub / PDX Badgers: HugQuest.ino Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary firmware source for HugQuest v1.5, HUG tokens, WANNAHUG infection/unlock behavior, EEPROM state, RSSI command, channel setting, sleep handling, and help/version commands. GitHub / PDX Badgers: RadioFunctions.h Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary radio helper source for ATmega128RFA1 transceiver setup, 2.4 GHz channel range, TX/RX helpers, RSSI capture, receive buffering, and SparkFun/Beerware attribution. GitHub / PDX Badgers: 5ohBEE commit history Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Repository history source for development milestones including bee-art addition, multi-function mode, HUG tokens, WANNAHUG, RainSec-enjoyed 1.0 release, and RSSI command support.