Hacker Con Badges

Chaos Communication Camp 2015 · Germany · 2015

rad1o

CCCamp 2015 SDR badge

A HackRF-inspired software-defined radio badge that let campers receive, transmit, inspect spectrum, flash evolving firmware, solder RF add-ons, and keep hacking long after camp.

SDR HackRF GNU Radio RF CCC Cortex-M4
rad1o: CCCamp 2015 SDR badge
EventChaos Communication Camp 2015
SeriesChaos Communication Camp
LocationZiegeleipark Mildenberg
CountryGermany

Image Provenance

Asset
optimized WebP from transparent cutout
Status
licensed original photo
Source
Rad1o.jpg
License
CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
Attribution
ubahnverleih, Wikimedia Commons
Notes
Original 4037x2960 Wikimedia Commons photo downloaded from File:Rad1o.jpg, conservatively flood-fill masked from the white tabletop, cropped, scaled to the site badge canvas, and preserved as a transparent source cutout before WebP delivery conversion. The published badge.gallery delivery file is an optimized WebP generated from the rights-cleared local derivative/source with metadata stripped, WebP quality 82, and a maximum side cap of 1600 pixels when the source is larger; upstream source URL, license, and attribution remain unchanged.

People

Authors & Credits

Camp 2015 Rad1o project person

Andz

Listed by the Camp 2015 Projects:Rad1o page as a person working on the project.

Source

Camp 2015 Rad1o project person

Dave

Listed by the Camp 2015 Projects:Rad1o page as a person working on the project.

Source

Camp 2015 Rad1o project person

Iggy

Listed by the Camp 2015 Projects:Rad1o page as a person working on the project.

Source

Camp 2015 Rad1o project person

Typ o

Listed by the Camp 2015 Projects:Rad1o page as a person working on the project.

Source

Munich CCC rad1o badge team member

Ray

Michael Ossmann's first-look post says Ray was one of the Munich CCC group members responsible for the rad1o badge.

Source

The rad1o talk speaker

RFguy

media.ccc.de lists RFguy as a speaker for the Camp 2015 rad1o talk.

Source

The rad1o talk speaker

Sec

media.ccc.de lists Sec as a speaker for the Camp 2015 rad1o talk.

Source

The rad1o talk speaker

schneider

media.ccc.de lists schneider as a speaker for the Camp 2015 rad1o talk.

Source

rad1o firmware release wiki maintainer

schneider

The firmware releases page lists schneider as the last modifying wiki user for the 2022 REV 05 update.

Source

rad1o hardware and antenna wiki maintainer

liooo

The hardware overview and antenna pages list liooo as the last modifying wiki user in late 2015.

Source

rad1o laser-case kit collaborator

chris007

The rad1o case page says andz and chris007 provided limited simple laser-cut case kits at the rad1o assembly.

Source

Why It Mattered

rad1o made the official camp badge into a serious RF instrument. It connected badge culture with SDR culture, GNU Radio workflows, HackRF compatibility, and on-device experiments.

Hardware

ARM Cortex-M4 class controller, Wimax transceiver path, mixer-extended RF path, 2.5 GHz PCB antenna, optional edge-launch SMA antenna pads, Nokia 6100 130x130 LCD, joystick, 4-pin 3.5 mm audio headset connector, LiPo power, and two Micro-USB ports. Public writeups describe roughly 50/100 MHz to 4 GHz transmit/receive capability depending on configuration.

Software & Apps

Firmware derived from HackRF work but badge-specific. The bootloader exposed camp firmware, HACKRF, HKRF-OLD, and test-app paths; existing HackRF-compatible software could talk to it over USB, while the wiki documented GNU Radio, Gqrx, SDR#, RF Analyzer, binary firmware releases, and l0dables.

Lore

The CCC announcement framed rad1o as the successor to r0ket's long post-camp life. Camp wiki pages preserve MuCCC project ownership, antenna and GnuRad1o workshops, firmware-update stations, case kits, RF add-ons, and the practical soldering/USB caveats that turned the badge into a continuing SDR community object.

Source-backed hardware metadata

Technical Profile

Structured technical signals seeded from public badge documentation, repositories, schematics, firmware notes, or event evidence. These fields are designed for filtering, API use, repair planning, preservation, and future Companion Gear matching.

Artifact type

  • Electronic badge documented

    The rad1o badge documentation describes an electronic camp badge.

    Signal source

MCU / compute

  • STM32F4 documented

    The public rad1o firmware repository targets the STM32F4-based rad1o badge platform.

    Signal source

Radio / wireless

  • SDR documented

    The rad1o badge documentation describes the badge as an SDR-capable camp badge.

    Signal source

Firmware

  • DFU documented

    The public firmware repository documents firmware build and flashing workflows for the badge.

    Signal source

Interfaces

  • USB inferred

    The public badge documentation covers USB connectivity for development and operation.

    Signal source

Repair, preservation, and legal lab context

Companion Gear

Parts, tools, and supplies that match this badge's documented hardware, protocols, or preservation needs. These are category-level recommendations, not compatibility guarantees.

Seeed Studio likely

JTAG / SWD Debuggers

Debug probes for ARM/RISC-V badge development, recovery, and documentation.

Why this matches

Debug probes can support authorized recovery, firmware work, and documentation for microcontroller badges. Matched technical signals: STM32F4.

Matched evidence

Use only with hardware you own or are authorized to debug, repair, or document.

Open vendor search

Vendor link · selected for technical relevance

Seeed Studio likely

Serial Debug Adapters

USB serial adapters for logs, recovery, and firmware documentation workflows.

Why this matches

This badge has a documented microcontroller platform where serial logs or flashing workflows may be relevant. Matched technical signals: STM32F4.

Matched evidence

Useful for development, repair, recovery, and documentation of hardware you own or are authorized to work on.

Open vendor search

Vendor link · selected for technical relevance

Lab401 likely

RF Lab Accessories

Receive-side RF and SDR lab accessories for lawful testing and documentation.

Why this matches

This badge has documented RF, SDR, LoRa, or ADS-B-related signals. Matched technical signals: SDR.

Matched evidence

RF use may be region-dependent. Use only within legal limits and for lawful testing.

Open vendor category

Vendor link · selected for technical relevance

Amazon generic

ESD Storage

Anti-static bags and storage supplies for preserving loose badge PCBs and sensitive components.

Why this matches

This is documented as an electronic or hardware artifact where anti-static storage can support preservation. Matched technical signals: Electronic badge.

Matched evidence

Useful for preserving loose PCBs, add-ons, and sensitive electronic components.

Open vendor search

Vendor link · selected for technical relevance

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

RF hardware add-on documented solder option

External antenna and SMA mod

The antenna guide documented temporary human/copper-wire reception tricks and the proper SMA modification, including rotating or bridging the 0-ohm resistor in the RF path.

Compatibility: rad1o RF path and edge-launch SMA connector

Source
case ecosystem historical

Laser-cut and 3D printed cases

The case page linked DXF outlines, simple laser-cut enclosures, SMA-compatible variants, 3D-printable cases, and a limited 32C3 screw-and-spacer kit.

Compatibility: rad1o PCB, with optional SMA and battery clearance considerations

Source
desktop SDR workflow historical

GNU Radio and Gqrx workflow

The SDR guide documented GNU Radio, gnuradio-companion, osmocom_fft, Gqrx, SDR#, udev rules, kernel-module workarounds, and cross-platform setup for using rad1o as an SDR peripheral.

Compatibility: rad1o in HackRF/HKRF-OLD mode on Linux, Mac, Windows

Source
firmware and l0dable bundle historical with 2022 update

binary-cccamp2015 firmware package

The binary repository preserved flashable camp firmware, HackRF images, games, animations, fonts, images, l0dables, and a REV 05 release aligned with HackRF v2022.09.1.

Compatibility: rad1o firmware update workflow

Source
firmware mode historical

HackRF and HKRF-OLD modes

The bootloader exposed HACKRF and HKRF-OLD modes, with different USB product IDs for newer and older HackRF software compatibility.

Compatibility: rad1o bootloader and HackRF-compatible SDR tools

Source
hardware/software upgrade path historical

SMA antenna and PortaPack-inspired paths

Public writeups and later community experiments connected rad1o to HackRF/PortaPack-style standalone SDR usage beyond the official camp firmware and documented SMA mod path.

Compatibility: rad1o / HackRF-adjacent SDR tooling

Source
mobile SDR app historical

Patched RF Analyzer for Android

The wiki pointed Android users to a patched RF Analyzer APK/source path because upstream RF Analyzer did not yet work with rad1o.

Compatibility: rad1o with OTG-capable Android device, usually HKRF-OLD mode

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

SMA soldering risk moderate

The antenna guide warned that incorrect SMA soldering could short nearby pads and cause blue smoke; troubleshooting also linked failed power/backlight behavior to possible SMA-pad shorts.

RF expansion was intentionally hackable but not risk-free; the compendium records it as a hardware-modification caveat rather than a plug-and-play feature.

Confidence
primary wiki
Status
documented caveat
Timeframe
hardware modification
Source note
rad1o antennas and troubleshooting wiki pages.

Resources

BitBastelei rad1o firmware upgrade field note · Short field note showing firmware updates as post-camp maintenance via MSC mode. CCC announcement official blog · Original camp announcement and project framing. Camp 2015 Rad1o project camp wiki project · Camp wiki record with MuCCC location, project people, tags, and self-organized rad1o sessions. The rad1o talk talk · Hardware, software, and creation-history talk. binary-cccamp2015 firmware binaries · Binary package for flashing rad1o without the full dependency stack, including camp, HackRF, l0dable, font, image, and game assets. rad1o GitHub source · Project source organization. rad1o SDR software guide software docs · GNU Radio, Gqrx, SDR#, Android RF Analyzer, udev, kernel-module, and HKRF-OLD workflow notes. rad1o antennas hardware add-on docs · Internal antenna, temporary human/copper antenna, SMA modification, and soldering warning notes. rad1o badge wiki official wiki · Main wiki with hardware, software, firmware, antenna, case, media, and troubleshooting entry points. rad1o firmware releases firmware history · Firmware revision table from REV 01 camp images through REV 05 HackRF v2022.09.1 update. rad1o hardware overview hardware docs · Hardware overview covering RF path, LCD, joystick, audio, Micro-USB, antenna, and HackRF compatibility. rad1o laser case case add-on docs · Laser-cut and 3D-printed case paths, DXF outline files, SMA-compatible case notes, and 32C3 kit context. rad1o troubleshooting repair notes · Troubleshooting page covering flash station, HackRF modes, USB IDs, autosuspend, antenna, and soldering caveats.

Sources

Adlerweb: BitBastelei #180b - Rad1o SDR - Firmware-Upgrade Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Secondary field note that current firmware could fix bugs and add functions, with MSC mode making updates quick. CCC Event Blog: rad1o Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary source for purpose, SDR framing, and frequency range. Camp 2015 wiki: Projects:Rad1o Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary camp project record naming MuCCC, project people, SDR tags, and self-organized antenna/GnuRad1o sessions. Great Scott Gadgets: My First Look at rad1o Badge Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Michael Ossmann perspective on HackRF relationship. Hackaday: CCCamp 2015 Rad1o Badge Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Hardware overview and HackRF/GNU Radio compatibility. media.ccc.de: The rad1o Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Camp 2015 talk listing Sec, RFguy, and schneider as speakers for hardware, software, and creation-history context. rad1o wiki: Welcome to the CCCamp 2015 rad1o Badge Wiki Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary wiki entry for HOWTOs, firmware-update note, HackRF-compatible SDR statement, and sitemap. rad1o wiki: rad1o hardware overview Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary hardware overview for RF path, Wimax transceiver, mixer, 2.5 GHz PCB antenna, LCD, joystick, audio connector, and dual Micro-USB behavior. rad1o wiki: SDR Software for using the badge Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary software guide for Linux, Windows, Mac, Android, GNU Radio, Gqrx, SDR#, RF Analyzer, udev, and HKRF-OLD caveats. rad1o wiki: firmware:releases Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary firmware revision history from REV 01 through REV 05. rad1o wiki: troubleshooting Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary troubleshooting record for flash station, HackRF boot modes, USB ID compatibility, autosuspend, soldering, battery, and antenna issues. rad1o wiki: Antennas Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary source for internal antenna tuning, external antenna/SMA workflow, and soldering warnings. rad1o wiki: Laser Cut Enclosure at 32C3 Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary case add-on source for 32C3 case kits, DXF files, SMA clearance, simple laser-cut cases, and 3D enclosure links.