rad1o
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.
Chaos Communication Camp
Chaos Communication Camp 2015
The camp where rad1o turned the official badge into a serious SDR platform.
Ziegeleipark Mildenberg · Germany · 2015
Lifecycle
Add-ons & Upgrades
rad1o
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.
rad1o
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.
rad1o
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.
rad1o
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.
rad1o
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.
rad1o
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.
rad1o
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.
Operational history
Issues & Camp Impact
rad1o
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.
rad1o
moderate
The troubleshooting page records a failure mode where hackrf_info alternated between errors and success because USB autosuspend disconnected the badge every few seconds.
Laptop power-management defaults could make a working badge look broken until autosuspend was disabled for the rad1o USB IDs.
rad1o
moderate
The troubleshooting page distinguished HACKRF mode with USB ID 1d50:cc15 from HKRF-OLD mode with USB ID 1d50:6089, because older HackRF software might not recognize the newer badge ID.
Using rad1o as an SDR depended on choosing the correct firmware mode and sometimes adding udev rules or updated SDR packages.
rad1o
note
The internal antenna was tuned around 2.5 GHz, so the wiki warned that reception in bands such as broadcast FM would be poor without a frequency-appropriate external antenna.
The badge was a real SDR, but practical RF work still required antenna knowledge and sometimes soldered hardware changes.
rad1o
note
Public discussion questioned whether expensive, complex electronic badges were a good use of event resources.
A recurring European badge-culture debate: prestige and hack value versus cost, accessibility, and usefulness for the average attendee.
rad1o
note
Troubleshooting noted that USB, audio, battery connector joints, and rarely IC402 could need inspection, and warned to unplug the battery before soldering.
Camp operation included a practical repair and flash-station workflow, not just software experimentation.
rad1o
note
Firmware releases progressed from REV 01 flashed on camp badges to REV 05 in 2022, with current firmware described as a way to fix bugs and add functions.
rad1o belongs in the continuing-platform part of badge.gallery: its record should track firmware and HackRF compatibility well after the camp weekend.
Resources
Camp 2015 Rad1o project
camp wiki project · Camp wiki record with MuCCC location, project people, tags, and self-organized rad1o sessions.
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.
BitBastelei rad1o firmware upgrade
field note · Short field note showing firmware updates as post-camp maintenance via MSC mode.
binary-cccamp2015
firmware binaries · Binary package for flashing rad1o without the full dependency stack, including camp, HackRF, l0dable, font, image, and game assets.
rad1o firmware releases
firmware history · Firmware revision table from REV 01 camp images through REV 05 HackRF v2022.09.1 update.
rad1o antennas
hardware add-on docs · Internal antenna, temporary human/copper antenna, SMA modification, and soldering warning notes.
rad1o hardware overview
hardware docs · Hardware overview covering RF path, LCD, joystick, audio, Micro-USB, antenna, and HackRF compatibility.
CCC announcement
official blog · Original camp announcement and project framing.
rad1o badge wiki
official wiki · Main wiki with hardware, software, firmware, antenna, case, media, and troubleshooting entry points.
rad1o troubleshooting
repair notes · Troubleshooting page covering flash station, HackRF modes, USB IDs, autosuspend, antenna, and soldering caveats.
rad1o SDR software guide
software docs · GNU Radio, Gqrx, SDR#, Android RF Analyzer, udev, kernel-module, and HKRF-OLD workflow notes.
rad1o GitHub
source · Project source organization.
The rad1o talk
talk · Hardware, software, and creation-history talk.
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: 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.
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: 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: firmware:releases
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary firmware revision history from REV 01 through REV 05.
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: troubleshooting
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary troubleshooting record for flash station, HackRF boot modes, USB ID compatibility, autosuspend, soldering, battery, and antenna issues.