Reference Build & Bill of Materials · Rev I · drone overwatch
Consilium Belli
A sovereign, off-grid command centre in a case. Best-of-breed hardware, integrated and supported — with the one thing nobody else has bolted in: Aquilla market & situational intelligence.
Class · Civilian situational-awareness / off-grid ops
Region · NZ / AU915
Moat · Software + integration + support
00The idea, in one line
A decade ago this needed a government budget or a Palantir contract. Today it's consumer hardware + open-source software + a satellite dish, curated and assembled. You don't fabricate hardware and you don't reinvent ATAK — you integrate the best of each field into a rugged kit, and the value you sell is the curation, the configuration, the support, and Aquilla. Everyone can buy the parts; nobody else ships them working, together, with a market-intelligence node.
01The stack — how a signal travels
FieldRugged phone / tablet + ATAK on a Haven / OpenMANET IP-mesh node (the primary radio — PTT + ATAK + video), with a cheap Meshtastic node as the receive/beacon floor. Offline topo maps; markers arrive here.
▲ Haven Wi-Fi HaLow IP mesh (primary) + Meshtastic LoRa beacon/RX, off-grid ▲
BaseThe case: mini-PC brain + Meshtastic gateway + power. Runs FreeTAKServer, Ollama (local AI), Aquilla, the Satis engines, and the AI operator (the watchstander) that runs the box on a PACE plan.
▲ Aquilla flags a shock → CoT marker → FreeTAKServer → mesh ▲
BackhaulStarlink (primary) + cellular failover. The WAN bridge — works anywhere with sky.
▲ ...and when the sky is gone: HF reach-back ▲
Deep reachHF radio (IC-705 + Buddipole) — Winlink email + JS8Call over skywave. No satellite, no cellular, no internet. Global text / SITREP / position when every other tier is down. Ham licence to TX; RX is licence-free.
▲ Cloud / HQ / other Consilium nodes ▲
The pipeline that makes it special: Aquilla detects an economic or geopolitical shock → the Aquilla→CoT bridge (built) turns it into a tactical map marker → FreeTAKServer pushes it → the Meshtastic gateway relays it off-grid → your phone buzzes 3 km out with an AI-summarised warning on an offline map. That bridge is the module only you have.
02Kit sets — three tiers
Scout
Solo · man-portable
~NZ$1.6k–2.4k
- Starlink Mini
- N100 mini-PC (16 GB)
- 1× Meshtastic handheld
- Power-station / battery
- Small hard case + phone ATAK
Operator
Base camp · overland vehicle
~NZ$4k–6k
- Starlink Mini/Std + 5G failover router
- Ryzen mini-PC 32–64 GB (local AI)
- Base Meshtastic gateway + 2 nodes
- LiFePO4 + folding solar + MPPT
- Rugged case build + rugged tablet
Command
Team · multi-site
~NZ$9k–15k+
- Everything in Operator, plus:
- RoIP gateway → two-way radio bridge
- Multiple mesh nodes / repeater
- Larger solar/battery, rack case
- Multi-screen fold-out console
Prices are indicative NZD for parts only — verify with suppliers; they exclude Starlink subscription, your labour/margin, and the software.
02bField-verified stack — TREX Labs + S2 Underground
Distilled from the two channels that actually build these. This is the "buy-this" reference; the tables below expand it.
Software (canonical)
| Software | Role | Note |
|---|
| ATAK-CIV | Main map / situational-awareness app | Official: tak.gov. S2's install + getting-started videos are the entry point. |
| Meshtastic Android app | Controls the LoRa node | Pair via Bluetooth or USB-OTG. |
| Meshtastic ATAK plugin | Bridges mesh ↔ ATAK | Set the node's TAK role; nodes appear as map markers, chat/PLI bidirectional. |
| ATAK-Maps (J. Fuller) | Offline map sources | No maps ship in ATAK by default — import this, then cache tiles locally. |
| FreeTAKServer / OpenTAKServer | Local TAK server (optional) | Only for a box/mini-PC; pure peer mesh doesn't need it. This is where the Aquilla→CoT bridge plugs in. |
Mesh radio — the honest comparison
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|
| ★ Haven / OpenMANET (Wi-Fi HaLow 802.11ah) — the primary field radio | The real MANET node and our recommended default: PTT voice, ATAK-over-multicast, chat, low-res video, internet-sharing — self-healing (BATMAN-adv) over km. "$20k MPU5 for ~$246." openmanet.net | Pi 4 / CM4 + Morse Micro HaLow HAT + OpenWrt. Build Haven 1 (Pi 5 / Haven 2 not production-ready). Modest throughput — fine for ATAK/PTT/low-res video, not HD at km. ~$246/node × 3–4 to mesh. NZ: its 27 dBm firmware is a US ISM figure — confirm the 915–928 MHz GURL limits first. |
| Meshtastic (LoRa) — the cheap / receive floor | Dirt-cheap, sips power, huge range for tiny payloads; good as a low-cost receive-only beacon, field text/GPS, and solar repeaters. | Not a serious tactical data net — LoRa bandwidth is tiny and slow for high-tempo ATAK. Treat it as the RX/low-cost floor under Haven, not the backbone. Nodes: Heltec V3 (cheap/solar), T-Beam Supreme (mobile+GPS), RAK4631 (best battery). |
| Beartooth MkII | Plug-and-play ATAK "sweet spot" — encryption, voice, polished UX, LPI/LPD feel, no licensing hassle | Pricey (~US$750/node). Premium plug-and-play alternative if you don't want to build Haven. (Correction from an earlier draft: the MkII is current, not defunct.) |
| goTenna Pro | Teams already on first-responder goTenna networks | Licensing/business-band relevance; less DIY. |
The comms doctrine (S2-style): Haven/OpenMANET is the primary field radio — the IP backbone that carries PTT, ATAK and video, and does ATAK over multicast, exactly what the Aquilla→CoT bridge emits. Meshtastic is the cheap receive/beacon floor beneath it, not a co-equal. Above all: listen first. Most operators over-transmit; receiving is free, licence-free, and low-signature. Default posture is receive-only (JS8Call RX on the HF radio, scanner/ADS-B, monitoring the mesh) — you key up only when you must, and the AI operator flags excessive TX. Reach ≠ privacy ≠ invisibility.
Watch order (saves time): S2 — How to Install ATAK → ATAK: Getting Started → ATAK with Meshtastic; then TREX — Maps & Encrypted Comms in ATAK → Meshtastic vs Beartooth vs goTenna → ATAK for Urban Operations.
02cPACE plan — the AI operator runs the box by connectivity
PACE = Primary / Alternate / Contingency / Emergency. The four comms tiers map straight onto it, and the local AI operator watches which tier is live and changes how the whole box behaves — which apps, which models, how terse, what to queue. It does not key the radio unattended; every action is a human-pressed button.
| Step | Bearer | Operator mode | What the AI does |
|---|
| Primary | Starlink | Connected | Full ATAK + video + cloud sync; largest local model; rich Aquilla; auto-sync to HQ/other nodes. |
| Alternate | Cellular (Teltonika) | Connected · metered | Same, but trims bandwidth, pauses video auto-pull, warns on data burn. |
| Contingency | Haven HaLow + Meshtastic | Local | Fully offline: local LLM only, ATAK over mesh, no cloud. Summarises tighter; queues outbound for when WAN returns. |
| Emergency | HF — Winlink / JS8Call | Austere | Drops to the 3B model; composes terse SITREPs / ICS forms / position reports for you to send; strict power budget. |
The AI operator — the "watchstander" (yours)
An agent loop on the console that ingests everything — Aquilla, PACE link-state, mesh-node health, RDF bearings, ATAK markers — and issues notifications with action buttons, like a real TOC watch officer. Human-in-the-loop: nothing fires unattended.
⚠ Starlink down 40 s → now on Contingency (HaLow). Cloud sync paused · 3 msgs queued. [Compose HF SITREP] [Ack]
◉ New DF bearing 047°, strong. [Plot line-of-bearing] [Request 2nd bearing] [Mark] [Dismiss]
📉 Aquilla risk-off (mood 28) → Track-A new-buy gate active. [View] [Ack]
🔋 Battery 22 %, solar 0, ~6 h left → drop to Austere / HF-only? [Yes] [Keep]
03Bill of materials — best-of-breed by subsystem
A · Backhaul — get online anywhere
| Item | Pick | | Est. NZD |
|---|
| Satellite WAN | Starlink Mini (portable) or Standard/Flat HP (base)~15 W idle, 25–30 W typical, ~60 W boot. 12–48 V DC barrel (5.5×2.1) or USB-C PD (100 W). Direct DC beats an inverter by ~30–40% | core | ~600 + sub |
| Failover router | Teltonika RUTX50 (5G) or RUT241 (4G)Rugged, dual-SIM, VPN, auto-failover to cellular when Starlink drops | core | ~450–750 |
B · Brain — the base station
| Item | Pick | | Est. NZD |
|---|
| Mini-PC (light) | Intel N100 mini, 16 GB / 512 GB~6–15 W. Runs FreeTAKServer + small tasks; too light for big local LLMs | core | ~350 |
| Mini-PC (AI) | N100 32 GB (Ollama 3B/8B), or a GPU mini for biggerN100 is CPU-only: Llama 3.2 3B ~5–15 tok/s on 16 GB; 8B Q4 needs 32 GB dual-channel; 13B+ wants a GPU or 64 GB. Adds ~20–40 W | core | ~400–1400 |
| Storage | 2 TB NVMe + offline map/data cacheTopo tiles, model weights, logs — all local, no cloud dependency | opt | ~180 |
C · Mesh — off-grid field comms
| Item | Pick | | Est. NZD |
|---|
| ★ IP-mesh nodes (primary) | Haven 1 / OpenMANET — Pi 4/CM4 + Morse Micro HaLow HAT (OpenWrt)The primary field radio: PTT, ATAK-over-multicast, low-res video, internet-sharing, self-healing over km. Build Haven 1 only. NZ 915 MHz power limits differ from the US firmware default — verify. openmanet.net | core | ~420 ea (×3–4) |
| Beacon / RX nodes | Meshtastic LoRa (AU915) — Heltec V3 / T-Beam / RAK WisBlockThe cheap receive/beacon floor beneath Haven: low-cost RX, field text + position, solar repeaters. Not a serious tactical data net — LoRa bandwidth is tiny | opt | ~60–100 ea |
| Base gateway | Meshtastic node on the base, bridged to the mini-PCInjects Aquilla/ATAK markers into the mesh for the field | core | ~100 |
| Antenna upgrade | 915 MHz gain antenna + coax for the base nodeTurns hundreds of metres into kilometres of range | opt | ~80 |
| Mast / elevation | Telescoping push-up pole (6–12 m) + guy kit for the base antenna(s)Range is antenna + height, not the radio — elevation is the cheapest dB you'll ever buy. Applies to mesh, HF and RDF alike | core | ~120–300 |
C2 · HF long-range — the Emergency (PACE) tier
| Item | Pick | | Est. NZD |
|---|
| HF transceiver | Icom IC-705 (QRP HF/6/2/70, SDR, GPS/BT/WLAN)10 W (5 W on battery). Built-in waterfall + GPS + USB CAT/audio = plugs straight into the mini-PC for data modes. The POTA/field standard | core | ~1,400–1,700 |
| Portable antenna | Buddipole / Buddistick Pro (+ 9:1 EFHW as backup)Deployable dipole/vertical for HF field ops; NVIS config for 0–500 km regional, skywave for DX | core | ~400–700 |
| Data interface | USB-C to the mini-PC (705 is its own sound-card/CAT) + optional tuner (mAT-705)No extra modem box needed — the 705 exposes CAT + audio over USB | opt | ~0–350 |
| LiFePO4 for radio | 12 V 6–20 Ah pack (or run off the main DC bus)Powers the 705 at 10 W on the case bus | opt | ~120 |
⚠ Licence: transmitting on HF ham bands needs a General Amateur Operator's Certificate + callsign (NZ: exam via NZART, callsign from RSM). Receiving / monitoring is licence-free. Non-negotiable — put it on the spec sheet. Killer apps are data, not voice: Winlink (HF email + ICS forms, no internet) and JS8Call (weak-signal keyboard chat, store-and-forward). These carry text/SITREP/position into ATAK — not video (HF is low-bandwidth by physics).
C3 · Sensors — radio direction finding (passive)
| Item | Pick | | Est. NZD |
|---|
| DF array | KrakenSDR (5-ch coherent RTL-SDR)Real-time direction-finding; outputs bearings. Two units triangulate a fix. The prosumer DF standard | core | ~850 |
| Antenna set | 5× matched whips on a ground plane (mag-mount or mast) + coax kitCoherent array geometry is what makes the DoA maths work | core | ~150–300 |
| DF → CoT bridge | KrakenSDR DoA → line-of-bearing ATAK markerSame pattern as Aquilla→CoT: a bearing becomes a map line. Yours to build | yours | build |
⚠ Legality: DF is passive/receive-only — finding a transmitter's bearing is fine. Do not decode or divulge the content of private communications (that's where NZ law draws the line). Civilian use: locating your own beacons, interference-hunting, search & rescue.
C4 · Sensors & ISR — eyes on the map (civilian)
The "Lattice-lite" layer: fuse extra sensors into the same ATAK picture over the mesh. All passive or human-flown — the AI does the sensing and marking, never autonomous flight or any effector.
| Item | Pick | | Est. NZD |
|---|
| Drone (civilian) | DJI / Autel or similar — video + telemetryHuman-flown ISR: SAR, mapping, infrastructure/ag inspection, overwatch. Feed goes into ATAK (below) | opt | ~1,500–4,000 |
| Video pipeline | MediaMTX RTSP → ATAK video markerDrone/camera stream → RTSP over the Haven mesh → GPS-positioned marker with a live video window in every ATAK on the net. Same pipeline as CSI cameras | open | integrate |
| ADS-B receiver | RTL-SDR + 1090 MHz antenna (dump1090)Passive aircraft awareness → ATAK. Cheap, legal, receive-only — the S2 standard | core | ~50 |
| Vision AI → CoT | moondream / YOLO on the mini-PC → auto-markersLocal detection on the drone/camera feed drops a CoT marker ("vehicle at 047°"). Sensing + decision-support, human confirms. Yours to build | yours | build |
⚠ Drone law (NZ CAA). Normal flying = Part 101 (visual line-of-sight, daylight, <120 m, not over people, >4 km from aerodromes). BVLOS or any autonomous flight needs Part 102 certification. The kit's AI does sensing and marking only — it does not fly the drone, and no weaponisation — ever. ADS-B and camera reception are passive/legal. This is civilian ISR (search & rescue, disaster, inspection, security overwatch), the open-source civilian equivalent of a Lattice-style fusion layer — not a defence effector.
C4b · Drone Overwatch — the civilian "Skydio Scout + TAK"
The capability in the Skydio convoy‑overwatch demo — a drone that follows a GPS target and puts a live icon + video into everyone's ATAK — built from open parts. Skydio's Scout/X2/native‑TAK is enterprise‑locked; this is the buildable analog. Observation only — it never flies the drone as a weapon and carries no effector.
| Piece | Skydio does it with | Your civilian build |
|---|
| Drone | X2 (obstacle avoidance) | Any ArduPilot / PX4 craft flown legally |
| Follow target | Scout autonomy skill | Follow‑Me mission mode (GPS follow) — a flight mode, not Scout; VLOS/Part 101, or Part 102 for autonomous/BVLOS |
| Drone → map track | native TAK | MAVLink→CoT bridge (yours, built) → FreeTAKServer → ATAK icon + heading/speed |
| Live video | RTSP over their SDR | MediaMTX RTSP → add the stream in ATAK |
| Team positions, no cell | their network | Meshtastic + ATAK plugin (already in the stack) |
Software (yours, built): research/mavlink-cot-bridge.mjs — parses GLOBAL_POSITION_INT and emits a CoT track, the same glue pattern as the Aquilla→CoT and DF→CoT bridges. Won't match X2 obstacle avoidance or Skydio's NDAA supply‑chain story — it's the open, buildable version of the picture, not the airframe.
C5 · Forward observer — the field spotter kit
The field half of the system: the person forward who observes and reports back to the base TOC. Low-signature, listen-first, person-carried. This is a civilian spotter / advance-scout role — observation and reporting only (SAR advance team, wildfire spotting, survey, event safety, conservation). No fire direction, no targeting, no weapons — ever.
| Item | Pick | | Est. NZD |
|---|
| EUD + chest rig | Rugged Android (Galaxy Tab Active / phone) + ATAK, chest mountThe spotter's screen — sends markers & structured reports to the TOC. Sunlight-readable, glove-usable | core | ~300–800 |
| Field radio (low-sig) | Meshtastic node (RX-first) or a Haven node for richer dataThe forward node keeps EMCON: mostly listens, sends short position/report bursts. Meshtastic is the low-power, low-signature floor | core | ~60–420 |
| Laser rangefinder | Bluetooth LRF (hunting/survey class) → ATAKRange to what you observe. With your GPS + a compass bearing, ATAK computes the observed grid — accurate reports without walking to the point | opt | ~250–700 |
| Optic + phone adapter | Monocular / spotting scope + phone-camera adapterObserve and capture imagery from a distance; the photo attaches to the report | opt | ~150–500 |
| Compass + power | Sighting compass (bearing) + compact power bankBearing feeds the grid calc; power keeps the EUD alive a full patrol | core | ~120 |
| Software (yours) | Role | | Origin |
|---|
| Spotter report → CoT | Quick structured field report (what / where / when + photo + GPS) → ATAK marker relayed to the TOC over the meshLike the Aquilla→CoT bridge, but human-entered. A civilian SALUTE/SITREP-style form, not a fire mission | yours | build |
| Bearing + range → grid | Observer GPS + compass bearing + LRF range → observed point's grid, dropped as a markerClassic spotter intersection maths — report a location without standing on it | yours | build |
| EMCON prompts | The AI operator reminds the forward user to listen-first and keep transmissions shortThe person forward is the most exposed — emission discipline matters most here | yours | build |
⚠ Civilian scope. The forward-observer kit is for observation and reporting that feeds the TOC's shared picture — spotting a casualty and passing its grid, reporting a fire's location and spread, surveying, event/crowd safety, wildlife observation. It has no fire-direction, targeting, or weapons function, and none will be built. Keep the framing civilian; the value is a fast, accurate, low-signature eyes-forward report, not a strike.
D · Power — run off-grid
| Item | Pick | | Est. NZD |
|---|
| Battery | 2–3 kWh LiFePO4 (e.g. 2× 12 V 100 Ah, or a 24/48 V rack)Load ~55–80 W continuous = ~1.9 kWh/day; 2–3 kWh gives ~1 day with no sun. DIY LFP + Victron/Renogy MPPT beats a power station on $/kWh for a permanent case | core | ~800–1500 |
| Solar | 570–1000 W panel(s) + MPPT controllerAt 4.5 peak-sun-hrs: 1.9 kWh ÷ (4.5×0.75) ≈ 570 W minimum; 800–1000 W is the comfortable array. MPPT only — PWM wastes 15–25% | core | ~500–900 |
| Distribution | DC bus, XT60/Anderson, fuses, voltage gauge, panel connectorsThe "PWR OUT" block — clean, fused, monitored power to every device | core | ~150 |
E · Case & field kit
| Item | Pick | | Est. NZD |
|---|
| Case | Pelican 1550 / 1600 (17×14×7"+), custom-cut foamApache 3800 (the StarCase) is too SMALL for a full TOC — use 1550/1600-class. Panel-mount: GX16/Neutrik powerCON (12V), RJ45 + SMA/N-type bulkheads, gland for the Starlink cable | core | ~250–450 |
| Field device | Rugged Android — Samsung Galaxy Tab Active / phoneRuns ATAK; sunlight-readable, IP-rated, glove-usable | core | ~300–800 |
| Console (Command) | Fold-out multi-monitor + keyboard for the baseThe "war-room" console when running from the case at base | opt | ~600+ |
| Thermal management | IP-rated membrane louvre vents (Gore/Bud) — or keep sealed + internal fan onto a heat-sink/cold-plate; Peltier for extreme ambientA sealed Pelican + always-on electronics is a heat trap, and the mini-PC/Starlink are the hot parts. Cooling fights the IP rating — vent through membrane louvres, or stay sealed and move heat to the shell. Size for your hottest deployment | core | ~80–250 |
F · Software payload — the moat (yours)
| Component | Role | | Origin |
|---|
| Consilium Belli app | Unified command view: Aquilla + engines + net worthThe single pane on the tablet — your product | yours | build |
| AI operator (watchstander) | Runs the box on a PACE plan: watches link-state, adapts mode, issues notifications with action buttonsHuman-in-the-loop — nothing fires unattended. The software that makes it a real TOC (see 02c) | yours | build |
| Aquilla | Market & situational-awareness intelligence + risk gateThe node no other TOC has | yours | built |
| Aquilla→CoT bridge | Turns alerts into ATAK map markersPrototype done — the glue | yours | built |
| DF→CoT bridge | KrakenSDR bearings → line-of-bearing ATAK markersSame glue pattern, for the RDF sensor | yours | build |
| Vision→CoT + ADS-B | Local vision detections & aircraft tracks → ATAK markersThe ISR fusion — drone/camera video + ADS-B into one picture. Human confirms; no autonomy | yours | build |
| MAVLink→CoT bridge | Drone telemetry → live ATAK track (heading + speed)The civilian "Skydio Scout + TAK": the drone shows as a moving icon on every ATAK/WinTAK on the net. Built (research/mavlink-cot-bridge.mjs). Reports position only — never flies the drone | yours | built |
| FreeTAKServer + ATAK | Open tactical map server + field client | open | integrate |
| Pat + VARA HF · JS8Call | Winlink email + weak-signal chat over HFThe Emergency-tier data apps the 705 drives | open | integrate |
| KrakenSDR DoA | Direction-finding DSP → bearings | open | integrate |
| Ollama | Local LLM — offline AI summaries, no API key | open | integrate |
| Meshtastic | Off-grid mesh firmware + phone app | open | integrate |
G · Local AI stack — offline, no API key
| Layer | Pick | Note |
|---|
| Runner | Ollama | OpenWRT-friendly, OpenAI-compatible local API — Aquilla / the console call it like a cloud model but fully offline. Rides on llama.cpp (build CUDA on Jetson, ARM NEON on Pi). |
| Operator UI | LM Studio / Open WebUI | Visual model manager / self-hosted ChatGPT-style front end on the base. |
| Reasoning model | Llama 3.3 8B · Qwen 2.5 14B · Phi-4 | 8B best instruction-following; Qwen for coding/analysis; Phi-4 best math-per-GB; Mistral Small for speed. 8B needs 32 GB dual-channel (see Mini-PC AI row). |
| Low-power model | Llama 3.2 3B | Runs on the N100 light tier ~5–15 tok/s — the battery-first floor. |
| Edge-AI tier | NVIDIA Jetson Orin | Purpose-built: Llama 3.1 8B ~41 tok/s, 30B-class MoE viable. Higher draw — size the battery/solar up. |
| Speech-to-text | whisper.cpp | Offline transcription of field comms / voice notes → text → CoT map markers. CPU-only. |
| Vision (opt.) | moondream / LLaVA | Caption drone/camera stills with no link home. |
| Doc search (RAG) | nomic-embed + sqlite-vec | Query SOPs / maps / manuals offline; vector store in one SQLite file — same shape as the app DB. |
The differentiator holds: off-the-shelf local AI answers questions; only Aquilla reads the markets. The AI stack is commodity you assemble — the market-intelligence node is the part nobody else has.
04Command-tier add — two-way radio over IP
For teams with existing DMR/analogue radio, bridge voice over the same Starlink backhaul with a RoIP gateway (Omnitronics omniGate / Icom IP / a Tait TB9300 native-IP base). This links radio sites without a leased line or microwave — the exact NZ use-case Surf Life Saving runs. Adds real cost and an RSM land-mobile licence, so it's a Command-tier option, not standard.
05Honest notes — read before selling
Licensing (NZ). Meshtastic on 915 MHz ISM is licence-free under the General User Radio Licence (GURL). Haven / Wi-Fi HaLow uses the same 915–928 MHz band but its published 27 dBm firmware figure is a US ISM allowance — NZ GURL power/duty limits differ, so cap TX to the NZ limit before transmitting (this is a genuine pre-sale check, not a footnote). The moment you add licensed two-way radio (the RoIP option), the customer needs an RSM land-mobile licence (~$190 single / $800 up-to-5-sites / $1,800 unlimited, per year). HF (IC-705): transmitting needs a ham General Amateur Operator's Certificate + callsign — receiving is free. RDF (KrakenSDR): passive/receive is fine; never decode or divulge private message content. Starlink needs its own terminal + subscription. Say all of this up front.
Framing & liability. Market it civilian — emergency preparedness, disaster response, remote work, expeditions, journalists, NGOs, farms/forestry. Avoid military/"tactical weapons" positioning: it narrows the market, raises liability, and risks export-control questions for a solo NZ builder. "Consilium Belli" is a strong brand; sell the capability (sovereign situational awareness), not warfighting.
Where the money and the moat are. Anyone can buy this parts list. Your margin is integration + configuration + support + Aquilla — a working system with one throat to choke, not a box of components. Sell three things: (1) assembled tiered kits, (2) a cheaper DIY BOM/guide (lead-gen, like the StarCase listing), (3) the software subscription (Consilium Belli / Aquilla) — the recurring revenue that outlives any one sale.
Build vs buy — the rule. Build the software (yours, reusable). Assemble the hardware from open commodity parts (don't fabricate silicon) — this is how "build our own hardware" is answered honestly: a Pi + an open HaLow HAT + OpenWrt + OpenMANET, Meshtastic beacon nodes, off-the-shelf local AI. Run comms Haven/OpenMANET-primary (Meshtastic is the cheap receive/beacon floor beneath it), and listen-first — receiving is free, licence-free and low-signature. Keep it a separate venture from the FMA-licensed trading platform — Satis/Aquilla is the intelligence node inside it, not a distraction from the licence.
06Engineering notes & open items — Rev E
The honest gaps between "parts list" and "product a customer can trust." Each is a real engineering or business item; none is a blocker, but shipping without addressing them is how a kit earns a bad review.
| Item | The gap | Resolution — where it lands |
|---|
| 🔥 Thermal | Sealed IP67 case + always-on mini-PC/Starlink is a heat trap; cooling fights the waterproofing. | New BOM row (E). Membrane louvre vents (Gore/Bud) or stay sealed and move heat to the shell via fan + cold-plate; Peltier for extremes. Size for hottest ambient. |
| 🔒 HF encryption | Amateur HF must be plaintext — encrypting Winlink/JS8 on ham bands is illegal. | Say it plainly: the IC-705 path is for reach, not secrecy. Private long-haul = a licensed commercial HF service, a different product. Sensitive data stays on the encrypted mesh/IP tiers. |
| 📡 EMSEC | Every transmit reveals your position — the same DF you sell, others can point back at you. | Teach emission discipline in the manual: minimise TX, use directional antennas, LPI modes (JS8), and the "listen-first" default. The AI operator can warn on excessive TX. |
| 🗺️ Offline maps | ATAK ships no maps; each deployment needs its tiles cached beforehand. | A per-AO "map pack" step — and a sellable product: pre-cached topo/satellite tiles + ATAK-Maps sources, loaded before deployment. |
| 🛡️ Cyber hardening | The box is a live network; default creds / open services are the real risk, not radios. | Ship hardened: no default passwords, host firewall, WireGuard (the Teltonika does this), and managed keys — Meshtastic PSKs + ATAK data packages rotated per deployment. |
| 📻 Masts & height | Range is antenna + elevation, not the radio — easy to under-spec. | New BOM row (C). Telescoping push-up pole (6–12 m) + guy kit; applies to mesh, HF and RDF. |
| 📚 Manual & training | A parts list isn't operable; the knowledge is the defensible part. | Ship the field manual + PACE drill + quick-start card, and sell training as its own line. This is where the margin and the moat actually live. |
| 🧰 Support / warranty | A solo builder can't offer enterprise RMA — silence here loses trust. | State the model up front: defined warranty window, spares kit in every tier, remote-first support (the box phones home over any live PACE tier), clear out-of-scope. |
The one-line honesty: HF gives you reach, the mesh/IP tiers give you privacy, and neither gives you invisibility — plan emissions accordingly.