Open-Source Software, Air-Gapped Knowledge Vaults & Radio Firmware Hub
Zero cloud logins, zero telemetry, zero recurring subscriptions: verified UK configurations for 11 essential off-grid open-source software stacks.
Modern commercial software is overwhelmingly fragile: if a remote authentication server cannot be reached over broadband, apps refuse to launch. Every software tool in the Off-Grid Academy directory is 100% open-source (GPL, MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD), runs completely air-gapped on 12V DC Linux/Windows/macOS/Android hardware, and has been audited for UK Ofcom IR 2030 and Amateur Radio licensing compliance.
Explore individual configuration blueprints below for Meshtastic UK EU_868 firmware, Pat Winlink radio email, Kiwix ZIM offline Wikipedia and medical encyclopaedias, Ollama local LLMs, CHIRP-next UK frequency banks, SDR++, OsmAnd UK Ordnance Survey contour maps, VictronConnect, JS8Call, Venus OS + Home Assistant, and IronOS.
All 11 Verified Open-Source Software Stacks
Meshtastic UK (EU_868) Firmware & Web Flasher
Region: EU_868 (869.400–869.650 MHz, centre 869.525 MHz) • Modem Preset: LONG_FAST (250kHz BW, SF11) • Max Output: 500mW (27dBm) ERP • Statutory Duty Cycle: 10% (Ofcom IR 2030/1/19 licence-exempt)
Pat — Open-Source Cross-Platform Winlink Radio Email Client
Transport: VARA HF / ARDOP / AX.25 Packet (VHF 144.950MHz / HF 80m & 40m UK RMS Gateways) or Telnet • Local Web GUI: http://localhost:8080 • Requires valid UK Ofcom Amateur Radio Callsign for RF TX (No encryption permitted on Amateur bands)
Kiwix Offline Reader + Verified .ZIM Archives
Recommended UK Vault Bundle: wikipedia_en_all_maxi (104 GB) + mdwiki_en_all / WikiMed Clinical Reference (2.1 GB) + ifixit_en_all Equipment Repair (45 GB) + gutenberg_en_all (75 GB) • Local HTTP Server Port: 8080
Ollama + OpenWebUI (Air-Gapped Local AI Engine)
12V N100 / 16GB RAM Quantised Profile: llama3.1:8b-instruct-q4_K_M (4.7 GB) + qwen2.5-coder:7b-q4_K_M (4.4 GB) • Bind Address: 0.0.0.0:11434 (LAN-only, telemetry disabled) • Local RAG Document Folder: BS 7671 & First Aid PDFs
CHIRP-next Radio Programming Suite
UK Standard Memory Bank CSV: Ch 1–16 PMR446 (446.00625–446.19375 MHz, RX/TX on compliant sets) • UK Marine VHF Ch 16 (156.800 MHz RX-Only Monitor) • UK 2m/70cm Calling & Repeaters (TX inhibited unless Ofcom licensed)
SDR++ & CubicSDR Wideband Spectrum Waterfall
RTL-SDR V4 UK Bookmarks: 198 kHz (BBC Radio 4 Longwave National Emergency Broadcast) • 3.600–3.800 MHz (80m UK NVIS Regional HF) • 121.500 MHz AM (Aviation Distress) • 156.800 MHz FM (Marine Ch 16) • Direct Sampling: Auto
OsmAnd~ & Organic Maps (Offline Great Britain OS/OSM Vector Maps)
Offline Region Pack: Great Britain_europe.obf + UK 5m Contour Lines & Hillshade DEM • Routing Profile: Offline Pedestrian / 4x4 Track / Bridleway • POI Overlays: Springs, Water Wells, Public Defibrillators (AED), Substations
VictronConnect (Local Bluetooth & VE.Direct Telemetry)
12V LiFePO4 (Fogstar 300Ah) Custom Profile: Absorption 14.20V (2h fixed) • Float 13.50V • Equalisation DISABLED (0A) • Low-Temperature Cut-Off: +2°C • SmartShunt Peukert Exponent: 1.05 • Charge Efficiency: 99%
JS8Call & Fldigi (Weak-Signal HF Keyboard Messaging)
UK / European HF Calling Frequencies (USB Mode): 80m NVIS Night/Regional: 3.578 MHz • 40m UK Daytime: 7.078 MHz • 20m Europe: 14.078 MHz • German DWD Marine Weatherfax RTTY/WEFAX: 3.855 MHz & 7.880 MHz
Venus OS & Home Assistant (Local Off-Grid Plant Room Telemetry)
Local LAN Dashboard (Port 8123 / 80): VE.Direct USB serial bridge to MultiPlus-II & SmartShunt + Ecowitt WS90 868MHz Local HTTP Webhook + YoLink/Reolink RTSP Local Stream • Zero External Cloud Dependencies
IronOS RISC-V Firmware & NanoVNA-Saver / Radiacode Local Suite
Pinecil V2 12V Battery Profile: 3S/4S LiFePO4 (11.5V Low-Voltage Cutout), Boost = 380°C • NanoVNA-Saver: Multi-segment 868MHz & HF SWR sweep export • Radiacode: Offline keV calibration for Cs-137 (662 keV)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which open-source radio software tools are 100% licence-exempt in the UK?
Meshtastic configured to EU_868 (869.525 MHz, <=500mW ERP, 10% duty cycle) and receive-only tools such as SDR++, Kiwix, Ollama, OsmAnd, and VictronConnect are 100% licence-exempt in Great Britain.
Can these software tools be pre-loaded onto rugged offline hardware?
Yes. The 2TB Offline Knowledge Vault (OGA-CMP-005) and 12V DC Mini-Server (OGA-CMP-006) are designed to hold Kiwix ZIM archives, OsmAnd UK maps, and local AI models.