Required Hardware

In order to transmit and receive mesh network packets, Direbox requires three pieces of additional hardware:

• A radio
• A soundcard (we recommend digirig)
• A smartphone, tablet, or computer to access the Direbox web app

Amateur radio operators probably have all of this equipment already. For those who don't, we'll go over the most common options here.

Radio Options

Unlike other mesh network communicators, Direbox doesn't care what frequency your radio operates on - it is fully capable of using common amateur VHF/UHF radios, GMRS radios, MURS radios, and more.

Direbox will work just fine with cheap HTs like the ubiquitous Baofeng UV-5R and all its variants, though the poor turn around time and overloading of nearby electronic equipment (including the Direbox itself) may affect your ability to send messages effectively. If you're on a "cheap Chinese radio" budget and want a step up from the UV-5R, the Quansheng UV-K5 has worked well in our testing.

One of the great advantages of being able to plug in any radio to Direbox is the ability to run higher power. 5 watt HTs are fun to play with but leave a lot to be desired for serious communications due to their limited range. For a mobile or base station rig on a budget, the Anytone AT-778UV is a 25 watt unit that regularly retails for around $120 USD and has performed admirably in our tests.

Of course, any quality radio from major brands like Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom, and Motorola are great options.

In short, the better your radio, the better Direbox will work.

Soundcard Options

Direbox is designed to work out of the box with affordable, generic USB soundcards like the Sabrent USB sound adapter, the AIOC cable, and the ever-popular Digirig.

We recommend using Digirig or AIOC for several reasons:

1. Better Packet Transmission - Digirig uses PTT (push-to-talk) instead of VOX (audio activation) to send messages. This means that the Digirig electronically controls the transmission of your packets instead of relying on Direbox "listening" for audio, resulting in much better transmit rates.
2. Compatible With Most Radios - While there are some off-the-shelf cables for radios to interface with generic soundcards, Digirig has a massive catalog of ready-to-use cables that support most radios.
3. Overall Quality - Digirig is made of metal and is a high-quality piece of hardware. They also have a large community forum for support.

For anyone who has ever worked with packet radio before, configuring COM ports, serial ports, and setting /dev/tty paths is a huge pain and a high barrier to entry. What's worse, your computer will sometimes change the assignment of these ports, forcing you to set it all up again!

Direbox takes out all the guesswork. Simply plug your soundcard of choice into Direbox, navigate to Settings > Detect Soundcard, and tap the button. Everything will "just work."^[1]

A Smartphone, Tablet, or Computer

We're going to assume you already own one of these ;)

The Direbox web app is modern and responsive, so it looks great on both Desktop and Mobile:

Direbox has been tested extensively with Chrome (via Chromium) and Firefox. While Direbox will work just fine on iPhone and iPad, it works best on browsers other than Safari. Android has the unique advantage of being able to install the Direbox PWA (Progressive Web App) if you're using a Chrome-based browser.

Serious EMCOMM operators may want to use an airgapped machine for a truly off-grid experience. Consider using a privacy-centric OS like Linux, GrapheneOS, or LineageOS if you are using Direbox in a contentious environment.