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chartreuse

Text your crew where there’s no signal.

Text your crew where there’s no signal. See where they are, too. Chartreuse is a long-range radio for the friends you hike, camp, and get lost with.

No bars, no accounts, no subscription. The radio pairs with your phone and does the rest.

We’re building it now. Want to be first to know when it’s ready?

We only email when something real happens. Unsubscribe whenever you like.

This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

no bars
no bars

Who it’s for

The group chat dies at the trailhead

The night before, somebody makes the shared doc. Who’s driving, who’s bringing the stove, what time we’re actually leaving. By morning the group chat has 47 unread messages and about four of them matter.

Then everyone gets to the trailhead and the phones go quiet. The fast ones push ahead. Someone stops to fix a boot. Two people take the long way past the lake, because of course they do. The group chat is a brick. Your options are yelling, sending a runner, or waiting at a rock you all agreed on hours ago.

Every crew has this day. Some crews have it every time.

So what if the chat just kept working out there?

How it works

Three steps and you’re talking

Setup is a short walk that ends in a scan. After that the radio just lives on your pack.

  1. Step one

    Open the box

    Take the radio out. That’s step one. We’re not padding this.

  2. Step two

    Press the button

    One press and it finds your phone. Every time after that, it reconnects on its own.

  3. Step three

    Scan your crew’s code

    Everyone scans the same code and that’s your crew. It’s encrypted, and the keys live on your phone instead of on a server somewhere.

Then you just text. Pins drop on the map, the receipt says delivered via radio, and you can see where everyone is, so the space between you turns into part of the fun. Up top it reads 4 on the radio · off-grid in a calm green. Out here that’s good news, not a warning.

These are designs of the app we’re building, not screenshots of a finished product.

App design: the pairing screen showing the radio, an off-grid ready chip, and a Pair your radio button.
Pairing starts here. The radio wakes up ready.

This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

App design: a confirmation screen reading You’re on the air, with a Find my crew button.
Paired. Next stop, your crew.
App design: a crew conversation where a message receipt reads delivered via radio, with a dropped pin marking a trailhead meeting spot.
The receipt says delivered via radio.
App design: a map showing where each crew member is, listed as in range, with a tapped pin for the trailhead.
Everyone, and where they are.

This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

Why it’s different

Mostly, it’s what isn’t there

No flashing, no fiddling, no settings to match. No subscription, because there’s no network to pay for. No accounts. Open the box, scan your crew’s code, start talking.

Does it really work with zero bars?

Yes, really.

Is this some prepper survival network thing?

Nope.

A satellite subscription?

Also nope.

Is it fun?

That’s the point.

One honest thing. Chartreuse is not an emergency or rescue device. There’s no SOS button and no way to call for help. It talks to your crew, and that’s all it does. If you’re heading somewhere truly remote, carry a satellite messenger too.

FAQ

The questions we’d ask too

Does it really work with no cell signal?

Yes. That’s the entire idea. The radios talk straight to each other, so your phone can sit at zero bars and your crew still gets the message.

How far does it reach?

Far enough for a crew that spreads out over a day on the trail: the quick ones ahead, someone fixing a boot, two people off at the lake. We’re not printing a number we haven’t finished testing. When the field testing is done we’ll publish what we actually measured, and the list hears it first.

How long does the battery last?

Days between charges (est.) on normal trail use. The radio sleeps hard between messages and wakes up when the crew needs it. Firm numbers come with the field test results.

How is this different from Meshtastic or a Garmin inReach?

Meshtastic is great if you like building your own network. That’s a proper hobby, and this isn’t it. Satellite messengers like inReach do something we don’t do at all, which is reach the outside world, rescue included. Chartreuse has one job: talking to the people you came with.

Is this an emergency or rescue device?

No. Chartreuse is not an emergency or rescue device. There’s no SOS button and no way to call for help. It talks to your crew, and that’s all it does. If you’re heading somewhere truly remote, carry a satellite messenger too.

Do I need a subscription or an account?

No, and no. There’s no network to pay for, and a crew is a passphrase rather than an account. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to cancel.

Is my crew’s chat private?

Yes. Messages are encrypted and your phone holds the keys, so we can’t read your chat and neither can anyone listening.

What phone do I need?

iPhone or Android at launch. The radio pairs with your phone and reconnects on its own after that.

When can I buy one?

We can’t legally sell it, or even take pre-orders, until the FCC authorization work is finished. That’s the work we’re doing right now. Join the list and you’ll hear the moment it changes. We won’t give you dates we can’t keep.

Still here? Sounds like your crew.

We’ll email when there’s something worth saying. Build updates, real test results, and word the moment it’s ready.

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We only email when something real happens. Unsubscribe whenever you like.