Question 1

Do I need the Meshtastic app installed?

Accepted Answer

No. LANCE connects to and configures the radio itself over Bluetooth (or USB on Pro/Enterprise). You don’t need the Meshtastic app to pre-provision anything — and a companion app shouldn’t hold the same radio while LANCE is operating.

Question 2

What do I actually need to get started?

Accepted Answer

Three things: ATAK-CIV, the LANCE plugin, and a Meshtastic-compatible LoRa radio. Connect the radio, open ATAK with LANCE, and the plugin configures and verifies the radio for you.

Question 3

What if my radio has old or wrong settings?

Accepted Answer

LANCE detects the mismatch, keeps the link yellow, writes the correct template over the link, and verifies it by readback before going green. Even a radio still on a legacy “ATAK” channel is migrated automatically.

Question 4

Bluetooth or USB?

Accepted Answer

Direct Bluetooth works on every edition. USB serial is available on Pro and Enterprise (hardware validation ongoing). Either way the setup flow is the same: connect, open ATAK, done.

Question 5

Which radios are recommended?

Accepted Answer

The current tested baseline is a Meshtastic radio on the RAK4631 / WisBlock platform. Other Meshtastic radios may work but should be treated as experimental until a successful LANCE field test.

Question 6

Why does the link stay yellow?

Accepted Answer

Yellow means LANCE is still configuring or verifying the radio against your operating mode. Give it a moment after connect or a preset change; if it persists, the radio config doesn’t yet match — check it isn’t locked to an old channel name.

Question 7

How often are positions transmitted?

Accepted Answer

Position reporting runs on a configurable interval rather than continuously — for example every 30 seconds. Shorter intervals give a fresher picture but use more airtime as the team grows. A short burst of full identity frames goes out after link-up and on identity change, then it settles into roughly one full frame per nine compact updates.

Question 8

How do I know a marker was actually delivered?

Accepted Answer

A marker turns green only after the receiving plugin sends back a real acknowledgement (ACK). Until that ACK arrives it isn’t shown as confirmed, so the colour reflects genuine delivery. Markers and range lines also show an ACK count of unique confirming peers.

Question 9

What does confirmed delivery cost on the mesh?

Accepted Answer

The acknowledgement is a small return packet, so an acknowledged object action is roughly one second of shared airtime on LongFast. If no ACK arrives, LANCE retries once after 30 seconds, then stops.

Question 10

Can I delete a marker for everyone?

Accepted Answer

Network-wide marker delete is a Pro capability; on Enterprise it can additionally be governed and centrally controlled. You can send and delete markers straight from the ATAK radial menu or the Events tab.

Question 11

Which shapes can I share?

Accepted Answer

Circles, ellipses/ovals and rectangles, plus range & bearing lines. These cover the most common field graphics while staying compact on the mesh. Freeforms and point-heavy polygons are intentionally out of scope.

Question 12

Why did my shape turn white on another device?

Accepted Answer

Its colour was outside the supported palette, so the receiver renders it white. The shape and its geometry still arrived correctly — only the colour fell back.

Question 13

How long can chat messages be?

Accepted Answer

Each message is sent as a single LoRa packet. Thanks to Unishox2 compression — which fits roughly a third more text per transmission — you’ll rarely hit the limit on normal tactical traffic. Very long messages are trimmed to fit, and you’re told when that happens.

Question 14

Is chat available in Free?

Accepted Answer

No. Chat and CASEVAC are Pro capabilities. Free focuses on the core operation: positions, markers, baseline shapes & range, and emergency alarms.

Question 15

What is the CASEVAC workflow?

Accepted Answer

A structured way to compose and send casualty-evacuation (9-line) reporting over the mesh, keeping the essential details consistent and readable, and rebuilding as a proper ATAK medical event on the receiver.

Question 16

How do I trigger an emergency alarm?

Accepted Answer

Use ATAK’s normal emergency tool exactly as you would on a connected network. LANCE detects the supported alarm — 911, Ring the Bell, Troops in Contact, geo-fence breach — and sends it over the mesh automatically. Cancels propagate immediately.

Question 17

Do I need a TAK Server?

Accepted Answer

No. LANCE operates fully off-grid over the LoRa mesh without one. A network bridge is optional, used if you choose to connect the mesh to a TAK Server, a local LAN or a MANET where connectivity exists.

Question 18

What is the Network Bridge?

Accepted Answer

An optional, two-way bridge between the LoRa mesh and another reachable network — most often a TAK Server, but also a local LAN or a professional MANET. It carries the mesh picture out and brings relevant data back, while the mesh stays the authority in the field. Bridging across other mesh stacks (MeshCore, Reticulum) is under research. Pro has a light scope; Enterprise full scope.

Question 19

Is this a TAK Server replacement?

Accepted Answer

No. LANCE is a resilient transport for when servers and cellular aren’t available. It carries the essential, field-relevant picture rather than matching a full server’s capacity.

Question 20

Is Free just a demo?

Accepted Answer

No. Free is permanently usable for simple and basic off-grid workflows — it is not a time-limited trial.

Question 21

Who should buy Pro?

Accepted Answer

Power users, professionals and small-to-mid teams who need full control: multiple presets, manual radio configuration, custom encryption, chat & CASEVAC, network marker delete and the optional server relay. Pro is a one-time $14.99 Google Play unlock.

Question 22

Why is Enterprise separate from Pro?

Accepted Answer

Enterprise includes organizational deployment and governance capabilities that go beyond self-service use — mass and remote enrollment, fleet management, remote device & radio control, signed configuration packages and offline signed licensing. It uses per-device licensing on request through a separate distribution path.

Question 23

What encryption does each edition use?

Accepted Answer

Free runs an open channel (no encryption). Pro and Enterprise add a LANCE managed key or a custom 256-bit PSK. Keys are never logged or exported — diagnostics keep only a non-secret length and checksum.

Question 24

Does LANCE send my data to TAKHUB?

Accepted Answer

No. The plugin is offline-first and on-device: your positions, markers, messages and radio configuration are not transmitted to TAKHUB. See the Privacy Policy for details.

Questions, answered.

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