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Welcome to Balto Beacon™
Balto Beacon is a free cross-platform mobile application published by Birchwood Limited for search-and-rescue (SAR) K9 teams. It receives live GPS position data from Loko hardware trackers and relays those positions to CalTopo via its Shared Locations API and Locator objects, allowing incident command and field teams to see live dog and handler positions on a shared map.
Documentation Set
- Balto Beacon User Guide — For SAR team members and handlers using the app in the field.
- Balto Beacon Loko Hardware Setup — Step-by-step guide to configuring your Loko Ground and Air units for use with the app.
At a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Birchwood Limited |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, macOS (in development) |
| Hardware supported | Loko Ground unit (Bluetooth), Loko Air unit (radio, worn on collar) |
| Data destination | CalTopo Shared Locations API |
| Status | Field-validated; active development |
What Balto Beacon Does
- Scans for and connects to Loko Ground station hardware over Bluetooth.
- Receives GPS positions relayed from Loko Air units (worn on dog collars) via the Ground unit.
- Uploads live positions to a CalTopo map so incident command and other field assets can see dog/handler locations in real time.
- Displays a live map with per-unit tracks, battery status, compass heading, and distance-to-tracker.
- Buffers and backfills position uploads through CalTopo outages or connectivity gaps so no data is lost.
Related Projects
- Balto K9 — Birchwood Limited's published K9 training log app. Serves as a design reference for maps, gestures, and UI conventions shared with Beacon.
- Original SAR Hardware — A purpose-built collar + ground station system in development, intended to eventually supersede the Loko hardware that Beacon currently talks to.
Where can I buy the Loko product?
Note: The Loko product is not manufactured by Birchwood Limited. It is an open-source project and is subject to changes by its creator.
Support / Ownership
Balto Beacon is developed and maintained by Birchwood Limited. For technical issues, see the project's issue tracker (link TBD).