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Ratspeak for T-Deck Plus

The T-Deck Plus is supported by Ratspeak Handheld, the shared successor to rsDeck, rsPager, and rsCardputer. This page describes Ratspeak Handheld 2.2.4 beta. The full image boots a small launcher that can start either mode:

  • Standalone — on-device Reticulum/LXMF messaging over LoRa, with local identity, contacts, messages, radio settings, Wi-Fi options, GPS time sync, and SD-card storage support.
  • RNode — a host-controlled RNode-style radio for Ratspeak, Sideband, or another Reticulum client over BLE or USB serial.

For the smaller modular handheld, see Cardputer Adv. Both speak Reticulum/LXMF and can exchange messages when their radio settings and reachable paths match.

Hardware​

The LilyGO T-Deck Plus has an ESP32-S3, 320×240 display, QWERTY keyboard, trackball, integrated LoRa radio, battery, and GPS. Choose hardware and an antenna suited to the frequency band you will use. An SD card is optional for normal messaging.

Get the firmware on your device​

Use tdeck-full.zip from Ratspeak Handheld releases for a fresh installation. The web flasher accepts the complete ZIP through Build your own; check that a board preset shows Ratspeak Handheld if selecting an automatic download.

Back up your identity and data first. Full, Standalone, and RNode ZIPs are factory images, not data-preserving updates. The web flasher clears internal storage after you accept its backup notice. See the backup instructions before replacing an existing installation.

If you'd rather build from source, see the bottom of this page. For recovery mode, serial verification, and post-flash checks, see Flashing Firmware.

Modes​

Use the full image to switch modes on-device. Choose Standalone for messaging on the T-Deck, or RNode to connect it to a host client. Standalone-only and RNode-only packages install a single mode. Bare app binaries require a compatible external launcher or the correct application slot; they are not full images.

First boot​

On a fresh installation, Standalone mode creates a Reticulum identity and asks for a display name and timezone. Share your Ratspeak contact QR to include your name, address, identity, and public key. Legacy shows an LXMF-address-only QR.

What you can do on it​

Five tabs along the bottom, navigated with touch or the trackball:

  • Home — identity and device controls. Select Announce to advertise your identity to reachable peers.
  • Chats — your inbox. Open a thread to read or reply.
  • Contacts — saved peers. Select a contact to open its chat.
  • Peers — discovered messaging peers. Open one to Save Contact or Message.
  • Settings — radio config, network mode, region, and device options.

To remove a saved contact, focus it with the trackball, hold the trackball button, then press Enter to confirm. Esc keeps the contact.

For a custom frequency, open Settings → LoRa. Select Developer Radio Controls, then hold the trackball button as prompted to unlock the custom fields. Open Frequency. Use A/D (or left/right) to choose a digit and the trackball up/down to tune it. Press Enter to save; hold the trackball button or use the visible cancel control to discard the edit. Comma/slash also move between digits while editing.

The handheld guide explains saved drafts, delivery states, long-message/history navigation and storage recovery.

LoRa presets​

The default radio preset is Long Fast. Match the frequency and preset with the peers you want to reach; a shared preset name alone does not establish a connection. Radio controls are in Settings.

For the full preset table and tuning guidance, see LoRa Radio Interfaces.

Regions​

Choose a radio region supported by your hardware and permitted where you use it. A timezone setting does not change the radio's hardware band or automatically select a legal frequency. Check the region and frequency before transmitting.

Wi-Fi bridging​

Choose Client or Hotspot in Settings; the two modes are mutually exclusive.

Client joins an existing Wi-Fi network. Configure a TCP peer to reach a remote Reticulum network; no public server is selected automatically.

Hotspot creates a local Wi-Fi network with a Reticulum TCP bridge for a nearby host client. It provides a path through the handheld's radio, not an Internet connection for the connected computer.

Build from source​

Use the shared build instructions with DEVICE=tdeck. The Reticulum/LXMF core is Rust; normal builds use the included libraries, with C++ hardware and user-interface code.

Legacy rsDeck​

Older microReticulum-based releases and their source remain in ratspeak/rsDeck. The package names retain the rsdeck- prefix, so check the repository and version rather than the filename alone when choosing an image.

License​

The standalone firmware and launcher are AGPL-3.0-or-later; bundled RNode firmware retains its GPLv3 license. See the repository's third-party notices.