Custom engineering packs an entire independent technology system into one portable case. Urban Circles shared this project, often referred to as the ATU or off-grid tech kit, to show how everyday devices can combine into something that keeps running when power and internet disappear for days at a time.
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max station, which generates 2,048 watt-hours, powers everything. The clever design means that even with a reasonably high capacity system, the average demand in regular use is just approximately 30 watts. That’s more than enough electricity to keep the system running for at least seven days on a single charge, and if you live in a region with adequate sunlight, solar input will continue without restriction, even when the winter sun isn’t at its peak.
- Power for Every Scenario: EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic delivers 1800W output (3600W surge) with X-Boost technology—enough for refrigerators, microwaves...
- Ultra-Fast Charging: Go from 0–80% in just 45 minutes with X-Stream AC charging. Keep your devices and appliances powered faster, smarter, and with...
- <10ms UPS: Protect sensitive electronics like PCs, servers, and medical devices. DELTA 3 Classic automatically switches to battery in under 10ms...
At the heart of everything is a ZimaBoard 2, a fanless single-board computer that can do it all. It consumes only about 6 watts when idle and runs on a Linux-based operating system with a very user-friendly web interface. There are also a variety of self-hosted applications available. Jellyfin allows you to watch personal movies, programs, and music from your local library. Kiwix provides searchable offline versions of Wikipedia and other reference materials to keep on hand. Paperless NGX allows you to organize and explore scanned documents using automatic tagging, while Open WebUI provides a private interface for running local AI models with no external connection required; it can handle queries, summaries, and simple analysis.
For everyday use, a durable AGM G3 Pro phone serves as the primary screen. It has a large, brilliant display and a battery that can power long sessions away from the main case. It also includes built-in thermal imaging, which is ideal for detecting heat signatures in low-light circumstances. It includes offline maps from Organic Maps to help you navigate wherever you are. Local AI tools and knowledge bases can be loaded directly from the server or executed on the phone. It can also work in tandem with other technology to send messages across extended distances.
The system handles decentralized communications with a Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4 node running Meshtastic firmware. This configuration generates a mesh network capable of transmitting messages and data over distances of many kilometers without the use of cell towers or the internet. By passing the signal on to other nodes, the range can be increased even further. The phone connects to it via Bluetooth, and a second node can operate independently as a backup.
If you need to do some signal monitoring and analysis, the PortaPack H4M software-defined radio is the tool for the job. It’s a handheld machine with a touchscreen that supports frequencies ranging from 1 MHz to 6 GHz. It will capture weather satellite broadcasts, aviation signals, FM and AM radio, Bluetooth activities, and much more. The container lid also includes a printed reference that identifies typical frequencies, Morse code, and some basic emergency codes in case you need them in the field.
