DEF CON 34 RF Village Field Kit for Flipper Zero & Cardputer (2026)

PINGEQUA Lab · DEF CON 34 RF Village packing guide · 8 min read · Updated 2026-07-26

The best convention RF kit is not the bag with the most radios; it is the smallest setup you have already tested, labeled and backed up before you reach the show floor.

Quick answerDEF CON 34 is still scheduled for August 6–9, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall, and the current official Villages page lists the Radio Frequency Village. Start with a known-good Flipper Zero or M5Stack Cardputer, one RF add-on matched to the activity you want to join, a data-capable USB cable, storage and spare power. Add Sub-GHz, nRF24, dual-band Wi-Fi or GPS capability only when your planned sessions need it.
Key takeaways
  • Test before travel: confirm the host, module, cable and storage work together at home.
  • Pack by task: CC1101 for supported Sub-GHz work, nRF24L01+ for authorized 2.4 GHz labs, Wi-Fi hardware for Wi-Fi sessions, and GPS only for location-aware logging you are permitted to perform.
  • Reduce board swaps: combination modules can cover more than one radio role in one physical add-on.
  • Keep a clean fallback: save known-good firmware, configuration and backups locally instead of depending on event Wi-Fi.
  • Stay inside the rules: use village-provided targets or equipment you own and are authorized to test; never interfere with venue, hotel, casino, vehicle or attendee systems.

What the official DEF CON 34 pages confirm

The current DEF CON 34 Call Index gives the dates as August 6–9, 2026 and the venue as the Las Vegas Convention Center. The current Villages page narrows the venue listing to West Hall and explicitly includes the Radio Frequency Village.

DEF CON describes the village as a learning environment spanning radio technologies such as software-defined radio, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, RFID and infrared, with talks and RF Capture the Flag activities. That breadth is exactly why a task-based kit is more useful than trying to buy one device that claims to do everything.

Schedule note: the village is confirmed, but individual talks, contests and hands-on requirements can still change. Recheck the official DEF CON 34 schedule and the RF Village site immediately before travel.

Build the kit by capability

Capability What to pack Compact PINGEQUA options
Sub-GHz A CC1101-based module that matches the band and authorized activity you plan to use. CC1101 433 MHz Module — $24.99; Horizon 433 Pro — $32.99.
2.4 GHz radio labs An nRF24L01+ module for supported, authorized exercises. nRF24L01+ Module — $24.99; RF Lab 2-in-1 — $39.99.
Wi-Fi A board whose radio support matches the session; do not assume every ESP32 or firmware build supports the same bands. ESP32-S2 WiFi Devboard — $29.99; 5Ghost BW16 Dual-Band — from $39.99.
Location-aware logging GPS/GNSS only when your planned workflow needs coordinates and you have permission to collect the data. Flipper Zero GPS Module — $32.99; Scout Lite Wi-Fi 6 + GPS — $64.98.
Cardputer RF A cap or module verified for your exact Cardputer model and the legal band where you will operate. Switchblade RF 3-in-1 — $31.99; Hydra RF 424 — $32.99; Hydra RF 924 — $35.99.

Prices and public product handles were checked in the PINGEQUA Shopify catalog on July 26, 2026 and can change. Frequency labels above follow the current live product titles; verify the exact model, host compatibility and legal operating band before purchase or transmission.

Four packable kit paths

Flipper · compact RF

RF Lab 2-in-1

One board combining an nRF24L01+ radio and a 433 MHz CC1101. Choose it when reducing module swaps matters more than optimizing for one radio path.

$39.99 USD
Flipper · Sub-GHz

Horizon 433 Pro

A 433 MHz external CC1101 module with PA/LNA and an SMA antenna connection. No range claim is made here; real performance depends on the full setup and conditions.

$32.99 USD
Flipper · Wi-Fi + GPS

Scout Lite

An ESP32-C5 Wi-Fi 6 wardriving board with L86 GPS in one product. Use only for lawful, authorized collection and check the supported firmware workflow before travel.

$64.98 USD
Cardputer · RF + storage

Switchblade RF 3-in-1

An M5Stack Cardputer module combining nRF24L01+, 433 MHz CC1101 and an SD slot. Confirm your exact Cardputer model before packing it as the only RF add-on.

$31.99 USD

Flipper Zero: the practical minimum

If you want one board for two radio roles, the RF Lab 2-in-1 is the compact choice because its live product configuration combines nRF24L01+ and a 433 MHz CC1101. If your plan is only Sub-GHz work, a standard CC1101 module is the simpler option.

Choose the Horizon 433 Pro when you specifically want its external CC1101, PA/LNA front end and SMA antenna connection. Do not treat those features as a guaranteed distance figure: antenna choice, frequency, target hardware, placement, interference and legal power limits all matter.

For Wi-Fi work, match the board to the session. The ESP32-S2 WiFi Devboard and 5Ghost BW16 Dual-Band are different hardware paths; verify the firmware-to-board pairing before leaving home. If GPS logging is your main goal, compare a separate GPS Module with the integrated Scout Lite path.

Related guides: CC1101 vs nRF24 vs 2-in-1 RF modules, 5Ghost vs ESP32 Marauder, and the Flipper Zero wardriving and GPS guide.

M5Stack Cardputer: verify the host before the cap

For a Cardputer kit, start with the exact host model, then select the module. The Switchblade RF 3-in-1 combines nRF24L01+, 433 MHz CC1101 and SD storage. The Hydra RF 424 and Hydra RF 924 are separate live products with different frequency labels.

Do not infer pin assignments or compatibility from a similarly named board. Cardputer variants are not interchangeable by name alone, and pin mappings can change with hardware and firmware. Use the Cardputer ADV vs v1.1 compatibility guide as a starting point, then confirm against the current product page and firmware documentation before travel.

The non-radio items that save the day

  • A data-capable USB cable: label it; many charge-only cables look identical.
  • Spare power: bring a charged power bank and the correct cable for every host.
  • Local backups: keep known-good firmware, configuration and recovery files on your laptop and a separate storage device.
  • Storage: bring a tested SD card when your workflow writes captures or logs.
  • Small adapters: pack only the USB and antenna adapters you have already tested.
  • Labels: mark each module, antenna and cable so a quick board swap does not become a troubleshooting session.
  • A notebook: record the target owner, authorization, frequency, configuration and result for each exercise.

What to leave out

  • Untested hardware: a convention floor is a poor place to discover a bad cable, wrong pin map or unsupported build.
  • Every antenna you own: bring the correct, tested antenna for the module and band you intend to use.
  • Unverified firmware bundles: keep a known-good recovery image instead of collecting random binaries at the venue.
  • Anything intended for interference: jamming and unauthorized transmission do not belong in an educational field kit.

Pack one tested path, not an untested pile

Choose the module that matches your host and planned activity, then complete a full power-on, storage and recovery test before DEF CON.

Flipper RF 2-in-1 Cardputer RF 3-in-1 Scout Lite Wi-Fi + GPS

Frequently asked questions

Is the Radio Frequency Village confirmed for DEF CON 34?
Yes. The current official DEF CON 34 Villages page lists the Radio Frequency Village, and the official conference pages give August 6–9, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall.
Do I need a HackRF or another SDR to participate?
Not for every activity. A Flipper Zero or Cardputer with a tested add-on can support selected sessions, but it does not replace a wideband SDR for workflows that specifically require one. Check the final session requirements before packing.
What is the most compact Flipper Zero RF setup?
For two radio roles on one board, the RF Lab 2-in-1 combines nRF24L01+ and a 433 MHz CC1101. If you only need Sub-GHz capability, a single CC1101 module is the simpler kit.
Which Hydra RF model should a Cardputer user bring?
Choose only after confirming your exact Cardputer model, the activity and the legal band. The current live product titles identify Hydra RF 424 as 433 MHz and Hydra RF 924 as 915 MHz; do not assume another model or region is interchangeable.
Should I flash firmware at DEF CON?
Prepare before travel. Load and test a known-good firmware build, save the matching configuration and recovery files locally, and bring a data-capable cable. Event Wi-Fi should not be your only recovery path.
Can I transmit anywhere at the venue?
No. Transmit only on legal bands and only against village-provided targets or equipment you own and are authorized to test. Follow village and venue rules, and never interfere with infrastructure, vehicles or other attendees.

Sources & further reading: DEF CON 34 Call Index (checked July 26, 2026); DEF CON 34 Villages (checked July 26, 2026); official date announcement (published October 29, 2025).

Educational content for authorized security research and RF experimentation only. Test only devices you own or have explicit permission to assess, follow village and venue rules, and comply with applicable radio requirements, including FCC Part 15 in the United States and CE/RED requirements in the European Union. PINGEQUA is an independent hardware maker and is not affiliated with DEF CON, Flipper Devices or M5Stack.

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