BLACKBOX 200

Project Background

As a grassroots organisation, we operate on a shoestring budget and rely on ingenuity to achieve our goals. Rather than purchasing expensive infrastructure, we harvest old technology from garages, attics and thrift shops. BLACKBOX 200 symbolises this ethos: turning a decommissioned Barracuda 200 appliance into a fully functional server for our mesh network projects.

Reusing Old Technology

There is a wealth of discarded hardware available for next to nothing. By stripping down obsolete firewalls, NAS devices and networking gear, we salvage power supplies, cases and cooling systems. Components that can’t be reused are responsibly recycled. This approach minimises waste and provides us with a library of parts for custom builds.

Building the BlackBox

The Barracuda 200 unit we received was gutted of its proprietary electronics. In its place we installed a low‑power motherboard, solid‑state storage, additional fans and a fresh power supply. Custom mounts and brackets were fabricated to secure the new components. The result is a compact, quiet server that runs Linux and hosts our mesh dashboard and other backend services.

A Self‑Hosted Server

The refurbished BlackBox now serves as the heart of our communications lab. It provides a local MQTT broker, a Node‑Red instance and storage for logs and mission data. By self‑hosting these services, we maintain full control over our data and can operate without internet access. The server can also be deployed in the field, bridging our mesh network with Wi‑Fi or ethernet clients.

Current Status & Future Plans

• Finalise enclosure modifications and install additional dust filters.
• Document the build process for other teams to replicate.
• Implement automated backups and monitoring tools.
• Explore using secondary hardware as redundant servers for critical missions.