Lynkx safety beacon
The Lynkx is an outdoor safety beacon that combines LoRaWAN + Bluetooth + GNSS. Its job is simple but important: keep transmitting your geolocation over the long-range LoRaWAN network even when you have no GSM / mobile coverage.
SportsTrackLive connects to a Lynkx over Bluetooth, independently from any flight instrument (vario, XCTracer, FlyMaster, RaceBox…). Because it uses its own connection, you can keep an instrument and a Lynkx connected at the same time — the beacon runs on its own as a dedicated safety device.
What is LoRaWAN?
LoRaWAN is a low-power, long-range radio network built for connected objects. It reaches places where the mobile network doesn't, which is exactly why it's used here for safety.
Connect a Lynkx beacon
You connect a Lynkx from the cockpit (the recording screen), the same place you add a flight instrument. The exact wording differs slightly between Android and iOS.
Turn the beacon on first
Power on the Lynkx and keep it nearby before you start. In the device list it advertises as LYNKX_xxxxxxxx (its Bluetooth name).
On Android
- In the cockpit, tap the Settings button (gear icon).
- Open the Bluetooth external device section and tap Add.
- In the Select BLE Device picker, wait for the scan and choose your
LYNKX_xxxxxxxxbeacon.
A dedicated Lynkx safety beacon row then appears in Settings showing its state — for example Online · N% when connected and transmitting (N% is the beacon battery), or disconnected otherwise. Tap Remove to disconnect and forget the beacon.
On iOS
- In the cockpit, open Settings.
- Go to the External Bluetooth Device section and turn on Use Bluetooth external device — this opens the device picker.
- On the Choose your device screen, wait for the search and select your
LYNKX_xxxxxxxxbeacon.
Once selected, its state is shown — for example Online, Connected or Offline, with the battery when available. To disconnect, choose Stop using the device.
Alongside a flight instrument
The Lynkx uses its own Bluetooth connection, so connecting it does not replace your vario or GPS instrument — both can run at the same time.
Set the beacon to Perf mode
For continuous tracking, set the beacon's Live → Mode to Perf in the Lynkx Beacon configuration screen. In Perf mode the GPS stays on permanently, so your position updates without gaps. In the lower modes the GPS only wakes up at intervals to save battery, which means your live position refreshes less often.
Battery vs. accuracy
Perf keeps the GPS always on and reduces battery life. It's the right choice for live tracking and safety; pick a lower mode only when you need to stretch autonomy and can accept a less frequent position update. See the Lynkx Pro user manual for the full list of modes.
Live status in the cockpit
When a Lynkx is enabled, the cockpit shows a Lynkx indicator next to the category row:
- Green — Online · N% — the beacon is connected and actively transmitting on LoRaWAN.
- Orange — Offline — the beacon is not transmitting / disconnected.
You can also add an optional Lynkx cockpit widget to your layout. It shows the beacon battery in a large font — blue when online, orange when offline — with a small "no fix" note when the beacon has no GPS fix yet, and a ⚡ when it's charging.
The off-network safety message
This is the key feature. While you're recording (live tracking), if your phone loses all network (GSM + Wi-Fi) for more than about a minute and a Lynkx is connected and online, the app reassures you:
Live Tracking still running Your Live Tracking is still running even if you are not on any GSM network. But thanks to your Lynkx device, your geolocation data continues to be transmitted over the LoRaWAN network for your safety.
How it appears:
- App in the foreground: a persistent orange banner at the top of the screen. It's non-blocking — you can keep using the map and the record button.
- App in the background / screen locked: a local notification with the same message.
The message clears itself automatically when the network comes back, when you tap it, or when you stop recording. It won't re-appear repeatedly during a single offline episode.
Important: the message only shows when a Lynkx is actually connected and online. With no Lynkx (or an offline one), the app won't show it — because the reassurance wouldn't be true.
When does it appear?
| Situation | Message? |
|---|---|
| Recording, network lost > 1 min, Lynkx connected & online | Yes |
| Recording, network lost, no Lynkx (or Lynkx offline) | No |
| Network present | No |
| Not recording | No |
| Network returns | Message auto-clears |
How it works
- The Lynkx connects over Bluetooth on its own connection, so it runs alongside your flight instrument.
- "Online" means the app is still receiving live data frames from the beacon over Bluetooth — proof the beacon is alive and transmitting on LoRaWAN. Your phone itself can't see the LoRaWAN network, so a connected beacon that keeps sending frames is treated as proof it's working, fully offline.
- The app reads the beacon battery, charging state and GPS-fix state straight from those frames.
LoRaWAN coverage
The off-network safety relies on LoRaWAN coverage, which is available in France. Outside of covered areas the beacon can't relay over LoRaWAN, so plan accordingly. You can learn more about the LoRaWAN IoT network on the Orange Business IoT network page.
A phone-only alternative
Where your carrier supports it, satellite live tracking keeps you live on the map with no cellular coverage using the phone alone (Starlink direct-to-cell). It's complementary to a Lynkx — see Satellite live tracking vs. a Lynkx beacon.
Learn more
- Lynkx product site: lynkx.eu
- Step-by-step guide (FR): Share your Lynkx position on SportsTrackLive
- Lynkx Pro user manual (FR): Lynkx Pro user manual