Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a node?
No. Azimuth nodes only receive radio signals — they never transmit. Receiving radio signals is legal without a license in all major jurisdictions worldwide. This is the key advantage of the signals-of-opportunity approach.
What hardware do I need?
At minimum: an RTL-SDR V4 USB dongle (~$30) and any Windows or Linux computer with a USB port. The stock dipole antenna works for getting started, though a wideband antenna placed near a window improves results significantly. See the Setup Guide for details.
Does this replace GPS?
Azimuth complements GPS rather than replacing it. It provides an independent positioning source that works when GPS is unavailable (indoors, urban canyons), jammed, or spoofed. Applications can use Azimuth alongside GPS for more robust positioning.
What signals does the node listen to?
LTE and 5G cell tower reference signals, digital television (ATSC/DVB-T) pilots, and FM radio RDS subcarriers. Future support for LEO satellite downlinks is planned. See Signal Targets for technical details on each signal type.
Does Azimuth work with DVB-T and DVB-T2 television (Europe, UK)?
Yes. In regions that use DVB-T/T2, the node looks for DVB signals on the region's channel raster and reports a detection as dtv_dvbt or dtv_dvbt2 together with the channel, FFT size and guard interval it measured. Only real detections are reported, never a bare power reading. When the measured parameters could belong to either standard (2K or 8K with a guard interval of 1/4 to 1/32), the detection is labelled DVB-T and flagged as possibly T2. Set your region to your country code, or leave it on AUTO so it is picked from your node's location.
Where are the Windows desktop app's logs?
The node writes a daily log file to %APPDATA%\day.azimuth.node\logs\azimuth-daemon.<date>.log (for example azimuth-daemon.2026-10-09.log). Press Win+R, paste %APPDATA%\day.azimuth.node\logs and press Enter to open the folder. Attach the newest file when you ask for help.
Is there an iPhone app?
There is an installable web app, with no App Store needed: open azimuth.day/iphone in Safari and use Share, then Add to Home Screen. It shows your nodes, rewards, the coverage map and the leaderboard, and can send node-offline alerts (iOS 16.4 or newer). An iPhone cannot collect signals itself, because iOS has no API for cell information, raw GNSS, Wi-Fi scanning or USB radios; collect with an Android phone or an RTL-SDR node on the same account.
I'm moving to new hardware. How do I keep my history?
Register the new machine, then open Dashboard, My Node, and use Merge into... on the old node. Its observations and points move to the new node. The next question explains exactly what a merge does.
How does merging nodes work?
All observations of the old node move to the node you merge into, and points follow them, so the survivor's total is the sum of both. The old node is retired and earns nothing afterwards. Merging again with the same target changes nothing, and a merge cannot be undone by repeating it. Both nodes must be yours and of the same type.
How accurate is positioning?
Accuracy depends on node density and signal diversity in a given area. The target is 10–100 meters with sufficient network coverage, improving over time as more nodes come online and the radio environment map becomes more detailed.
Which blockchain will Azimuth use?
Chain selection is in progress. The team is evaluating options based on transaction costs, finality speed, and ecosystem fit. Follow announcements for updates.
Who is behind Azimuth?
Azimuth is built by a small team of RF engineers and distributed systems developers. The team operates pseudonymously to keep the focus on the technology rather than individuals.