Early access Mac and Windows
Detether
Take your Baicells 430H or 436Q back to genuine stock firmware.
A desktop app that converts a FreedomFi/Helium-locked Baicells Nova 430H or 436Q small cell back to genuine stock firmware (a stock Nova 430i, for the 430H), on your own network, with genuine signed Baicells firmware. Nothing is cracked or modified.
No download or checkout yet. Request access and we will email you when a build is ready for your radio.
Where it stands, plainly
- The method is proven on Helium builds 2.8.x, 2.9.x and 2.12.x, and units have been converted in-house.
- The packaged app has not yet completed a live end-to-end test on a customer unit.
- The apps are unsigned for now.
- Paid checkout is not open yet, and there are no download links yet.
Who it is for
Anyone holding a retired Helium 5G radio that they would rather run as an ordinary Baicells small cell.
WISPs
Surplus 430H or 436Q radios on the shelf, and a network that already runs stock Baicells gear.
Private LTE and CBRS operators
Add retired Helium 5G radios to a deployment you manage yourself.
Homelabbers
A small cell you own, on your own bench, with a local management interface again.
Former Helium hotspot hosts
The radio outlived the network it was bought for. Give it a second job.
Resellers of surplus radios
Convert units you hold so they sell as stock radios, not locked ones.
How the Nova 430H to 430i conversion works
Plug the radio into your LAN
Power on the Baicells Nova 430H or 436Q and connect it to the same network as your Mac or Windows computer. It has to be a unit you own.
Run Detether
The app checks your license token before it touches the radio (checking does not use it up), reads the firmware build, and tells you whether that build is supported.
It installs genuine stock firmware and reboots
Detether enables the radio’s local web interface, then installs a genuine, signed stock image through the radio’s own upgrade path and reboots it. Your token is used only if the conversion succeeds.
What you get, and what you do not
You get
- Genuine, signed Baicells stock firmware (Nova 430i 3.0.12 on the 430H), installed without modification
- The radio’s own local web interface back, managed like any stock unit
- The unit leaves the Helium/FreedomFi management cloud; FCC ID and serial number are untouched
- An optional stock-to-stock update to 3.1.14.10 afterwards
- A one-time $25 charge that applies only if the conversion succeeds
You do not get
- SAS or CPI registration. That is not part of the conversion and has not been tested on a converted unit. To operate on CBRS you need your own CPI certification and your own SAS account.
- A Baicells warranty or Baicells support. Detether is independent software.
- Support for other radios. Only the Nova 430H and 436Q are covered today.
- A code-signed app yet. Early builds are unsigned, so expect an operating-system warning on first launch.
Compatibility: FreedomFi and Helium 5G 430H and 436Q builds
| Radio is running | Detether installs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Helium build 2.8.x | Stock 3.0.12 | Converts directly. |
| Helium build 2.9.x | Stock 3.0.12 | Method proven. A stricter build that the app handles for you. |
| Helium build 2.12.x | Stock 3.0.12 | Converts directly. |
| Stock 3.0.12 (after conversion) | Stock 3.1.14.10 | Optional stock-to-stock update. 3.1.14.10 cannot be installed straight from a Helium build. |
| Any other build | Not tested | Ask first. Email us the version shown on the radio before you try anything. |
Applies to the Baicells Nova 430H and 436Q. The Nova 436Q runs the same firmware family as the 430H. It has not yet been tested on a 436Q unit; your license code is only used if the conversion succeeds. Versions are those of the Helium and Baicells firmware builds, not of Detether.
Requirements
- A Mac or a Windows computer on the same LAN as the radio
- A Baicells Nova 430H or 436Q you own, powered on and reachable on that network
- Internet access for the license check
- A Helium build we have tested (2.8.x, 2.9.x or 2.12.x), or an email to us first
- Your own CPI and SAS arrangements if you plan to operate on CBRS afterwards
Pricing
$25 per conversion, one time
Your token is checked before the radio is touched and used only if the conversion succeeds. No subscription, no account.
Paid checkout is not open yet. Early-access requests are how we decide who gets the first builds.
Request early accessQuestions
- Can I unlock a Baicells 430H or 436Q that is locked to FreedomFi or Helium?
- That is what Detether is for. It converts a Helium 5G edition Nova 430H back to genuine stock Nova 430i firmware (the Nova 430H to 430i conversion), and the Helium edition Nova 436Q back to genuine stock firmware, so you can manage the radio like any stock unit. It currently targets Helium builds 2.8.x, 2.9.x and 2.12.x.
- Is this legal?
- This is not legal advice. Detether does not crack, patch or modify anything. It installs genuine, signed Baicells firmware on a radio you own, through the radio’s own upgrade path, on your own network. You are responsible for owning the unit you convert and for complying with spectrum and regulatory rules, including CPI certification and SAS registration if you operate on CBRS.
- Is the firmware genuine?
- Yes. The images are genuine Baicells firmware with their signatures intact. Detether never edits an image, and the radio’s FCC ID and serial number stay exactly as they were.
- Why $25 when conversion services charge about $250?
- You run the conversion yourself on your own network, so there is no shipping, no bench time and nobody else handling your radio. The trade-off is that it is software, you are hands-on, and it is early access.
- What if the conversion fails?
- Your license token is checked before anything is flashed and is used only if the conversion succeeds, so a failed run does not cost you the $25. Do not unplug the radio while it is flashing. Early access exists to find rough edges on real units; if something goes wrong, email us and we will work through it with you.
- Why does my computer warn me when I open the app?
- The early builds are not code-signed yet. On a Mac, right-click the app and choose Open the first time. On Windows, choose More info and then Run anyway if SmartScreen appears. We plan to sign the apps once the early-access period has shaken out the product.
- Does Detether handle SAS or CPI registration?
- No. SAS and CPI registration are not part of the conversion, and we have not tested them on a converted unit. To operate on CBRS you need your own CPI certification and your own SAS account.
- Which radios and firmware does it support?
- Only the Baicells Nova 430H and 436Q, on Helium builds 2.8.x, 2.9.x and 2.12.x. The Nova 436Q runs the same firmware family as the 430H. It has not yet been tested on a 436Q unit; your license code is only used if the conversion succeeds. If your radio shows a different build or is a different model, email us first. We would rather tell you it is untested than have you find out mid-flash.
- Can I try it today?
- Not yet. Request early access by email and we will write when a build is ready for your radio. There is no download link and no checkout yet.
Get on the early-access list
Tell us your radio and firmware version and we will write back when a build is ready.
Detether is not affiliated with or endorsed by Baicells, FreedomFi, or Helium. Baicells, Nova, FreedomFi and Helium are trademarks of their respective owners, used here only to identify the equipment Detether works with. You are responsible for owning the unit you convert and for complying with all spectrum and regulatory requirements, including CPI certification and SAS registration for CBRS operation. Detether is provided as is and carries no warranty from Baicells. Detether is an Infinihash App Store app: software, by agents, for everyone.