ZeroTrace AirLeak Mini
Hardware Differences
The three ways the AirLeak Mini differs from the AirLeak Pro, no on-board GPS, no expansion headers, and a compact LiPo battery instead of an 18650 cell.
Hardware differences
The Mini is a half-size AirLeak Pro. The radios, the microSD logging, the USB-C charging, and the firmware are all identical, so the capability guides live in the AirLeak Pro section and are collected for you on What carries over. Only three things are different on the smaller board.
| Mini vs Pro | |
|---|---|
| Size | About half the footprint of the AirLeak Pro |
| On-board GPS | Removed (Pro has a built-in GPS receiver) |
| Expansion / debug headers | Not fitted (present on the Pro) |
| Battery | User-supplied LiPo on a JST connector (Pro uses an 18650 cell) |
| Radios | Same, Bluetooth LE plus dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) |
| Storage | Same, microSD card |
| Charging | Same, USB-C with on-board charger and slide power switch |
| Firmware | Same image as the AirLeak Pro |
1. No on-board GPS
The Mini has no GPS receiver. The Pro tags everything it hears with an on-board GPS fix so you can walk or drive a route and map the result. The Mini cannot do that, and there is no phone-provided location fallback for tagging captures.
Because there is no GPS on the Mini, WiGLE logs are written without location fixes. If you need mapping-ready, GPS-tagged wardriving, use the AirLeak Pro. Everything else the Mini logs, network and device details, security information, timestamps, is unchanged.
Bluetooth capture, Wi-Fi capture, security decoding, and WiGLE-format logging all still work on the Mini exactly as they do on the Pro, just without the location column filled in.
2. No expansion or debug headers
The Mini does not have the expansion and debug headers found on the Pro. This has no effect on how you use the device from the app, it simply means the smaller board omits the extra connectors.
3. Compact LiPo battery instead of an 18650
The Pro runs from a cylindrical 18650 cell in a holder. The Mini instead uses a compact LiPo (lithium-polymer) pack that plugs into an on-board 2-pin JST connector. Everything else about power is the same: it charges over USB-C, can run while charging, and has a slide switch that cuts power fully.
| Battery | |
|---|---|
| Type | 3.7 V single-cell LiPo (lithium-polymer) pack, user-supplied |
| Connector | 2-pin JST-XH, 2.5 mm pitch (footprint S2B-XH-A) — NOT the common JST-PH 2.0 mm |
| Charging | USB-C, on-board charger |
| Powered charging | Runs while charging, seamless switch between USB and battery |
| Power switch | Slide switch, cuts power fully |
Which connector, and getting the wires right
The board uses a 2-pin JST-XH connector — 2.5 mm pitch (footprint S2B-XH-A). This matters: most hobby LiPo packs ship with a JST-PH 2.0 mm plug, which is a different, smaller connector and will not fit the Mini.
Buy a pack terminated in a 2-pin JST-XH (2.5 mm) plug, or re-terminate your pack to XH. The common red JST-PH 2.0 mm connector found on most LiPos does not fit this board. When in doubt, measure the pin spacing: 2.5 mm = XH (correct), 2.0 mm = PH (wrong).
Even with the right connector, do not assume the wiring is correct — a plug that fits mechanically can still be wired backwards.
Before plugging in, check the + and − printed on the board next to the connector and confirm the pack's wires line up (red is normally +, black is −). If the pack's polarity does not match the footprint, re-pin the plug or use a correctly wired pack, never force a reversed plug. Reversed polarity can permanently destroy the board.
The Mini ships without a battery. Fit a good-quality 3.7 V single-cell LiPo pack, ideally with built-in protection. Do not use a swollen, damaged, or unbranded cell.
Everything not listed on this page is identical to the Pro. Head to What carries over for the shared guides.