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Here's a universal truth that we all share, regardless of who you are or where you come from: we crave connection.
We’re eager to bond with loved ones, new and old, and share experiences. To feel the unique joy of being on the same wavelength with others.
The Totem Compass has arrived at a very critical time, where phones, apps and screens are feeding humans manufactured dopamine like never before. While smartphones are helpful in many ways, they can remove us from reality and prevent people from experiencing real human connection. The Totem Compass is designed to help solve this problem and usher in an era where we can forge meaningful connections with the people around us once again.
The Totem Compass uses GNSS, layered with a peer-to-peer communication protocol and our Unity Mesh Network™ that allows you to find your friends by simply following the pretty lights around its circumference.
The Totem Compass is also incredibly easy to use. Most of the compass’ functionality lies within one button—the Touch Crystal. The Touch Crystal is located right at the center of your festival compass, and it is the primary button you will use to Bond with your friends. In Totem vernacular, "Bonding" means "pairing"—specifically, the process of pairing your Totem Compass with other compasses.
This blog will teach you everything you need to know about How to Bond your Totem Compass. For more information on how the Totem Compass works, check out our blog post all about it!
How to Bond your Totem Compasses
To bond your Totem with another, first make sure the Totems are turned on and in Compass Mode. Only two Totems can Bond with one another at a time, but it’s a very simple process!
To enter Compass Mode, all you have to do is pick up your festival compass and hold it in a horizontal orientation. You’ll know your Totem has entered Compass Mode when your Halo displays your Bond Lights.
Once you’re in Compass Mode, bring your Totems next to each other so that they're almost touching. We recommend going tip-to-tip 😉
Next, press and hold the Touch Crystal on both Totems simultaneously. Peep the image below for reference!
When you begin Bonding, your Totem's halo fills with a ring of blue light and begins to pulse. Two pulsing Totems next to each other will magically recognize each other and Bond!
What you see when you Bond your Totem Compass
Once you successfully Bond with another Totem, the Halo's color changes to show the color of your new Bond. Then, it collapses to a point and gets collected into the Touch Crystal. It’s a very satisfying animation—one of our favorite parts about the user interface.
Each bond receives a dedicated color to help you track your friends in real time. Your Bonds will always follow the same order of colors: Pink, Green, Blue, Yellow – in that order. To learn more about Bond Lights and Colors, check out our video tutorial!
If you don't have any Bonds yet, you'll see a white light that always points to magnetic North. We call this your North Light. That's right, your Totem can be used just like an old-fashioned compass if you want! 🧭
Because we don’t rely on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or any type of data connection, there is no pairing or connecting going on at all! All Totems update their location over encrypted messages in real-time—Bonding is the function that tells the Totems how to decrypt those messages and lead to your friends! That’s a small peek into the magic of this rave compass. 😉
Bonding Pro Tips
Here are a few additional FAQs about Bonding that will help you become a Totem expert!
How many people can I Bond my Totem Compass with?
You can bond your Totem to a maximum of four people.
Although each Totem can only Bond with four others, Bonds don’t happen in a hard-paired circle. So if you are smart about how you spread the Bonds around your group, you can easily make sure that everyone stays connected.
For example, John could Bond with Alli and Tim. But that doesn’t mean that Alli and Tim have to bond with each other. Tim could bond with John, Elayne, and Rand. Meanwhile, Alli could bond with John, Gwynneth, and Sam.
Spreading your Bonds around allow you to create a daisy chain effect where no one gets left out.
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Can I Bond with my whole group at the same time?
You can only Bond with one person at a time.
This is so each person can easily tell what color their friend is. If you ever forget what Bond color a friend is, you can easily check by holding both Totems next to each other. Your Touch Crystal will then display the color of your Bonded friend.
Will I lose my Bonds if I turn my Totem Compass off?
Your Totem will always remember its bonds when it turns off or dies.
This means that in theory, you can Bond with a friend at a festival and then find them again at the same festival a year later. The only thing that can break a Totem Bond is YOU!
Can someone Bond their Totem Compass with me without my consent?
The Totem Compass is designed with your safety—and consent—in mind. It's all about making you feel safe and connecting you to people you love.
The Totem Compasses communicate with each other through a connectionless peer-to-peer communication protocol. The protocol allows for a direct exchange of information between any compass without the need for a central server, cell tower, or Wi-Fi router. It’s also what keeps each Bond secure.
Every Totem Compass contains a secure “key” within the broadcast channel of the peer-to-peer communication protocol. When you Bond your Totem Compass with a peer, the devices receive a signal from the broadcast channel and can determine how strong the signal is.
The Totem Compass is designed to detect a very strong signal when the compasses are about an inch apart from each other. The compass also requires that you press and hold the Touch Crystal at the same time as your peers in order to Bond your Totem Compasses. These functions, layered on top of the Compasses’ secure keys, make it nearly impossible for anyone to Bond with you without your consent or knowledge.
The Totem Compass: A Tool for Love
Love is more than just a word for us at Totem; it’s a core principle that guides everything we do and inspires each and every aspect of our products. 💗
Learning how to Bond your rave compasses will help you stay connected and share life’s most beautiful experiences together; a way to ensure you never lose touch with the ones you love.
The Totem Compass is our way of helping you hold onto those connections, no matter how big the crowd or how far the journey.
Because in the end, it’s not just about finding your way—it’s about finding your people!
Stay tuned for posts, and as always, let the lights guide you.
