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3D Globe

The 3D globe gives you a full Earth view of live ham radio activity. It's the best way to visualize DX paths, see how activity is distributed across continents, and get a feel for where the bands are open right now.

The globe responds to familiar gestures:

  1. Rotate -- Drag anywhere on the globe to spin it.
  2. Zoom -- Pinch on mobile or scroll on desktop to zoom in and out.
  3. Tap a marker -- Tap any activity marker to see spot details like callsign, frequency, and mode.

[SCREENSHOT: 3D globe with activity markers and atmosphere glow]

tip

The globe works well for getting a "big picture" view of worldwide activity. If you need to zoom into a specific region and interact with individual spots, switch to the 2D map for finer control.

Day/Night Shading​

The globe displays real-time day/night shading so you can instantly see where it's dark around the world. The transition zone between light and dark is the gray line -- a region known for enhanced HF propagation.

Because you're looking at a real sphere, the day/night boundary looks natural and intuitive. You can rotate the globe to follow the gray line and look for DX opportunities along its path.

[SCREENSHOT: Globe showing day/night shading with gray line visible]

Globe Themes​

Hamtrax offers three globe themes that you can change in Settings:

ThemeDescription
Daylight8K source texture with a lighter visual weight. The default theme.
Blue Marble16K source texture with the most geographic detail. Best for large screens.
MinimalLow-noise, clean appearance. Great for presentations or screenshots.

To change your globe theme:

  1. Open Settings (tap the gear icon or go to the Settings tab).
  2. Find the Globe section.
  3. Select your preferred theme.
  4. The globe updates immediately.
info

The Blue Marble theme uses a higher-resolution texture and may take a moment to load on slower connections. Daylight is a good balance of detail and performance.

Activity Markers on the Globe​

The globe displays the same spot data as the 2D map -- POTA, SOTA, WWFF, DX Cluster, RBN, PSKReporter, satellites, repeaters, nets, and more. Markers are placed directly on the globe's surface at their geographic coordinates.

When satellites are active, the globe shows their orbital paths and current positions, which is especially useful for visualizing upcoming passes relative to your location.

Great Circle Paths​

QSO connection lines are drawn as great-circle arcs across the globe's surface. This gives you a true representation of the signal path between stations -- particularly valuable for understanding long-path versus short-path DX contacts.

tip

Rotate the globe so your QTH is centered, then look at the arc lines fanning out to your contacts. It's a satisfying way to review a day of DXing.