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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most common questions about Hamtrax.

Is Hamtrax free?​

Hamtrax offers a free tier with up to 200 contacts logged directly in Hamtrax. Contacts imported through the browser app do not count toward that native-contact allowance, although source-specific import safeguards still apply. Pro lifts that 200-contact limit, and lifting it is the only thing a subscription changes -- every other Hamtrax feature, custom folders, ADIF/CSV export, and the QRZ and LoTW integrations included, works on a free account. You can manage your subscription in Settings > Plans.

Do I need an account to try Hamtrax?​

No. Signed out, hamtrax.com opens on five tabs -- Home, Hunt, Activate, DX, and Repeaters: the POTA spot list beside the world map, the activation map, the DX cluster feed with a country flag on every station, and the repeater directory starting with every repeater within 20 miles of a useful nearby starting area when one is available, with Chicago, IL as the fallback. Browse, filter, and open any spot or repeater for details as long as you like. The top of the Repeaters panel includes a default-collapsed What are repeaters? explainer, then puts the active browse area directly above Search by area, a quiet Use my location action centered beneath the field, and the repeater count last on one line, such as 14 Repeaters within 20 miles. No browser location permission is requested until you tap, and the result is only a session browse center.

Logging a contact requires an account -- a QSO needs a logbook to land in. Sending a POTA spot also requires signing in and saving a valid callsign. See Getting Started for what each public tab shows.

Do I need a callsign to log contacts?​

Yes. You can create an account and browse without one, but logging any contact -- hunting, manual entry, or import -- requires a callsign on your account. If you skipped it at signup, or Hamtrax couldn't confirm it then, Hamtrax asks for it the moment you need it, and the prompt saves it right there: it runs the same callbook check as Settings and hands you straight back to what you were doing. During an import it even reads the operator callsign out of your file and offers it pre-filled. Settings > Account is still the other way in, and the prompt links to it.

Hamtrax can't find my callsign during signup -- what do I do?​

If signup says Lookup couldn’t finish. Tap the callsign to try again., tap the callsign field to retry. That is a network or lookup-service failure, not a license-database verdict. You can also press Continue: if Hamtrax still can't confirm the callsign, it asks for it later. For a true not-found result, double-check for O-vs-0 or I-vs-1 mix-ups first. If it still isn't found, choose I don't have a callsign yet to finish signing up -- nothing is lost -- then add your callsign later in Settings > Account, which runs the same lookup. A new callsign can already be active in the official registry while Hamtrax's available lookup sources are still behind; if that happens, send the callsign via Feedback so we can investigate our source or update lag. See Hamtrax Can't Find My Callsign for the full walkthrough.

What platforms does Hamtrax run on?​

Hamtrax runs on the web at hamtrax.com and as a native app for iOS and Android. Hamtrax works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet, or phone, and your account and supported logbook data sync when you're online.

I forgot my password -- how do I get back in?​

Tap Forgot password? near the sign-in fields. After a failed sign-in, Forgot password? also appears as a button beneath the error text, with the email you typed already filled in. Enter your email, tap Send Reset Link, and open the email we send you. The link opens a page on hamtrax.com where you choose a new password — then Hamtrax signs you straight in.

On an iPhone, make sure Hamtrax is up to date in the App Store first. Older builds intercepted the reset link and opened the app instead of the page, so nothing appeared to happen. If you can't update right away, press and hold the link and choose Open in Safari, or open the email on a computer. See I Can't Sign In for the full walkthrough.

What should I do if my browser says "Your connection isn't private"?​

Do not bypass the warning. First, turn on automatic date, time, and timezone sync on the device. Record the exact URL and the full NET::ERR_CERT_* code, then try Hamtrax from another trusted network or device.

If Hamtrax opens normally elsewhere, check the affected device's clock, VPN, antivirus HTTPS inspection, captive Wi-Fi sign-in, and trusted root certificates. If the warning continues, send the exact error code to Hamtrax support so we can distinguish a local trust problem from a public certificate or DNS incident.

If the code is NET::ERR_CERTIFICATE_TRANSPARENCY_REQUIRED, fully update and restart Edge before retrying. If it remains, send Hamtrax support the code, the certificate details Edge shows, and the exact time it happened.

Does it work offline?​

Yes. Hamtrax is built local-first. QSO commands are saved on your device, and cloud-accepted changes automatically sync when you're back online. A resettable cloud safety pause keeps the exact command queued and resumes without duplication; a non-resetting emergency account hold keeps it for support review without a futile retry timer. If the cloud permanently rejects one, Hamtrax shows a warning notification and keeps the command on that device under Logbook → Needs Filing with a plain outcome, reason, and next step instead of treating it as synced; internal ids and raw server messages are not shown. Only a new contact rejected for folder hygiene offers Choose folder and an explicit valid-folder choice; a contact-limit rejection offers View plans, while rejected updates, other deletes, and other creates stay review-only. Failed updates and deletes are never converted into creates, so they cannot duplicate a contact. A delete for a contact already absent is complete and creates no review item; another failed delete says Contact not deleted and asks you to reload before trying again. A refile stays Saving corrected contact until the cloud accepts it, and the retained work is not cloud-backed or available on another device before then.

Previously saved contacts and folders also remain available for browsing. Syncing itself is silent; a status appears below Logbook only when sync cannot finish, and warns if this device's copy is incomplete. Accepted changes from other devices arrive automatically while Hamtrax is open and connected. See How contacts are stored for the status messages and Try Again action.

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Offline mode makes Hamtrax especially useful for portable operations -- POTA activations, Field Day, or anywhere cell service is spotty.

Why does a contact show a different date than when I made it?​

Because ham logging runs on UTC, and your evening isn't UTC's. Contacts are stored and folder-organized by their UTC day — log at 9:22 pm Central on July 31 and the contact is 02:22 on August 1 in UTC terms, which is why it files into the August folder. Contact rows display that same UTC day and 24-hour time by default, so the log always matches its folders; hover over a row's time to see your local clock. Prefer reading local? Turn on Settings → Preferences → Logbook → Show my local time — rows switch to your local timezone and the UTC value moves into the hover tooltip. Storage, folders, and exports stay UTC either way.

I entered the wrong park number -- can I fix it?​

Yes, and you don't have to delete the activation and start over. While online, open the activation folder in My Logbook, tap its folder-name card, and choose Change Park from Folder options -- or tap Wrong park? in the activation session header, just under the park line, if you're still on the air. Search the right park by name or reference and tap Update Park: Hamtrax validates the whole activation, then changes the folder and every contact in one all-or-nothing update. An interruption cannot leave only part of the activation corrected, and retrying the same change is safe. Two other caveats -- if you already uploaded the log to pota.app, use POTA's log-support process for the submitted version, because Hamtrax cannot change it or submit a replacement in this version; and if you already have an activation folder for the corrected park on the same date, Hamtrax refuses rather than merging two sessions into one log.

This also rescues the worse case: if a folder's saved park was never a usable reference at all -- a park name stored where US-1234 belongs -- it lands under Unrecognized program and stops accepting contacts, and choosing Change Park from its Folder options menu is how you bring it back. You don't need a valid park in order to set one.

Individual contacts still can't have their park changed one at a time -- the park stays locked in the contact form so a contact can't drift out of the activation it belongs to. See Fixing the Wrong Park.

Can I rename an activation folder to something friendlier?​

Yes. Activation folders are named with POTA's own log-filename convention (callsign@reference-YYYYMMDD), but that is only the label -- Hamtrax stores the activation's real identity separately. Rename the folder "Spring Mountain Trip" and it keeps its submission identity for ADIF downloads, stays listed under Parks on the Air, and goes on accepting new contacts. The single name Hamtrax refuses is one that impersonates a different activation: a name in the callsign@reference-YYYYMMDD form claiming a park, date, or callsign this activation doesn't have. To change the park itself, open the folder, tap its folder-name card, and choose Change Park from Folder options -- see Fixing the Wrong Park.

One of my folders moved to "Unrecognized program" -- where did it go?​

Nowhere. Automatic folders in My Logbook are grouped under the award program that created them, and if Hamtrax can't safely tell which program a folder belongs to -- its saved program or reference details are missing, malformed, or contradict each other -- it lists that folder under an Unrecognized program heading rather than showing it under a program it may not belong to. The folder keeps its name, every contact is still inside it, and you can open, export, and delete it exactly as before. Only the heading it appears under changed. Hamtrax won't file new contacts into a folder in that state, so it's worth repairing: if it's an activation folder whose park reference is wrong -- a park name saved where a reference like US-1234 belongs -- open it, tap its folder-name card, and choose Change Park from Folder options to pick the real park, and the folder returns to its program card and starts accepting contacts again. Otherwise, move its contacts into a folder with a known program. Renaming a folder is not a cause -- a folder you renamed by hand keeps its saved identity and stays under its program. See Folders.

One of my folders is called "Unnamed folder" -- what is it?​

A real folder whose stored name never arrived. If a folder's first save is lost while a later change to that same folder still goes through, the folder ends up in your logbook with everything except its name. Hamtrax labels the row Unnamed folder rather than leaving it blank, and lists it under Custom folders, because a folder with no saved name has nothing tying it to a program. It keeps the folder instead of removing it -- deleting it would strand the contacts inside. Nothing is missing: the contacts are there, the count is right, and you can open, browse, and download it like any other folder. To give it a real name, open the folder, tap its folder-name card, and choose Rename Folder from Folder options. See Folders.

How do I import my existing log?​

Choose Import in the sidebar — its own row at the top, first under Manage Contacts — or open My Logbook and click the Import Contacts button above the Contact Folders heading at the top of the folder tree. Both open the same page. Start with Import from file, Import from connection, or Migrate from your logger. File import accepts a whole logbook as ADIF (.adi / .adif) or CSV (.csv), including exports from other loggers. Import from connection includes Open QRZ sync for the separate QRZ workspace, while the guides explain exports from World Radio League, Ham2K PoLo, and HAMRS. Hamtrax auto-sorts every contact into the right folder: activation folders for parks you activated, monthly folders for hunts, and a custom folder for everything else. Duplicates are skipped automatically, so re-importing the same file does not create another copy. Skipping them means comparing against your logbook on the device you're importing from, so a first import on a brand-new device -- or after clearing site data -- needs a connection to load that copy first; Hamtrax says so and offers Retry instead of importing everything a second time. With Automatically sync POTA contacts on, adding or changing your account callsign also imports recent public POTA hunter contacts. Connect POTA under Settings → Integrations → POTA to start automatic hunter and activation history imports, with daily checks afterward. The switch is visible before connection and defaults to On; turn it off to stop automatic imports without deleting contacts. The Import a past activation shortcut on Activate and the Import action beneath Parks on the Air → Activations open this same importer.

Cabrillo and other contest formats aren't supported; export those to ADIF first (most loggers can do this).

For step-by-step instructions, see Importing Contacts.

How do I connect with LoTW or QRZ?​

You can link QRZ and LoTW from Settings > Integrations. Select either connection to open its own focused setup page. QRZ uses a per-logbook API key with an XML Logbook Data subscription or higher, and you can connect up to five QRZ logbooks, one per callsign; LoTW uses your LoTW username and password. Hamtrax validates each connection before storing its credentials encrypted on the server, so it works across devices signed in to the same Hamtrax account without a vault passphrase or unlock step.

QRZ offers Sync now and an Automatically sync with QRZ switch for each logbook. The switch starts On when adding a logbook; turn it Off before Connect logbook if you want to sync manually. Both sync options consider eligible existing contacts in both directions, and each contact syncs only with the logbook whose callsign matches its station callsign; edits needing a decision remain in review, and local deletions leave QRZ intact. LoTW runs only when you select Sync Confirmations, marks exact matching contacts, and retries unmatched confirmations on that device during the next sync. Sending contacts to LoTW still requires an ADIF upload through TQSL. See LoTW Confirmation Sync for setup, connection management, and reconnecting from the old vault.

See Import from QRZ for direct connection and file-export steps, and for what to do without a QRZ subscription.

Can I use Hamtrax for contests?​

Hamtrax is not a live contest logger — it's not designed for real-time contest operation, and it does not import Cabrillo files. Keep live contest operation in a contest logger, then bring the results into Hamtrax afterward by exporting them to ADIF or CSV and importing that logbook.

How do I look up another operator's callsign?​

Use the main search, choose Callsigns, then type at least three characters and select the result. Its public dossier starts with the lightweight name, city/region/country, license class, and grid result, then independently fills in local time, QSL manager, current POTA/DX spots, receptions from the last hour on RBN and PSK Reporter, and the operator's public POTA hunter total plus latest 25 hunter contacts when available. An unavailable section or service group gets a Retry action without blanking successful sections. Log Contact opens the contact form with that callsign filled in.

This lookup is about the callsign, not Hamtrax membership. It never shows a street address, ZIP code, exact coordinates, whether the operator uses Hamtrax, a Showcase prompt, or private QRZ/POTA logbooks, LoTW, or N1MM records. The same search also has Parks and Activators tabs for POTA parks and live activations.

How do I report a bug or request a feature?​

Open Feedback in the sidebar — its own row just below Tools, marked with a bug icon. This opens the Feedback page where you can describe the issue or suggestion. The small bug button at the bottom of the sidebar opens the same page, and in the iOS and Android apps, answering Not really to the Enjoying Hamtrax? prompt does too.

You can attach screenshots to show what you mean — tap Add screenshots below the Feedback message box, then drag them in or browse for them. Hamtrax accepts up to 5 images in PNG, JPEG, or WebP at 10 MB each; anything oversized or in another format is named in a message so you can swap it out. Attached screenshots are private to your account and are only ever read alongside the report you send.

Each account can send 50 feedback messages, a ceiling that exists to keep the form from being abused rather than to limit you — if you ever reach it, the form says so and email works from there on.

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If the app is crashing on launch and you can't reach Settings, email support directly at the address listed on hamtrax.com.

How do I stop Hamtrax emails?​

Every automated email has its own switch under Settings → Preferences → Notifications — nearby activations, parks near you, product announcements, and review requests. You can also unsubscribe straight from any email: use the Unsubscribe or change which emails you get link in its footer, or your mail app's own one-click unsubscribe. Neither needs you to be signed in. Password resets and account notices always arrive.

Why did Hamtrax ask if I'm enjoying it?​

In the iOS and Android apps, after a good session — once you have two real hunted contacts, or after finishing an activation of ten or more — Hamtrax may show a short Enjoying Hamtrax? card. Yes, loving it opens the App Store or Google Play review sheet. Not really opens the in-app Feedback form instead, because a problem we can fix is worth more to us than a rating. It asks at most once a week, goes quiet for 90 days once you answer either way, stops on its own if you close it three times in a row, and Don't ask me again ends it permanently. It never appears in the web app.