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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 core features. Optional premium plans are available for additional capabilities -- you can manage your subscription in Settings > Plans.

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, Hamtrax prompts you to add it in Settings > Account, then you're good to go.

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. For a true not-found result, remember that no single database lists every ham and newly issued callsigns can take days to weeks to appear. 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. If your license is active but Hamtrax still can't find it, send us the callsign via the Feedback tool for a fast response. 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 native apps for iOS and Android. It works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet, or phone, and your account and supported logbook data sync when you're online.

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 offline-first. QSOs you log are saved locally on your device and automatically synced to the cloud when you're back online. Activity data you've previously loaded is cached so you can browse spots and maps even without a connection.

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

How do I import my existing log?​

Open the Log tab and click the Import Contacts button next to the Folders heading at the top of the folder tree. Point it at a whole logbook -- an ADIF (.adi / .adif) or CSV (.csv) file, including exports from other loggers -- or choose a connected QRZ Logbook. 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 or QRZ Logbook is safe. When you add or change your account callsign, Hamtrax also imports the latest public POTA hunter QSOs POTA exposes for that callsign.

There's also a focused path for bringing in a single past POTA activation from an ADIF file, with a step to confirm its park -- find the Import button beneath the Activations category in the folder tree.

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 > Preferences > Integrations. QRZ requires an active paid XML Logbook subscription and its per-logbook API key. Paste that key once; Hamtrax validates and encrypts it server-side, so QRZ import and upload need no passphrase or repeated unlock. LoTW can pull confirmations back to mark matching local contacts as confirmed.

See Get Your QRZ Logbook API Key for the QRZ setup steps.

What is FT8 Auto-Hunt, and why don't I see the card?​

FT8 Auto-Hunt works FT8 activators hands-free through a connected radio -- it tunes the rig to each matching FT8 spot, calls the activator, completes the exchange, and logs the contact for you. The FT8 Auto-Hunt card shows at the top of the hunting activator list, but only when all of these are true:

  • You're on the iOS app (it drives the radio over the network).
  • A radio is connected via Settings → Radio Control (currently the Icom IC-705 over Wi-Fi). No radio connected means the card is hidden entirely.
  • You have a callsign on your profile -- it's transmitted on the air, so it's required to start.

Once started, the hunt runs app-wide: you can browse the rest of Hamtrax while it works, the navbar radio pill turns into a pulsing red Transmitting tower whenever the rig is actually keyed, and if a run ends while you're away the card explains why, with the final tally and the full air log kept for review.

See FT8 Auto-Hunt for the full workflow. It's different from the mic-based FT8 Decoder, which only listens and shows a manual Log button.

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.

What is the practice activator I see on my first visit?​

The first time you open the Hunt Contacts view, Hamtrax runs a short guided walkthrough that teaches how the app fits together -- you make contacts in Hunting or Activating, and your Logbook keeps them all, filed automatically. It puts a synthetic practice activator on the air, has you work it, and then lands you in your Logbook to show the contact already sorted into this month's hunting folder before returning you to the live hunting list. The practice activator is clearly marked so you won't confuse it with a real one, and the contact you log against it is automatically removed -- it never stays in your real log. You can replay the walkthrough anytime from Settings > Help.

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

Use the search at the top of the sidebar, choose Callsigns, then type at least three characters of the callsign. Hamtrax shows the operator's name, location, license class, and grid without leaving your current page. The same search also has Activators and Parks tabs for live activations and POTA parks.

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

Open the Feedback tool in the sidebar. This launches the in-app feedback form where you can describe the issue or suggestion.

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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.