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Manual Logging

Manual logging is the fastest way to record a contact while you are on the air. Open the QSO form, type a callsign and frequency, and save -- Hamtrax fills in the rest automatically.

Prerequisites​

  • You must be signed in to your Hamtrax account.

Logging a contact step by step​

  1. Open the QSO form. Tap the Add Contact button on the Log page (or from the Activity tab). The form opens as a tool panel with today's date, the current UTC time, and default mode (SSB) pre-filled.

  2. Enter the callsign. Type the other station's callsign into the Callsign field. As you type, Hamtrax performs a callsign lookup and auto-populates available information such as the operator's name, grid square, QTH (city), state, and country.

  3. Enter the frequency. Type the frequency in MHz into the Frequency field. Hamtrax automatically derives the band from the frequency and can auto-fill the mode based on your band plan settings.

  4. Choose a folder (optional). The Log in field lets you select a destination folder to keep this contact organized with related QSOs. If you do not choose one, Hamtrax automatically files the contact into a monthly folder (e.g., "March 2026").

  5. Fill in optional fields. The form includes additional fields you can fill in as needed:

    • Mode -- defaults to SSB, or auto-filled from band plan when a frequency is entered.
    • Signal Report -- RST Sent and RST Received, both default to 59.
    • City, State/Province, Country, Grid -- location details for the other station (auto-populated by callsign lookup).
    • Power (W) -- your transmit power in watts.
    • Their Activity -- if the other station is at a POTA park, search for and enter their park reference here. Hamtrax auto-detects the program type from the reference format.
    • Radio and Antenna -- select from your saved equipment profiles (configured in Rig Manager).
    • Date & Time -- pre-filled with the current UTC date and time. Includes Time On and Time Off fields.
    • Labels -- add custom labels for categorizing the contact.
    • Notes -- free-text notes about the contact.

  6. Set your location (optional). The My Location section lets you choose how your operating location is recorded:

    • From activity -- use the location of a POTA park you are activating.
    • From callsign -- use your registered address from QRZ/HamQTH.
    • Device location -- use your current device GPS position.
    • Manual entry -- enter a grid square, coordinates, or search for a city.

  7. Save the contact. Tap Save. The QSO is written to your local database immediately and syncs to the cloud when connected.

[SCREENSHOT: QSO form with callsign and frequency entered and auto-populated fields highlighted]

Auto-populated fields​

When you open the QSO form, several fields are filled in for you:

  • Date and time -- set to the current UTC date and time.
  • Mode -- defaults to SSB; automatically changes based on frequency and your band plan settings.
  • RST defaults -- RST Sent and Received both default to 59.
  • Your location -- determined by your chosen location mode (callsign address, device GPS, POTA activity, or manual entry).
  • Equipment -- your default radio and antenna profiles are pre-selected if configured in Rig Manager.

When you enter a callsign, Hamtrax looks it up and can auto-fill:

  • Name -- the operator's name from callsign databases.
  • Grid square -- their Maidenhead grid locator.
  • QTH -- their city and state combined.
  • State, Country, Continent -- location details from the callsign record.
  • Coordinates -- latitude and longitude for map visualization.

When you enter a park reference in Their Activity, Hamtrax can auto-fill:

  • Grid square, QTH, state, country, coordinates -- from the park database.
info

Callsign lookup requires an internet connection. If you are offline, the contact is flagged for deferred lookup and the callsign data will be populated automatically when connectivity returns.

Editing and deleting contacts​

You can edit or delete any contact directly from the contact list on the Logbook page. Each contact row includes edit and delete actions. Tap edit to reopen the QSO form with that contact's data pre-filled, make your changes, and tap Update Contact. To remove a contact, tap delete and confirm. The changes sync to the cloud automatically.

Contacts logged as POTA hunts (where the other station was activating a park) display the hunted park's state and name directly on the contact row, so you can see at a glance which park the contact was at without opening the detail view.

note

Times are stored in UTC (required for ADIF compliance), but the contact list displays them in your local timezone for readability.

Activation QSO edit warning​

If a contact belongs to a POTA activation, Hamtrax displays a warning dialog before you edit it. Activation contacts have already been logged under a specific activation session, and changes you make in Hamtrax are not synced back to the POTA website. The warning reminds you that any edits (callsign corrections, frequency changes, etc.) must also be updated manually on pota.app to keep both logs consistent.

You can check "Hide this message in the future" in the warning dialog to suppress it for subsequent edits. This preference is saved to your account and can be re-enabled at any time from Settings > Preferences > Activity.

Configuring defaults​

In create mode, a Defaults button appears in the form footer. Use it to save your current mode, RST values, power, activity reference, and equipment profiles as defaults for future contacts. This saves time when you are working a consistent setup.

Tips​

tip

The form closes after each save. If you need to log another contact quickly, open the form again -- your default mode, RST, and equipment settings will carry over from your saved defaults.

warning

Callsign and frequency are both required fields. Contacts without a date or time may cause issues when exporting to ADIF or syncing with external logbooks. It is best to let the auto-populated date and time stand unless you are back-filling old contacts.