Ham2K - My New POTA Logger
I've seen a lot of hype online about the Ham2K software - a new open-source portable logging app for ham radio operators, specifically built for Parks on the Air. After it won the Amateur Radio Software Award - I knew I should probably check it out.
In my previous POTA and other portable operation attempts, I used the HAMRS app which I really enjoyed using - it has a sleek interface and is also specifically designed for POTA. However, in checking out Ham2K - I think this is going to be my new go-to logging app!
I won't go into too much detail on the app itself - since I'm not a professional app reviewer and I think since it's a free app you should go check it out for yourself. But I'll write a brief list of some features I really enjoyed.
- It has built-in self spotting to the POTA.app website, keeping me from jumping between my browser and log!
- It automatically recognized what parks I might be at based on my GPS location.
- The list of parks it uses is downloaded for offline use, making lookups really snappy - including when logging Park to Park contacts.
- It provides some really nice statistics, including an "Operation Info" page with QSO counts, states/provinces worked, and contacts per band and mode.
- I like the map interface a bit better than HAMRS - but that's just personal preference - both are very good!
- The callsign notes feature seems very interesting, and I saw a couple of them pop up for Ham2K supporters (noted by a coffee cup emoji next to their call when worked). I plan to feed it a list of some of my friend's callsigns for easy spotting in the list.
- When exporting to ADIF, it automatically formatted it for uploading to the POTA website! Now I just need to figure out how to automate the middle step of me uploading it myself XD
This app was really fun to play with in my recent activation and I hope to continue using it in a few more portable operations to get a better feel. Definitely give it a shot if you're a POTA operator doing digital logging - it is designed just for you! I'm also very glad to see more open-source software gain traction in the ham radio space - we need more modern and FOSS software in the community!
I will probably write some more on this app as I use it even more, but that's all I've got for now!
73, WW0CJ