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POTACAT

POTACAT is a free, open-source desktop application for amateur radio operators who want to hunt Parks on the Air (POTA) activators, chase SOTA summits, work DX, and operate their radio remotely from a phone.

Built by Casey Stanton, K3SBP and a growing community of contributors.

How It Started

POTACAT began with a simple idea: see all the live POTA spots on one page and one-click tune my FlexRadio to any spot. No more copying frequencies by hand, no more fumbling between browser tabs and radio software. Click a row, radio tunes, start calling.

That first version was a weekend project. Then people wanted SOTA spots too. Then DX Cluster integration, DX expedition tracking, and Reverse Beacon Network. Then logbook forwarding, ADIF export, and QSO logging. Then WWFF and LLOTA spots. Then respotting, panadapter integration, and a full CW keyer. Every feature was driven by real operators asking “can POTACAT do this?” and the answer kept being yes.

What It Does Today

  • Live spot aggregation from POTA, SOTA, WWFF, LLOTA, DX Cluster, RBN, and PSKReporter
  • One-click QSY to any spot with CAT control for FlexRadio, Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Elecraft, Xiegu, QRP Labs, and Hamlib-supported rigs
  • Map and table views with band/mode filters, distance, bearing, and beam heading
  • QSO logging with ADIF export and forwarding to Log4OM, HamRS, Ham Radio Deluxe, N3FJP, DXKeeper, Wavelog, MacLoggerDX, QRZ Logbook, World Radio League, and SOTAdata
  • JTCAT – a built-in FT8/FT4 engine (no WSJT-X required) with waterfall, decode panel, and auto-QSO
  • CW Keyer with MIDI paddle support, remote CW from your phone, and text macros
  • SmartSDR and TCI panadapter spots so you can see activators on your waterfall
  • DXCC Tracker, DX expedition board, solar propagation, band activity heatmap
  • Scan mode to auto-tune through filtered spots like scanning a police scanner

ECHOCAT: Remote Radio for Everyone

ECHOCAT is POTACAT’s remote radio feature. Open a browser on your phone, connect to your shack over a VPN like Tailscale, and you have full control of your radio: tune, transmit SSB, send CW, and run FT8 – all from your phone.

We are democratizing remote radio.

Not everyone can afford a FlexRadio with SmartLink or the latest internet-connected transceiver. Remote operation shouldn’t be a luxury. Our mission is to bring remote SSB, FT8, and CW to as many radios and operators as possible. ECHOCAT runs on hardware as modest as a Raspberry Pi connected to a Xiegu G90. If your radio has a serial port or USB, you can probably run it remotely with POTACAT.

No cloud services. No subscriptions. No vendor lock-in. Just your radio, your computer, and your VPN.

Get Involved

POTACAT is in active development. New features ship weekly. We build what the community asks for.

73 de K3SBP