PSK Reporter

PSK Reporter is an online platform and automated reporting system for amateur radio enthusiasts that collects reception reports of digital mode signals, such as PSK31, FT8, and RTTY, to provide near real-time visualizations of signal propagation and reception worldwide.^[1] Developed to help operators assess where their transmissions are heard, it enables users to analyze antenna performance, radio configurations, and ionospheric conditions without transmitting additional signals.^[2] The system relies on software clients integrated with popular digital mode applications like WSJT-X, Fldigi, and DM780, which decode callsigns from ongoing communications (e.g., "de callsign callsign") and report details including frequency, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and location every five minutes via UDP packets in IPFIX format.^[1] Launched in January 2008 by Philip Gladstone (N1DQ), an amateur radio operator who obtained his license shortly after the FCC eliminated the Morse code requirement in 2007, PSK Reporter began as a personal project hosted in Gladstone's basement to track PSK activity.^[3] It quickly gained adoption through integrations with early software like DM780 from HB9DRV, and evolved to support a broader range of digimodes amid the rise of FT8 in 2017, which prompted infrastructure upgrades including a database migration in 2018 and hosting shifts to providers like Rackspace and VA3ISP.^[3] Today, it processes reports from over 26,000 active monitors daily, primarily in North America and Europe, generating interactive Google Maps-based displays, detailed statistics, and MQTT streams for advanced research, such as ionospheric studies and license verification.^[1]^[4] The platform's key features include a dynamic map showing transmitter and receiver locations with reception timestamps, equipment usage breakdowns (e.g., WSJT-X accounting for the majority of reports), and queryable archives accessible via API for retrieving historical data.^[5]^[2] By fostering a collaborative network of voluntary reporters—open even to non-licensed observers with basic setups—PSK Reporter has become an essential tool for propagation forecasting and operational optimization in the amateur radio community.^[1]

Overview

History and Development

PSK Reporter was founded by Philip Gladstone, N1DQ, in January 2008 as an automated system designed to collect and disseminate reception reports for PSK31 digital mode activity in near real-time, initially running on servers in his basement.^[3] The project emerged amid the popularity of PSK31 in the late 2000s, using protocols like IPFIX (RFC 5101) to intercept reports from software such as DM780, allowing amateur radio operators to visualize signal propagation and reception patterns.^[3] Early development focused on PSK31, with the pskreporter.info website serving as the central platform for data display and mapping from its inception.^[1] By the mid-2010s, PSK Reporter expanded beyond PSK31 to support additional digital modes, including JT65 and RTTY, accommodating the growing use of panoramic decoders and diverse amateur radio software.^[2] This evolution aligned with shifts in digital mode popularity, such as the rise of weak-signal modes, and included integrations with tools like FLDigi, whose PSK Reporter reporting code was released under the GPL license to encourage community adoption.^[1] Key milestones included the 2014 migration to cloud hosting on Rackspace for improved scalability and the 2017 integration with WSJT-X, enabling seamless reporting from JT65 and emerging modes like FT8 following its release that year.^[3] In February 2017, the project transitioned to volunteer-hosted servers at VA3ISP, enhancing reliability amid surging usage from FT8 traffic.^[3] Further development in 2018 introduced a public API for developers, allowing programmatic access to reception data via HTTP queries and facilitating custom applications and real-time integrations.^[2] As an open-source initiative, PSK Reporter has benefited from contributions by the amateur radio community, including protocol extensions and interfaces like MQTT for streaming data, while remaining hosted on volunteer infrastructure to support its non-commercial mission.^[3] These advancements have positioned it as a vital tool for propagation analysis in digital modes.^[1]

Purpose and Scope

PSK Reporter serves as a dedicated platform for amateur radio operators to report and visualize reception spots of digital mode signals, primarily enabling the assessment of radio propagation conditions and verification of signal reach. By aggregating user-submitted data from software applications, it provides real-time insights into where transmissions are being received globally, helping operators optimize their setups for effective communication.^[1] The service encompasses a broad scope across HF, VHF, and UHF bands, supporting a variety of digital modes including PSK31, PSK63, FT8, JT9, WSPR, Olivia, and contest modes such as RTTY. This coverage allows for monitoring on frequencies from low HF bands like 160m up to UHF allocations such as 70cm and beyond, with adaptability for emerging modes through compatible client software.^[5]^[2] Unlike broader spotting networks that include voice or CW signals, PSK Reporter concentrates solely on automatic reports from digital modes, relying on user-initiated spotting from decoding software without requiring additional transmissions. As a non-commercial, volunteer-driven initiative, it fosters enhanced networking among the global amateur radio community by promoting open access to propagation data.^[1]^[2]

Technical Functionality

Data Collection Process

PSK Reporter collects reception data through automated reporting from user-operated client software that monitors digital mode signals, such as PSK31, RTTY, and FT8, on amateur radio frequencies.^[1] Client applications, including FLDigi and WSJT-X, perform automatic decoding by analyzing audio input from a receiver, extracting elements like callsigns from the waterfall display or decoded text output. For instance, patterns such as "CQ callsign" or "de callsign callsign" trigger the identification of active stations, with reports generated only for verified receptions to ensure reliability.^[2] Each report includes key details: the reporter's callsign (or an anonymous identifier if configured), the received station's callsign, frequency (in Hz), mode (e.g., PSK63 or JT65), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR in dB, ranging from -30 to +30 typically), and a timestamp reflecting the moment of reception.^[6] Reports are submitted from the client software to the central server via UDP over IP, directed to report.pskreporter.info on port 4739, using IPFIX (per RFC 7011) for structured transmission.^[2] ^[3] To prevent overload, clients limit submissions to one datagram every five minutes, with further throttling to avoid duplicates—such as queuing only once per hour for the same callsign and band if conditions remain unchanged.^[2] This protocol ensures efficient, low-latency delivery without requiring a persistent connection, allowing even modest hardware to participate seamlessly. On the server side, incoming datagrams are decoded using predefined record format descriptors, with adjustments for clock skew if timestamps deviate by more than one minute from the server clock.^[2] The data is then aggregated and stored in a relational database. Duplicates are primarily prevented through client-side throttling to ensure efficiency. Validation includes checks for frequency accuracy and confirmation of tentative callsigns through multiple reports from different monitors, discarding test reports after 24 hours while retaining live spots for analysis.^[6] ^[3] Privacy is supported by allowing users to opt out of reporting or use temporary callsigns, though reporter locations derived from grid squares are typically included unless manually omitted in client settings; spots are retained online for 4-6 months (as of 2024) to support statistical queries and mapping, with additional offline archiving.^[4] ^[3] This process enables near-real-time aggregation, powering subsequent visualization tools for propagation insights.^[2]

Mapping and Visualization Tools

The PSK Reporter platform provides an interactive world map that visualizes reception reports, known as "spots," by displaying connecting lines between transmitter and receiver locations, with markers indicating monitor stations. Large markers represent active monitors, while smaller markers or lines denote specific spots, often shown with timestamps for recency. These visualizations are rendered on a Google Maps interface, allowing users to pan, zoom, and toggle options such as hiding connecting lines or displaying signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) details.^[5] Spots on the map are color-coded by operating mode (e.g., FT8, PSK31) and frequency band (e.g., 20m, 40m), enabling quick identification of propagation paths for specific digital modes or HF/VHF bands. For instance, different colors distinguish bands like 80m in blue and 20m in red, with modes layered similarly to highlight activity patterns. A night shadow overlay, scaled from 0 to 1, adds contextual darkness to represent local time zones, aiding in understanding diurnal propagation effects.^[5]^[7] Users can apply filters to customize the map view, including time ranges from the last 10 minutes up to 24 hours to focus on recent or historical spots. Additional filters allow selection by specific callsigns (transmitter or receiver), digital modes, geographic regions, or frequency bands, with options to limit results to unworked entities or set transmitter timeouts for dynamic updates. These controls, accessible via dropdown menus and checkboxes above the map, facilitate targeted analysis of signal propagation without overwhelming the display.^[5] Complementing the map, dedicated statistics pages aggregate data from user-submitted reports, displaying metrics such as the number of active monitors (e.g., over 26,000 in the last 24 hours) and total spots received (e.g., millions across modes like FT8). Breakdowns include top-performing monitors by spot volume and equipment usage, such as the percentage of reports originating from software like WSJT-X (a significant portion of digital mode activity). These pages update in near real-time, providing an overview of network health and participation trends.^[4] For advanced users and integration, PSK Reporter offers export options through API endpoints that enable real-time queries of spot data. The primary retrieval API returns results in XML format, allowing downloads of up to the last 100 spots (limited to 6 hours old) filtered by parameters like callsign, mode, time range, and location. Developers can use this for custom applications, with queries executed via HTTP GET or POST to endpoints like https://retrieve.pskreporter.info/query, supporting programmatic visualization beyond the web interface. Rate limits recommend queries no more frequently than every 5 minutes to maintain performance.^[2]

Software Integration

Supported Digital Mode Applications

PSK Reporter supports integration with a variety of digital mode software applications, allowing users to automatically submit reception spots for propagation analysis. These integrations facilitate seamless data contribution from amateur radio stations operating in modes such as PSK31, FT8, and RTTY, enhancing the service's real-time mapping capabilities.^[1] Among the key integrations is WSJT-X, a widely used open-source application for weak-signal digital modes like FT8 and JT65. WSJT-X includes built-in support for PSK Reporter, where users can enable reporting of decoded CQ calls and standard messages directly from the application's settings panel, specifying details such as callsign, grid locator, and antenna information per band. This feature has been available since version 1.8, released in 2017, making it accessible for the majority of FT8 operators.^[1] FLDigi, a multiplatform software suite for digital modes including PSK and Olivia, integrates with PSK Reporter via its spotting functionality. Reports can be generated from decoded text in the Rx Panel, the multi-channel PSK browser (which monitors up to 30 simultaneous signals), or event logs, with a dedicated "Spot" button activating submissions for verified receptions. This setup supports both manual and automated reporting for keyboard-to-keyboard modes.^[8] The DM780 application, part of the Ham Radio Deluxe suite, provides integrated PSK Reporter functionality through a dedicated plugin accessible via the Tools menu. Once enabled, DM780 automatically sends updates for detected callsigns in modes like PSK31 and MFSK, streamlining reporting for users of the HRD ecosystem without additional configuration beyond basic activation.^[1]^[9] Additional supported tools include JTDX, a fork of WSJT-X popular for contesting and DXing, which offers PSK Reporter integration similar to WSJT-X for reporting decoded signals in FT8 and other modes.^[10] MultiPSK, a versatile decoder for numerous digital modes, also supports PSK Reporter submissions, particularly for automatic decoding in unattended operations.^[11] For advanced users, custom scripts and applications can implement the PSK Reporter protocol, leveraging the provided software development kit for tailored integrations.^[2] All these integrations utilize the standardized PSK Reporter protocol, which transmits spots as UDP datagrams to the server at report.pskreporter.info on port 4739, ensuring compatibility across Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms. This uniform approach allows diverse software to contribute data consistently. Hardware integrations are common with software-defined radio (SDR) receivers, such as RTL-SDR dongles, enabling unmanned monitoring stations to decode and report signals autonomously when paired with compatible applications like WSJT-X or FLDigi. Detailed setup instructions for these integrations are provided in the configuration section.^[2]

Configuration and Reporting Setup

To configure PSK Reporter integration, users begin by entering their amateur radio callsign and six-character grid square (locator) in the software's settings panel, ensuring accurate geolocation for reception reports.^[1] Auto-reporting is then enabled, typically for decoded callsigns meeting the software's signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold for reliable decoding, such as -20 dB in modes like FT8.^[12] This setup allows the software to automatically transmit UDP packets containing reception details to the PSK Reporter server upon successful decodes. For WSJT-X, configuration is accessed through the "Settings" menu under the "Reporting" tab, where users toggle the "Enable PSK Reporter Spotting" checkbox to activate transmission of spots.^[1] Additional details, such as antenna information, are specified on a per-band basis via the "Frequencies" tab in the "Station Information" section.^[1] Report intervals are managed indirectly through the application's UDP server settings, with spots sent for standard CQ messages or formats like "Call_1 Call_2 grid" or "Call_1 Call_2 R grid," limited to decoded signals.^[12] In FLDigi, the PSK Reporter dialog is found under "Configure > Modems > PSK" or "Miscellaneous > Spotting," where users specify the server host as report.pskreporter.info and port 4739 for UDP communication. Enabling options for text-based decoding, waterfall-based spotting, or autospot initializes the feature; the "Spot" button in the main window then toggles reporting, requiring an active receive signal to generate spots from decoded text or visual waterfall detections.^[13] Common troubleshooting issues include firewall restrictions blocking outbound UDP traffic on port 4739, which can be resolved by adding an exception for the software or server IP (e.g., 74.116.41.13).^[14] License verification errors are rare, as no formal license is needed, but invalid callsign formats (e.g., lacking a country prefix for special stations) may prevent submission—users should verify their callsign entry.^[1] For sensitive operations, such as during contests or privacy concerns, users opt out by simply disabling the reporting toggle in the software settings, preventing any spots from being sent.^[15]

Applications and Uses

Propagation and Signal Analysis

PSK Reporter facilitates the analysis of radio signal propagation by aggregating reception spots that reveal patterns in signal paths and conditions. These spots, derived from automated reports of digimode receptions, highlight ionospheric propagation modes such as F2 layer skips, where signals follow great-circle routes over thousands of kilometers, enabling long-distance HF communications.^[1]^[16] On VHF frequencies, clusters of unexpected receptions can indicate tropospheric ducting, in which atmospheric refractive index gradients guide signals beyond line-of-sight horizons, often extending VHF coverage across regions.^[1] The platform's visualization tools, including interactive maps displaying spots with timestamps, support time-series analysis to monitor band openings and closings in real time. Users can observe how propagation evolves over hours or days, such as the gradual intensification of signals during ionospheric enhancements. Additionally, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values embedded in spot data allow for trends assessment, revealing signal quality variations due to fading or absorption, which aids in optimizing transmission parameters.^[5]^[1] In practice, PSK Reporter verifies DX contacts by mapping confirmed reception paths; for instance, transatlantic PSK31 signals during solar minimum conditions, when ionospheric ionization is low, can be traced to sparse but viable F-layer reflections. Such spots also correlate with solar flux indices, where higher flux levels (e.g., above 150 SFU) coincide with denser long-path receptions, providing empirical validation of space weather influences on HF propagation.^[1]^[16] Band-specific insights emerge from spot distributions: the 20m band frequently exhibits daytime long-haul propagation, with reports showing reliable paths from North America to Europe or Asia via mid-latitude F2 skips. On the 6m band, sporadic-E bursts manifest as abrupt, short-lived openings, evidenced by sudden spot concentrations across continents during summer months, highlighting E-layer cloud formations that enable VHF DX.^[1]

Scientific and Research Applications

PSK Reporter data has been instrumental in ionospheric studies, particularly for analyzing the impacts of solar cycles on radio propagation. Researchers have utilized reception reports from PSK Reporter to map bottomside ionospheric conditions during solar minima, such as the extended low activity phase of Solar Cycle 24, enabling quantitative assessments of signal paths and electron density variations. For instance, a 2014 study demonstrated the network's utility for real-time ionospheric sounding by processing amateur digital mode reports to infer critical frequencies and propagation modes, providing a global dataset that complements professional ionosondes.^[17] In space weather research, PSK Reporter contributes to understanding geomagnetic storm effects through observations of large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs). A 2022 analysis integrated PSK Reporter spots with other amateur networks to detect LSTIDs propagating across the Northern Hemisphere during a moderate geomagnetic storm, revealing wave periods of 30–60 minutes and speeds up to 500 m/s, which informed models of storm-induced ionospheric variability. This data has supported integrations with operational forecasts, such as those from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, for improved maximum usable frequency (MUF) predictions during disturbed conditions. Academic and institutional applications leverage PSK Reporter in collaborative projects, including those under the HamSCI initiative funded by NASA. Universities, such as the University of Scranton, have employed anonymized PSK Reporter datasets to study ionospheric responses to solar eclipses and flares, fostering citizen science partnerships that enhance professional research in heliophysics. A 2023 review highlighted these networks' role in providing long-term, crowd-sourced observations for space physics operations.^[18] With the peak of Solar Cycle 25 around 2024–2025, PSK Reporter data continues to support analyses of enhanced propagation conditions and ionospheric variability.^[18] Anonymized exports from PSK Reporter have been cited in peer-reviewed publications and technical articles for digital mode propagation analysis, underscoring its value for verifiable, large-scale empirical studies.

Community and Impact

User Participation and Statistics

PSK Reporter relies on a distributed network of volunteer amateur radio operators, known as monitors, who automatically report received digital mode signals to the central server. As of November 2025, the system features 27,254 active monitors in a typical 24-hour period, with 47,894 monitors contributing reports over a weekly span.^[4] These participants use software such as WSJT-X, which accounts for 27,683 unique instances per week, enabling the collection of millions of reception reports daily.^[3]^[4] The user base is predominantly composed of licensed amateur radio enthusiasts, or "hams," concentrated in North America and Europe, though reports come from a global distribution including rare locations in Africa and Antarctica. A significant portion of contributions originates from unmanned receive-only (RX-only) stations, which are automated setups designed to monitor signals without active transmission; examples include configurations using Wsprdaemon software, with at least 46 such installations documented in 2024.^[3] These automated systems enhance coverage by providing continuous reporting from fixed locations. Activity levels fluctuate based on external factors, with peak usage occurring during major amateur radio contests organized by groups like the ARRL and during solar events that influence propagation. For instance, during the 2017 Solar Eclipse QSO Party, the system recorded over 1.2 million spots in a single day, marking one of the highest activity periods on record.^[19] In 2025, FT8 remains the dominant mode, comprising the overwhelming majority—often exceeding 90%—of reported spots during high-activity periods.^[4] To encourage sustained involvement, PSK Reporter maintains a public leaderboard highlighting top reporters based on the volume of spots submitted over 24 hours, fostering a sense of community achievement. Additionally, online discussion forums allow users to provide feedback and share experiences, supporting ongoing improvements to the platform.^[3]

Limitations and Future Developments

PSK Reporter's functionality is inherently dependent on third-party user software for data collection and reporting, such as WSJT-X and fldigi, which limits accessibility as there is no native mobile application available for direct monitoring and submission.^[1] This reliance on desktop-based digital mode applications can hinder participation from users preferring mobile platforms, particularly during field operations or travel. Additionally, the system experiences occasional server overloads during periods of high activity, such as major contests or solar events, leading to delayed spot updates or temporary API unavailability, including HTTP 503 errors and processing delays of several minutes during high activity from excessive polling, as evidenced by reports of backend overloads.^[20]^[21] Support for emerging digital modes remains constrained by integration with existing client software; while FT8 and FT4 are reported via WSJT-X, less common or newly developed modes may not be fully captured until protocol updates are implemented in reporting tools.^[1] Privacy concerns arise from the potential for spoofed or inaccurate reports, as users can submit under chosen callsigns (including SWL designations), and there is no built-in verification mechanism beyond basic duplicate checks and error correction in modes like FT8.^[1] Geographic precision is provided via Maidenhead grid squares, with a minimum of 6 characters for resolutions down to about 10 km, insufficient for pinpointing exact receiver positions in dense urban areas or for fine-grained propagation analysis.^[1] Looking ahead, enhancements include AI-driven propagation predictions through integration with the MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, enabling tools like Claude AI to query real-time spots for advanced signal path forecasting and band condition insights.^[22] The API is poised for expansion, with planned versioned endpoints and stricter rate limiting to accommodate growing third-party applications while maintaining system stability.^[2] Community-driven improvements continue via open-source repositories and developer feedback channels, focusing on protocol refinements for broader mode compatibility.^[2] Efforts to address global coverage gaps emphasize recruiting more monitors in underrepresented regions, such as Africa, where current activity is minimal compared to North America and Europe, to improve worldwide propagation data granularity.^[1]