Satellite spots
Satellite spots is OscarWatch's own reception map for FT4 over satellites. When your OscarWatch Tracker decodes a station, it reports who you heard, on which satellite, and how well. Everyone can then see the results on the public spots map.
It works like PSK Reporter, with one big difference: every spot records the satellite. PSK Reporter files satellite FT4 by band, so an RS-44 decode and a terrestrial 2 m decode look the same. On OscarWatch you can ask "who heard me on RS-44 in the last 15 minutes?" and get a straight answer.
This is separate from UHM (packet mutual-copy confirmation) and Satellite status (is a transponder on or off).
Reading the map
The map shows one dot per Maidenhead grid square:
- A filled dot is a station that was heard.
- A ring is a station that reported hearing someone.
- Lines join each reporter to the station they decoded. Each satellite has its own line colour, matching the coloured counts above the map.
Click a dot to see the callsigns in that square, with their last SNR and FT4 message. The legend in the bottom-left corner of the map explains the symbols and colours in the current view.
If nothing was heard in the selected window, the map says when the last matching spot was heard. One click widens the view to the last 24 hours, or reopens that older pass. When you are logged in, an empty map opens on your own gridsquare.
When you monitor a callsign, the map works like PSK Reporter's monitoring view. A star marks that station, lines run to every station it worked with, and labels show how long ago each spot was heard. Labels for the last hour are pink; older ones turn grey.
Filters and time controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Satellite | Limit the map to one satellite (for example RS-44). Leave empty for all satellites. |
| Show signals | With a callsign set: sent by shows who heard that station, received by shows who that station heard, and sent or received by shows both. |
| Callsign | The station to monitor. |
| Mode | FT4 today; more digital modes may follow. |
| Over the last | 15 minutes to 24 hours, or a custom range in UTC. |
| Display options | Filter by locator prefix (IO or IO91), set a minimum SNR, and group the logbook by station. |
The map refreshes every 30 seconds for the preset windows. Custom ranges are fixed and do not refresh.
Ranges longer than 24 hours need a satellite or callsign filter. This keeps the map readable and the page fast.
Who heard me / Who I heard
When you are logged in, two buttons fill in your own callsign:
- Who heard me shows every station that decoded you.
- Who I heard shows every station you decoded.
Both work with the satellite and time filters, so "who heard me on RS-44 this pass" takes two clicks.
Pass statistics
Above the map OscarWatch adds FT4-specific counts that PSK Reporter cannot show:
- Spots per satellite, coloured to match the map lines.
- Grids: distinct 4-character grid squares, counting both heard and reporting stations.
- Two-way copies: pairs of stations where each decoded the other on the same satellite. A two-way copy is a strong sign that a QSO was possible.
- Decodes per minute across the selected window.
- Best SNR, copied by and heard counts for a monitored station.
- Calling CQ / in a QSO, worked out from the decoded FT4 messages (CQ calls versus grid, report,
RR73and73exchanges).
Logbook
Show logbook lists the spots under the map, newest first, with UTC time, both stations and their grids, satellite, SNR, uplink and downlink frequencies, and the decoded message. Click any callsign to monitor it.
With Group by station turned on (under Display options), the logbook lists each heard station once, with its last time heard, best SNR, and how many stations reported it.
Sending spots from OscarWatch Tracker
- Set your callsign and gridsquare under Settings → Profile. Spots are stored under your profile callsign and grid.
- Create a token under Settings → API tokens (the same token you use for UHM and Satellite status).
- Enter the token in OscarWatch Tracker. Decodes are reported automatically while you operate.
Developers can find the full request format in the Satellite spots API.
How long spots are kept
Spots are kept for 30 days and then deleted automatically. Spots are an operating aid. They are not a logbook and they do not confirm QSOs.
Moderation
Site admins can review submitted spots, filtered by callsign or satellite, under Admin → Spots.