# QRV - Complete Documentation for LLMs

## Overview

QRV is a comprehensive application serving as a multitool for amateur radio (ham radio) operators. The app is developed by K2CAT and targets casual operators who need quick, reliable access to essential radio information during their operations. QRV is available as a native iOS app for iPhone and iPad, a native macOS app for Mac, and an Apple Watch (watchOS) app included with QRV Premium.

Website: https://getqrv.com
App Store (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/qrv/id6754951380
Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/qrv/id6754951380
Developer callsign: K2CAT (https://www.qrz.com/db/K2CAT)
Support email: support@getqrv.com
Public feedback & roadmap: https://github.com/QRV-App/qrv-feedback

## What is Amateur Radio?

Amateur radio (ham radio) is a hobby and service that allows licensed operators to communicate via radio frequencies. Operators use various modes including voice, Morse code (CW), and digital modes like FT8. The hobby involves understanding propagation conditions, which vary based on solar activity and time of day.

## App Features in Detail

### Live Spots (Premium)
Real-time integration with PSK Reporter, a global network that tracks digital mode transmissions. Users can see:
- Who is currently transmitting
- What frequencies and modes are active
- Where signals are being received worldwide
- Filtering by band, mode, or callsign

### Band Conditions (Free)
Solar and propagation data from HamQSL including:
- Solar Flux Index (SFI)
- Sunspot Number (SN)
- A-Index and K-Index (geomagnetic activity)
- Band-by-band propagation forecasts
- Day/night propagation differences

### Callsign Lookup (Free)
Integration with two major callsign databases:
- QRZ.com - The most popular callsign database
- HamQTH.com - Alternative database with good international coverage

Lookup results include:
- Operator name and location
- Grid square (Maidenhead locator)
- QSL information
- License class
- DXCC entity

### Logbook Integration (Free)
View your past QSO (contact) history with looked-up callsigns, sourced from either a QRZ account or a self-hosted Wavelog instance (connected with a read-access API key; log data is cached locally on the device).

### POTA & SOTA Spots (Free)
Live activations from Parks on the Air (POTA) and Summits on the Air (SOTA), with band and mode filtering. POTA/SOTA spots are also cross-referenced within Live Spots.

### DXpeditions (Free)
A calendar of active and upcoming DXpeditions (organized trips to rare or remote DXCC entities), with a live band-activity overlay showing where each operation is currently being heard. Operators can set DXpedition alerts (Premium) to be notified when a tracked operation goes active.

### Band Plans (Free)
Comprehensive frequency allocation charts for 11 countries:
- United States (FCC Part 97)
- United Kingdom (Ofcom)
- Canada (ISED/RAC)
- Germany (BNetzA)
- Austria
- Spain
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Mexico
- Australia (ACMA)
- New Zealand (RSM)

Band plans show:
- Frequency ranges by license class
- Mode designations (CW, SSB, digital, etc.)
- Power limits where applicable

### Widgets (Premium — iPhone & iPad)
iOS home screen and lock screen widgets displaying:
- Current band conditions at a glance
- Quick access without opening the app
- Multiple size options

Note: Widgets are not available on the Mac version.

### Custom Notifications (Premium)
Push notifications for:
- Band activity alerts (e.g., "20m is open to Europe")
- DXCC entity alerts (e.g., "Spotted: VP8 - Falkland Islands")
- Callsign alerts (get notified when a specific station is spotted)
- DXpedition alerts (notified when a tracked DXpedition goes active)
- Customizable sensitivity thresholds

### Reference Materials (Free)
Quick reference guides including:
- Q-codes (QTH, QSL, QRZ, etc.)
- Prosigns for CW operation
- CW / Morse code reference
- NATO phonetic alphabet
- DXCC entity prefixes
- RST signal reporting system

### Calculators (Free)
Practical tools including:
- Power calculator (watts/dBm conversion, Ohm's law)
- Battery runtime estimator
- Antenna length calculations
- Coax & feedline loss calculator
- Maidenhead grid square converter

## Mac-Specific Features

The macOS version of QRV is a full native Mac app (not Catalyst) with:
- **Sidebar navigation** for quick access to all sections
- **Keyboard shortcuts** including Cmd+K for quick search
- **Three-column layouts** for Live Spots and other data-dense views
- **Native Settings window** (not an in-app settings page)
- **1-hour free trial** of premium features for new users (measured as foreground usage time)

## Apple Watch (Premium)

QRV includes a native Apple Watch app, available with a QRV Premium subscription. It provides:
- At-a-glance band conditions and solar data on the wrist
- Watch face complications so propagation status is visible without opening the app
- Location-aware data via the Watch's GPS (no iPhone required to be nearby)

## Pricing Model

QRV uses a freemium model:

**Free Features:**
- Band conditions
- Band plans for all supported countries
- All reference materials
- All calculators
- Callsign lookup
- QRZ & Wavelog logbook integration
- POTA & SOTA spots

**Premium Subscription Required:**
- Live PSK Reporter spots
- Home screen and lock screen widgets (iPhone & iPad)
- Custom notifications for band, DXCC, callsign, and DXpedition activity
- Apple Watch app and watch face complications

The premium subscription helps cover ongoing server infrastructure costs for real-time data aggregation and push notification delivery.

## Technical Architecture

- Native iOS, macOS, and watchOS apps built with SwiftUI
- Backend API at api.getqrv.com (FastAPI on DigitalOcean)
- Real-time data via PSK Reporter MQTT feed
- Solar data from HamQSL API
- Callsign data from QRZ and HamQTH APIs

## Common Amateur Radio Terms

- **QRV**: Ready to receive (Q-code) - the app name
- **DX/DXing**: Long-distance radio communication
- **QSO**: A two-way radio contact between operators
- **DXCC**: DX Century Club - award for contacting 100+ countries/entities
- **Maidenhead grid**: 6-character location coordinate system (e.g., FN30)
- **PSK Reporter**: Automated network reporting digital mode spots
- **HF**: High Frequency bands (3-30 MHz) used for long-distance
- **Propagation**: How radio signals travel through the atmosphere
- **73**: Best regards (ham radio sign-off)

## Who Should Use QRV

**Ideal for:**
- Casual HF operators on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch
- Operators wanting quick band condition checks
- Those chasing DXCC entities
- Portable/field operators (POTA, SOTA)
- New hams learning the hobby
- Mac users who want a desktop ham radio companion

**Not designed for:**
- Serious contesters (need specialized logging software)
- Professional DXers (need more detailed cluster integration)
- VHF/UHF-only operators (limited HF focus)

## Contacting Support

- Email: support@getqrv.com
- Instagram: @getqrv
- Developer QRZ page: https://www.qrz.com/db/K2CAT

## Feedback and Roadmap

QRV has a public feedback space on GitHub where users can suggest features, vote on ideas with thumbs-up reactions, report bugs, and see what's planned.

- Feedback space: https://github.com/QRV-App/qrv-feedback
- Public roadmap (Backlog / Planned / In Progress / Shipped): https://github.com/orgs/QRV-App/projects/1
- For users without a GitHub account, emailed feedback to support@getqrv.com is also read.

## Privacy

QRV respects user privacy. See https://getqrv.com/privacy.html for the full privacy policy. The app requires location permission only for calculating distance to spotted stations and is optional.