Operator Tools

Tell the world you are on the air.

Broadcast your operating status to a live feed. Share your band, mode, frequency, and grid square. Other operators can follow you and get notified the moment you key up.

See Who's On the Air Claim Your Callsign

A live feed of who is on the air right now.

See what operators around you are doing right now. Filter by band, mode, or location. Click any session to see the operator's profile, frequency, and notes.

Real-time feed updates as operators go on and off the air
Filter by band (HF, VHF, UHF), mode (SSB, CW, FT8, FM), or grid square
Click through to any operator's full profile
Map view shows active operators by grid square location

Groundwave On the Air live activity feed showing active operators

One click and you are on the air.

Set your band, mode, frequency, grid square, and an optional note. Pick a duration and go live. Your session auto-expires so you never forget to sign off.

Select band, mode, and frequency
Grid square auto-populated from your profile location
Add a note: "Working POTA at K-1234" or "Calling CQ on 20m"
Sessions auto-expire after 30 minutes to 8 hours

Groundwave broadcast form with band, mode, and frequency selection

Save presets for your favorite setups.

Operating portable on 2m FM every Saturday morning? Save it as a preset. One click to go live with your usual band, mode, and frequency. No re-entering the same details every time.

Save up to 10 presets with band, mode, and frequency
One-click activation from your dashboard
Edit or delete presets anytime

Groundwave preset management for quick on-the-air activation

Follow operators. Get notified.

Follow any operator on Groundwave. When they go on the air, you get a notification. Find out when your friends are active without monitoring a repeater all day.

Follow any operator with a claimed callsign
In-app notifications when followed operators go live
See a personalized feed of operators you follow

Groundwave On the Air map showing active operators by grid square

Live Status on Your Profile

Your on-the-air status shows on your profile page. Visitors see what you are doing right now, including band, mode, frequency, and your note.

Search and Discover

Search for any operator and see if they are currently on the air. Live status appears right on their profile alongside their FCC data and equipment list.

Activity History

Your past sessions are visible on your profile. Build a record of your operating activity over time, including bands, modes, and session durations.

Free for every ham.

On the Air is a free individual operator tool. No subscription required, no limits. Claim your callsign and start broadcasting.

Find Your Callsign

Do I need a Groundwave account?

Yes. You need to claim your callsign on Groundwave to broadcast your status. Claiming is free and takes less than a minute.

What happens when my session expires?

Your status automatically clears from the live feed. You can always end a session early by clicking Go QRT.

Can I broadcast from a mobile device?

Yes. Groundwave works in any mobile browser. Go on the air from the field, your car, or anywhere you have signal.

Is this like a cluster or spotting network?

Not exactly. Spotting networks are for reporting stations you hear. On the Air is for broadcasting your own operating status so others know you are active.

Does this cost anything?

No. On the Air is completely free for every licensed amateur on Groundwave.

Get on the air.

Claim your callsign and let the world know when you are operating.