CS ClubsOTA Clubs On The Air

ClubsOTA Rules

Clubs On The Air mirrors the Parks on the Air activation model, with clubs as first-class participants.

Key roles

  • Activator — operates from within a listed park boundary and uploads an ADIF log.
  • Hunter — contacts an activator from any location. Hunters do not upload logs.
  • Club — an affiliated amateur radio club that can receive activation credit when members operate under the club callsign.

Activations

  • A successful activation requires 10 or more QSOs from a listed park within a single UTC day.
  • Park references use the official Parks on the Air catalog (for example US-0001).
  • The activator and all equipment must be within park boundaries on public property.
  • Land repeater contacts do not count. Satellite contacts are allowed.
  • Submit unsuccessful attempts anyway so hunters still receive credit.

Logging

  • Only activators upload logs (ADIF).
  • Required fields: call, QSO date/time (UTC), band or frequency, mode, and park reference in MY_SIG_INFO (or selected at upload).
  • Hunters earn awards from activator logs automatically.

Club activations & dual credit

  • Clubs register a real on-air club callsign (admin-approved). That call is club identity — not a park reference.
  • Join is request → owner/officer approve. Membership roles: owner, officer, member.
  • Club logs use club STATION_CALLSIGN (or select the club on upload). The club earns club awards for successful activations.
  • Dual credit: when QSOs include OPERATOR (individual op ≠ club call), registered operators also earn personal activator park credit for that activation.
  • See docs/CLUB-DUAL-CREDIT.md for the storage model.

Awards

Activator and hunter awards track unique parks (POTA-style tiers):

Bronze 10 · Silver 20 · Gold 30 · Platinum 40 · Diamond 50 · Sapphire 75

Separate tracks exist for clubs. Additional QSO-count and unique-location awards (inspired by WWFF / POTA Kilo-style goals) are granted automatically as you upload logs.

Spots, schedules & maps

  • Native spotting — self-spot or spot others on ClubsOTA (respot / QRT, 30-minute TTL). Inspired by POTA Spotting and SOTA Watch.
  • Scheduled activations — publish advance notices so hunters can plan (SOTA Alert style).
  • Park map — find entities nearby with Leaflet + OpenStreetMap (free tiles).
  • Park-to-park — log hunter park references in SIG_INFO for P2P-style credit tracking.

API for loggers

Third-party apps can pull spots, search parks, upload ADIF, and manage schedules via the ClubsOTA REST API. Create tokens under Dashboard → API Tokens.

Independence & attribution

ClubsOTA is an independent club-focused awards program. Park references and park data are provided by Parks on the Air® (pota.app). ClubsOTA is not affiliated with Parks on the Air, Inc.