1. What is a spot?
A spot tells other radio amateurs that a station is active on a particular frequency and in a particular mode.
GMA can publish spots not only within the GMA system but - depending on the selected destination - also forward them to external spotting systems.
2. Spotting systems are independent
GMA, SOTA, POTA, WWFF and DX clusters are separate systems. A spot in one system therefore does not automatically appear in all the others.
When spotting via GMA, you select the available systems to which your spot should be sent.
3. What is a DX cluster?
A DX cluster is a network used by radio amateurs to report current on-air activity. These reports are called DX spots.
There are many different DX clusters. You can use the cluster you normally prefer.
For GMA to send a spot through your DX cluster, the address and port of that cluster must be entered in your GMA profile.
Example:
DX Cluster address: dx.da0bcc.de DX Cluster port: 7300
When connecting, GMA logs in to the specified DX cluster using your callsign. The spot is then sent through that cluster.
4. Settings in your GMA profile
You can find the required settings in your GMA profile under additional authorisations.
Here you can enter, among other things, login details for SOTA and POTA as well as the address and port of your DX cluster.
GMA can only use systems on your behalf when the required information is available.
5. Spotting via SOTA
If you want to send spots to SOTA, your SOTA login details must be stored in your GMA profile.
If SOTA works but other spotting systems do not, this does not automatically mean that there is a problem with GMA spotting. Other systems may require additional login details or settings.
6. Spotting via POTA
POTA spots can also be sent via GMA. GMA requires the appropriate login details for this.
This is particularly important if you registered or sign in to POTA using a Google account. For GMA to send a POTA spot on your behalf, the required credentials must also be stored in your GMA profile.
Without this authorisation, GMA cannot submit a POTA spot on your behalf.
7. Security of your login details
Login details stored in your GMA profile are stored encrypted.
If you nevertheless have concerns about storing personal login details with GMA, you do not have to enter them. However, the corresponding external spotting systems cannot then be used through GMA on your behalf.
8. Signing in with Google or other providers
Signing in with Google or another external provider is convenient, but it can make integration with other applications more difficult.
If an amateur radio platform offers its own username and password login, this may be easier when connecting it to other amateur radio applications.
9. The GMA Spot Center
The GMA Spot Center allows you to send one spot to one or more spotting systems at the same time.
First enter the activator callsign, frequency and mode. You can then enter the references for the programmes you are currently activating.
Entering references correctly
GMA, SOTA, WWFF and POTA each use their own references. A reference must therefore always be entered in the field belonging to that programme.
If a location belongs to several programmes at the same time, you can fill in several reference fields. References are not simply exchanged between programmes or converted into a reference for another programme.
If GMA has already transferred or pre-filled references when opening the Spot Center, please check that they belong to your current activation.
Where should the spot be sent?
Under Send to, select the systems to which the spot should actually be sent. You can select one system or several systems.
For example, if you are activating a GMA, SOTA, WWFF and POTA reference at the same location, you can enter all four references and then select the desired spotting systems.
There is no separate reference field for the DX cluster. The DX cluster is a separate spotting network and uses the information available for the spot.
Grey text is only an example
Grey text shown in empty input fields is only an example. It is not data that has already been transferred and it will not be sent with your spot.
Such examples are marked with e.g. so that they cannot easily be confused with real callsigns or references.
10. Why does my spot appear only on SOTA?
For example, if your SOTA login details are stored correctly but information for POTA or your DX cluster is missing, GMA can only send the spot to systems for which valid authorisation is available.
First check additional authorisations in your GMA profile and make sure that all required information for the desired spotting system has been entered.