Is Ham Browser free?
Yes. Free on macOS and Windows, 64-bit and 32-bit, and the logbook is free for every operator.
Do I need an account?
No account is needed to browse, to program a radio or to control one. A free sign-in saves and syncs your logbook, and it is what Grid Rush, the QSL cards and the CW Room use to know who you are.
What is Grid Rush?
A game over your own logbook. The world is 32,400 grid squares; every contact you have logged already claims one. Squares score for distance, bands, modes and contacts, and half again once confirmed. There are 21 badges with seven tiers each, ten ranks, and a ladder of every operator on QSL World. Nothing to import.
What is it built on?
An independent browser, built from the ground up for amateur radio, with the whole station on top: logbook, maps, spots, CW, cards, mail and rig control.
Which radios can it program?
551 models through the built-in Hamilton Radio Programmer, over a USB programming cable. Choose the model, read, edit, write.
Which radios can it control?
67 rigs across Icom and Xiegu CI-V, Yaesu, Kenwood, Elecraft, FlexRadio, QRP Labs and (tr)uSDX, from the CAT console.
How does LoTW upload work?
Through the TrustedQSL program you already have installed, on your computer. The private key never leaves it and never touches Ham Browser or QSL World.
Do I need a licence for the CW Room?
No. The CW Room is Morse over the internet, not over the air, so anyone can key and copy there. Channel 1 is for calling, channel 2 is for slow CW and learners.
Does it track me?
No. The Ham Browser application collects nothing and sends nothing about your browsing, and there is no setting to turn off because there is nothing to turn off. Saved passwords are encrypted on this computer and never leave it, and private windows keep nothing at all. This website is separate: hambrowser.com uses Google Analytics to count visits, which cannot see anything you do inside the browser.
Can I use my own AI?
Yes. Add your own Claude or OpenAI key for chat and page summaries, or open your Claude or ChatGPT account in the sidebar. The key stays on your computer and requests go only to the provider you chose.
Does my log work offline?
Yes. A copy of your log lives on your disk. The logbook reads from it when qslworld.com is unreachable, Grid Rush always reads from it, and contacts saved offline are sent when the connection returns.
