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PSKReporter Data

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Pentafive edited this page Jan 4, 2026 · 1 revision

PSKReporter Data

What is PSKReporter?

PSKReporter.info is a real-time database of amateur radio digital mode reception reports. Created and maintained by Philip Gladstone (N1DQ), it aggregates reception reports from thousands of amateur radio operators worldwide.

How It Works

┌─────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐
│   WSJT-X    │────▶│  PSKReporter │────▶│   MQTT Feed     │
│   JS8Call   │     │   Server     │     │ mqtt.pskreporter│
│   etc.      │     └──────────────┘     └────────┬────────┘
└─────────────┘                                   │
                                                  ▼
                                         ┌────────────────┐
                                         │ Home Assistant │
                                         │  (This Bridge) │
                                         └────────────────┘
  1. Decoding Software (WSJT-X, JS8Call, etc.) decodes digital signals
  2. Automatic Reporting - Software sends reception reports to PSKReporter
  3. MQTT Feed - PSKReporter publishes spots in real-time via MQTT
  4. This Integration - Subscribes to MQTT and creates HA sensors

MQTT Feed Details

Connection

Parameter Value
Host mqtt.pskreporter.info
Port 1886 (WebSocket TLS)
Protocol MQTT over WebSocket with TLS
Authentication None required
QoS 0 (at most once)

Topic Structure

pskr/filter/v2/{band}/{mode}/{sender}/{receiver}/{flow}/{sequence}
Component Description Example
band Frequency band 20m, 40m, etc.
mode Digital mode FT8, FT4, WSPR
sender Transmitting callsign W1ABC
receiver Receiving callsign VK2XYZ
flow Message flow rx, tx
sequence Sequence number 12345

Message Payload (JSON)

{
  "sq": 12345,           // Sequence number
  "f": 14074000,         // Frequency in Hz
  "md": "FT8",           // Mode
  "rp": -12,             // Signal report (dB)
  "t": 1704067200,       // Unix timestamp
  "sc": "W1ABC",         // Sender callsign
  "rc": "VK2XYZ",        // Receiver callsign
  "sl": "FM18",          // Sender grid square
  "rl": "QF56",          // Receiver grid square
  "sa": "US",            // Sender country code
  "ra": "AU",            // Receiver country code
  "b": "20m"             // Band
}

Data Fields Explained

Core Fields

Field Name Description
sc Sender Callsign Station that transmitted the signal
rc Receiver Callsign Station that received/decoded the signal
f Frequency Frequency in Hz (e.g., 14074000 = 14.074 MHz)
md Mode Digital mode (FT8, FT4, WSPR, JS8, etc.)
rp Report Signal-to-noise ratio in dB
t Timestamp Unix epoch time of reception

Location Fields

Field Name Description
sl Sender Locator Maidenhead grid square (4 or 6 char)
rl Receiver Locator Maidenhead grid square (4 or 6 char)
sa Sender Country ISO country code
ra Receiver Country ISO country code

Metadata

Field Name Description
sq Sequence Message sequence number (for gap detection)
b Band Amateur band designation (20m, 40m, etc.)

Understanding the Statistics

Spots vs Messages

  • Spot: A complete reception report (sender heard by receiver)
  • Message: Raw MQTT message from the feed

In personal mode, each message = one spot for your callsign. In global mode, you receive ALL spots (sampled at 1:N rate).

Band Activity

Per-band sensors show how many spots occurred on each band. Higher counts indicate:

  • Better propagation on that band
  • More operators active on that band
  • Time of day effects (different bands open at different times)

Typical Patterns

Time (UTC) Active Bands
00:00-06:00 40m, 80m, 160m (night)
06:00-12:00 20m, 17m, 15m (sunrise)
12:00-18:00 20m, 15m, 12m, 10m (day)
18:00-24:00 20m, 40m (sunset)

Rate Limiting (Global Mode)

Global mode processes 1 in N messages (default: 1:10) because:

  • PSKReporter sees ~1500+ spots/minute globally
  • Processing all would be resource-intensive
  • Sampling still provides statistically valid data

At 1:10 sampling:

  • 1500 spots/min → 150 processed
  • Still representative of band activity
  • Minimal CPU/memory impact

Message Volume Expectations

Personal Monitor

Activity Level Messages/min
Inactive 0
Light activity 1-10
Active contest 50-200
Rare DX 100+

Global Monitor

Time Period Messages/min
Quiet (night) 500-1000
Normal 1000-1500
Contest weekend 2000-3000

Data Accuracy

Limitations

  1. Propagation only - Shows who decoded you, not who heard you
  2. Software dependent - Only stations running reporting software
  3. Internet dependent - Requires uploading to PSKReporter
  4. Timing variation - Reports batched by some software

Reliability

  • High accuracy - Data comes directly from decoding software
  • Real-time - Typically < 30 second delay from decode to MQTT
  • Comprehensive - Thousands of stations reporting globally

Related Resources

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