POTAPlus Chrome Browser Extension
This project is a extension (plugin) for the Chrome
web browser,
to enhance the
https://pota.app
spotting website tool for the
Parks on the Air (POTA)
amateur radio group.
This is not sponsored by or supported by the official POTA team.
FEATURES
-
Real-time notifications based on your awards status from POTA.app for your needed:
- ATNO parks
- WAS state
- N1CC park-band slot
-
Logging options:
- Directly from browser
- Via ham-apps-proxy.exe***:
- DXLab Suite - DXKeeper
- Log4OM
- ACLog (>=1.7)
- Logger32
- ... more planned!
-
Rig Control options
- Requires*** ham-apps-proxy.exe:
- DXLab Suite - Commander
- OmniRig
- ACLog
- Logger32
- ... more planned!
-
Award Progress Details (to expand on "My Awards" progress):
- N1CC - Activator
- N1CC - Hunter
***
The rig control and most logging options require a local program (.EXE) to be running, in addition to the Chrome extension.
That .EXE serves as a middleware/proxy layer from HTTP to TCP/UDP-Socket, which is what DXlab (Commander, DXKeeper), Log4OM, and OmniRig all use to accept commands.
Still investigating doing this directly from the chrome extension, but in the meantime this piece is a workaround architecture that allows the development to move forward.
CONTACT
David K2DW
dwestbrook@gmail.com
or direct-message or #proj-potaplus-browser-extension channel on POTA Slack Workspace.
Please do not use regular POTA help contacts.
DOWNLOAD
INSTALLATION
Preparation
- Create a POTA.app account and sign into into it.
- In POTA.app site, thhe "hamburger" menu -- stronlgy recommend turning ON "Prefer Table View" for POTAPlus.
Also recommend turning OFF "Show User stats" (POTAPlus includes thaat info, and more).
Chrome Extension
This is primary component for all of the features.
- Download
releases/potaplus.zip
and unzip the extension folder to location of your choice.
- Open chrome, and go to the URL chrome://extensions
- Turn on the "Developer mode" toggle
- Use the "Load unpacked" button, and point it at the extension directory from first step.
- Go to https://pota.app and you should see the customizations in action!
- Be sure to check out the Options page first, to enable the features you want to try out.
UPGRADING
Normally (minor versions), just unzip new version over the existing, and refresh pota.app web page.
From v1.07.xx to v1.08.xx -- unzip as normal, but also be sure to go to chrome://extensions/ and hit the "reload" (circle arrow) icon on the POTAPlus extension card.
Custom Ham Radio HTTP=>TCP Proxy
This is only needed if Rig Control or Logging will be utilized.
- Download the ham-apps-proxy.exe program to any location.
releases/ham-apps-proxy.exe
(.zip'd)
- Run it, and leave it running.
- Tip: DXLab's Launcher has an easy method for this in its
Apps Started Before/After DXLab Apps configuration.
Similar functionality in Log4OM -> Configuration -> Software Configuration -> Auto Start
- Windows firewall or other security programs may prompt to allow usage.
- Depending on the target apps and specific installation, may need to start ham-apps-proxy.exe with "Run as Administrator".
- Ensure that the needed rig control and logging programs are running, and listening on appropriate ports.
TROUBLESHOOTING
The two general places to look .. In the extension -> errors, do "clear all" first to clean slate, so easier to see next one that happens. Ditto console -- if a bunch in there, use the circle-slash icon in upper-left to clear it.
CHANGELOG
v0.00.00 - TODO-List Candidates/Ideas (no particular order)
Features
- on logging (opening of modal??), lookup park info; Include grid, state, dxcc in log entries
- new logger: N1MM+
- new rig control: N1MM+
- update screenshots on web page
- custom callsign watch list
- from Activations screen, quick bookmark/star/flag icon to add to watch list
- support op2op award ... maybe just for watch-list callsigns?
- popup-screen stats .. better sort/copy-paste support
- keep track of logged stations, for a "worked list", compare to confirmed parks-worked, and display (in popup screen??) those pending-confirmation parks.
- add a "debugging" option to control console output verbosity
- logging for RUMLogNG .. invoke applescript
- todo -- OS-dependent flags in ham-apps-proxy.pl for Mac vs Windows
- cache the start-up information for 24(12?) hours
- check-status function to "ping" target app (loggger or rig control) vi ham-apps-proxy.exe
- New rig control: Logger32
- Logger: HRD v6
- rig control: HRD/DM-780
- callsign lookup on QSY. e.g. for rotor
- option for VFO B. OmniRig, Commander
- new logger: POTAPlus ... and option to download ADIF, and clear log
- notification if park needed in calendar year
- remove resources list from popup screen
Fixes
- fix switching between table and list modes
v1.08.02 - Under Development
Fixes
- better handling of "/" callsigns when doing profile lookups
Follow-up Changes
- TODO: ACLog logging -- use the "ADDADIFRECORD" API call instead, to be able to use fields like "COMMENTS" and "Other1".
v1.08.01 - 2022-12-05
Features
- Operator to Operator levels are every 50, so warn when close
Fixes
- cache bugfix with popup dialog "My Activations" section
- qrz.com logging -- errantly reporting "NOT LOGGED"
- qrz.com logging -- api called now with no-cors mode to prevent warning in chrome console
- fixed logging issue when 'Show selected activator profile' feature is disabled
- suppress a 'uninitialized string' warning in ham-apps-proxy output
Follow-up Changes
- Better support for multiple callsigns in "My Awards Progress" popup "Operator to Operator" section.
v1.08.00 - 2022-12-03
Features
- add needed Parks/Regions/WAS badges to POTA.app Activations page https://pota.app/#/activations
- Added details (endorsements, and granted date) on POTA.app activator Profile page to the award images/titles. e.g. https://pota.app/#/profile/K2DW
- Support for new LateShift/EarlyShift rules. Enable the "Abbreviate Spot Times" to use this feature.
- QSY button will halt scanning
- ctrl-space will toggle frequency scanning start/stop
- popup -> N1CC Activator has progress indicator when it's rebuilding cache.
- ham-apps-proxy.exe -- added a "ping" endpoint for DXKeeper
- Check the "ping" ham-apps-proxy endpoint when logging to DXKeeper, log4om, logger32. This will alert if logger is not running.
- color warning when overall stats nearing next level
- Repeat Offender Hunter levels are every 20, so warn when close
- replaced the google maps image with a (free/unlimited) google maps streetview widget
- logging now uses comma-delim list of park refs for %PARKREF% macro value if it is an n-fer. This is consistent with upcoming ADIF 3.1.4 support for POTA.
Fixes
- fixed sort order of bands-worked to be numeric (e.g. "70CM,2M,6M,20M,60M,80M")
- popup -> N1CC Activator had regression issue, now displays properly
- better error handling if internal extension error, e.g. if it doesn't save setting/cache due to over quota.
- reduced cache size for N1CC hunter info
- added 'unlimitedStorage' stroage permission, to be able to store more than 5MB of cache data
- fixed scanning bug with start-stop-start too quickly.
- left/right arrow keys for QSY prev/next only work if NOT alt/ctrl/shift. e.g. shift-arrow is a standard highlighting combo.
- ham-apps-proxy.exe -- fixed so it returns HTTP status codes properly
- fixed the fetch'ing of ham-apps-proxy calls, to accurately detect success/error, which was being masking by having to make no-cors calls.
Follow-up Changes
- improved error handling of the various API calls that are made.
- added capability for compressed storage (options/cache). Not used yet, but may use in future release.
- code cleanup, moving duplicated code to single potaplus-util.js common file
v1.07.08 - 2022-07-24
Features
- New Option -- Rotor Control section; support for PstRotator
- ham-apps-proxy -- support for PstRotator for rotor control
- New Option -- force a page refresh after submitting a log entry. This is intended as edge-case stop-gap, for when then known issue of QSL button "jumble" happens consistently.
Fixes
- several regression issues from 1.07.07, with combinations of rig control enabled vs not enabled, and card vs table mode.
v1.07.07 - 2022-07-23
Features
- New Option -- specify your home 6-character gridsquare for hunting.
- Display bearing and distance to park when both "Home QTH Grid" and "Show selected activator profile" are enabled.
- New macros (in addition to %MYCALL%) for "Additional ADIF Fields":
+ %PARKNUM%
+ %GRID4%
+ %GRID6%
- A warning banner is now displayed if not logged into POTA.app account.
Fixes
- Bugfixes for new N1CC-hunter caching scheme (Thanks Joe N3XLS)
- Bugfix for Card view, where the "~" would show and immediately hide. (Thanks Dave VA3CP)
- Bugfix for Card view, where "HIDE SPOTS" additional filters was not finding all the modes from current spots. (Thanks Dave VA3CP)
Follow-up Changes
- Change the "INFO" label (introduced v1.07.06) to a radio button, for when rig control is not enabled. This is the trigger for additional lookups, and no longer the history/spot buttons.
- Removed the "Logger Field for Park Number" option. If used, field names are automatically moved into the "Additional ADIF Fields".
- Add grid to the log entry comment field's constructed prefix.
v1.07.06 - 2022-07-18
Features
- new Option -- show user/park/spots info of current spot.
+ Invoked by "QSY" button (or a "INFO" button in its place if rig control not enabled).
+ Display user avatar, name, alterate callsigns, and high-level stats.
+ Display the park num, name, grid/location/country, and high-level stats.
+ Display the park map, zoomed out further than pota.app park page.
+ Display the Google Street View image for the park (by park name/state/country).
+ User avatar linked to pota.app user page.
+ Park map linked to pota.app park page.
+ Street View image linked to Google search results for park name.
+ Display the spot history comments.
- Identifies any POTAPlus-generated N-fer/multi-op comments and notes them.
- 5 min cache
+ If activator had a Activations entry, displays the frequency, date, and notes information.
- ham-apps-proxy -- add port number command line parameter
- support a %MYCALL% macro in the Additional AIDF Fields to log. This is to help support multi-hunter home stations.
Fixes
- N1CC refactoring; pagination, case-insensitive for bands, and better/smarter caching.
- false-positives in n1cc/dxcc badges
- bugfix for band edge logic (e.g. 14.225) to account for USB vs LSB
- removed an unecessary delay in updated op2op count being displayed
- bugfix on solar widget layout, to help prevent widget from "jumping" around, or expanding and immediately contracting.
- When looking up N1CC-Hunter stats, ignore band of "INVALID" retrieved from pota db.
Follow-up Changes
- debugging mode pane moved to below spots table
- On a 403 from pota.app API call, display warning that page needs a refresh. This tends to occur when browser if left idle for a long time (and pota.app api token expires).
v1.07.05 - 2022-07-05
Features
- Popup Screen -- expose "My Activations" data for CSV download
- Popup Screen -- JSON export option for "My Activations" and "My Awards Earned"
- New Option -- Hide un-needed labels (e.g. "Band") on the pota.app filters
- New Option -- warn for out-of-band frequencies for US General class
- Added button to toggle extra info for "HIDE SPOTS" region (states) section.
- New Option -- display a Solar Widget (from rigreference.com)
- New Option -- display the current SFI/K/A numbers from NOAA. see https://parksontheair.slack.com/archives/C02TEHESMLG/p1654366288797019
Fixes
- OP2OP counts now handle POTA users with multiple callsigns in their pota.app user profile. Grand total for op2op is under the main call, and alias calls not listed. see https://parksontheair.slack.com/archives/C02TEHESMLG/p1654432174828159
- OP2OP now handles >= 100 (pagination supported when searching hunter log)
- OP2OP bugfix with events tied to history/spot buttons causing double-counting of op2op totals
v1.07.04 - 2022-05-31
Features
- New Option "enableHideSpotterCall"
- New Option "enableHideSpotterComment"
Follow-up Changes
- Color tweak on op2op badge if >= 50; and R.O. badge if >= 20
- Fixed bug in "Hide Spots" in CardMode where regions had labels like "FL46/41"
- "Hide Spots" Programs section -- hightlight needed DX, like in the "Regions" section
- "Hide Spots" Bands section -- numeric sort instead of alpha sort
v1.07.03 - 2022-05-29
Features
- New option for "My Awards Summary"
- For "My Awards Summary" option -- show total parks-hunted and lateshift-contacts counts on spots page. (cached daily)
- For "My Awards Summary" option -- show list of new awards (PDF's) posted since last check (cached daily) https://parksontheair.slack.com/archives/C011E0H540J/p1653565691421639
- For "My Awards Summary" option -- Popup Screen: display (including CSV export) earned-awards list
- New option "UTC Clock (as tab title)" ... Handy around 0000Z lateshift start.
Fixes
- Options screen -- selected options/settings now retained after reinstall
- Error-handling tweak. see https://parksontheair.slack.com/archives/C02TEHESMLG/p1651582372037429
Follow-up Changes
- add Regions to "hide spots" extended filtering
- add mouse-hovers on the "hide spots" checkboxes, to show where (band/mode) that specific item is
v1.07.02 - 2022-05-01
Follow-up Changes
- Cleanly trap the known intermittent error of LOG button logging wrong spot. Will auto-detect on-screen and prevent use of log button, so you know to refresh page.
- Tooltip for Location progress badge.
v1.07.01 - 2022-04-24
Features
- New [~] toggle botton, to mark a spot as "positive" or "negative" -- user choice on what those mean. Clicking the button cycles through postive/negative/none. The QSY "SCAN" or left-arrow/right-arrow will skip any "negative" ontes.
- New "Additional Spot Filters" option. This will provide checkboxes of any Band, Mode, Program (country) in the current spot list, and selecting will hide those spots. This effectively allows for multi-selecting filter options, where the pota.app filters are single select. e.g. exclude bands where no antenna/TX capabilty, or modes with no TX capabilty, or DX with no prop path.
- New "Enable Needed Locations" -- For tracking "Hunted All References" (all parks in a Location) for all locations (not just US-xx WAS).
+ if spot Park# is a new one for hunter, shows a badge on the spot region (Location) with the Hunted-All-References progress for that Location. Badge shows "0" if region (state for US, so covers WAS case) has never been worked.
+ supercedes "Enabled Needed WAS" if both on
- New "Abbreviate Spot Times" option to change spot Time from "## sec ago" to "<1 m" and "## min(s) ago" to "## m". Applies to table (list) mode only, not card/tile mode.
- New options for RBN/PSKReporter icons
- New options for QRZ icon
Fixes
- Attempt (brute-force) to fix elusive bug where QSL button gets "jumbled", and next LOG actions logs wrong spot call. [didn't work]
- fix for 'Active Spots' header layout
Follow-up Changes
- for op2op log search, strip slash suffix from callsign, and search just on the operator base call.
- style/color update for the currently-QSY'd spot. And only highlights current one, no longer parevious 2 as well.
v1.06.06 - 2022-03-27
Features
- Popup screen -- Popup Screen -- new "Copy" buttons to put CSV data into clipboard, for easy copy/paste (to excel, notepad, etc)
Follow-up Changes
- N1CC badges have extra info in tooltips
v1.06.05 - 2022-03-26
Features
- Options Screen -- New "Enable Needed Ops" option (on by default)
- Shows Operator-to-Operator badge counts on callsign of spots. Updated in background anytime a Re-Spot, QSY, or QSL button is clicked (once per spotted call per day).
- Popup screen -- display the Operator-to-Operator cached stats.
Fixes
- Performance -- Version check is cached (~daily), and tolerant of fetch failure
- Performance -- The API calls to fetch data for Needed WAS, Parks, N1CC features are now cached ~daily, and only fetched if respective feature is enabled.
- Performance -- Popup screen -- added caching of N1CC activator/hunter, sort by #bands DESC.
Follow-up Changes
- change "atno" badge label on Park Reference Num to "0" if never hunted
- tweaked image style for pskreporter/rbn icons
- Popup screen -- removed POTA Resources links (was only there for placeholder content, before award progress feature was available).
v1.06.04 - 2022-02-27
Features
- New Logger: QRZ.com
- New Options field for logger, for API key (e.g. for QRZ.com)
- Add RBN icon/link for CW spots
- Add PSKReporter icon/link for Digital (non-CW, non-SSB) spots
- Enable ability to configure host/port for ham-apps-proxy.exe instead of default localhost:8073
Follow-up Changes
- Options/Logging: Handle multiple (comma/space-delim) field names in "Logger Field for Park Number"
- QSL dialog: added "Park ref #5"
- Logging: Put all park#'s (2-fer, etc) in the value for "Logger Field for Park Number"
- Log4OM logging: multi-park support in APP_L4ONG_QSO_AWARD_REFERENCES
- Options Screen: Misc label/doc/layout changes
v1.06.03 - 2022-02-21
Features
- On QSL screen, added fields for multiple parks. Automatically added to log comments and re-spot ("SPOT+LOG" btn) comments.
- On QSL screen, added field for RX_PWR. Automatically added to log comments and re-spot ("SPOT+LOG" btn) comments. Added as RX_PWR adif field for loggers that support it.
Fixes
- Misc error-handling cleanup in ham-apps-proxy.exe
v1.06.02 - 2022-02-14
Features
- In QSL dialog, in RST boxes, support ctrl-# (e.g. ctrl-3 for 53 or 539) shortcuts. (Feature modeled after DXLab behavior)
- New "homeQTH" config item in logger options
- With "SPOT + LOG", spot comments automatically prepended with "[RSTSent homeQTH]" (e.g. "[57 ENY]")
Fixes
- QSO date/time is now time of clicking "LOG" button, not "QSL" (open diaglog) time.
- fix ACLog logging of RST Sent/Rcvd
- tweak 2M cutpoint from 144.0MHz to 140.0MHz
v1.06.01 - 2022-02-11
Features
- Ability to supply additional op callsigns
Fixes
- order of RST Sent/Rcvd text boxes
- darkmode support in log/re-spot modal
v1.06.00 - 2022-02-11
Features
- Confirmation dialog on Log submission, including sent/rcvd RST fields
- When rig control is enabled, Left-arrow and Right-arrow will navigate the spots -- same as clicking the previous/next QSY button.
v1.05.08 - 2022-02-08
Fixes
- OmniRig -- for QSY, change mode first, then freq, to avoid omnrig/radio offset with incumbent mode.
v1.05.07 - 2022-02-07
Features
- Award details in the extension popup window. Initial proof-of-concept shows bands-worked details for N1CC-Activator and N1CC-Hunter progress.
Follow-up Changes
- Additional Omnirig debug info in ham-apps-proxy output
v1.05.06 - 2022-02-06
Follow-up Changes
- Omnirig rig control fix -- earlier 1.05.xx release broke it.
- report the authentication method in version check for usage stats
v1.05.05 - 2022-02-03
Follow-up Changes
- Performance improvement. With busy spot page, was getting noticably slow (due to script updating more times than needed).
v1.05.04 - 2022-02-03
Follow-up Changes
v1.05.03 - 2022-02-03
Features
- Better handling at startup -- waits for all needed pieces to load before drawing any of the POTAPlus items (QSY/LOG btn, badges, etc).
Follow-up Changes
- More pota.app update fixes -- Should resolve the "jumbling" issue for list-mode.
v1.05.02 - 2022-02-01
Follow-up Changes
- Since pota.app highlightNewSpots feature takes precedence, tweak QSY/scan highlighting to be on button instead of row in listmode; on both card title and button in card-view.
- Rework the display of the Q-count, atno, and n1cc badge notifications. Support multiples now (previously were overlapping and confusing).
v1.05.01 - 2022-01-31
Features
- Support for Hunter N1CC notifications
- New logger: Logger32
- Configuration to override default TCP/UDP ports/hostnames of target ham apps, used by ham-apps-proxy.exe
- tweaked version numbering scheme to faciliate bugfix patching
Fixes
- account for updates (late JAN 2022) to pota.app site
- Fix re-spot feature in card view
- Better internal logging for troubleshooting
- OmniRig rig control -- updated support modes, including CW
Follow-up Changes
- fixed card mode ATNO and parknum for logging
v1.0.4 - 2022-01-15
Features
- Options UI
- New logger: log4OM -- thanks to Pablo VA3HDL
- New logger: ACLog
- New rig control: OmniRig -- thanks to Pablo VA3HDL
- New rig control: ACLog
- POTA Resources page when clicking extension icon in browser toolbar
Fixes
- misc
- bugfix for tableMode + userStats combination
- bugfix for getting user stats (token stored differently for different authentications -- google/amazon/FB/pw))
- bugfix for only US-XX in WAS notifications (e.g. exclude US-KP4)
v1.0.3 - 2022-01-13
Features
- Added pota.app Table Mode support
- Added pota.app Dark Mode support
- ATNO/WAS style updates
- Now extension is standalone (proxy exe not required for basic usage)
- New website for info/downloads
Fixes
- Code refactoring, to prep for table-mode support, options UI, and multi-logger support.
- treat 60M SSB as USB
- misc
v1.0.2 - 2022-01-07
Features
- highlighting ATNO parks
- highlighting needed US-states
Fixes
v1.0.1 - 2022-01-06
Features
- support for version checking
- misc updates
Fixes
v1.0.0 - 2022-01-03
Features
CREDITS
- The entire POTA staff, activators and hunters that contribute to the great program.
- Alpha testers: KD4ADC, VA3HDL, N3XLS, WB5N, N3KAE, KP4M
