SOTAcat

Field radio control over WiFi

SOTAcat is a wireless rig control tool aimed at field operators who activate summits, parks, and other portable locations. The README describes it as WiFi CAT control for the Elecraft KX2, KX3, and KH1 radios, where your phone becomes the radio console. The appeal is for operators who are away from a shack and want to control the radio without a laptop. Two headline features are chase and control. Chase lets you tap a spot in a list and the radio tunes to it, with a scan mode to cycle through spots hands free; the lists cover SOTA, POTA, and WWFF activations in one place. Control covers full rig control, a CW keyer, and self spotting, and the README notes this works even off grid via FT8. The device creates its own WiFi network named SOTACAT with a default password, and you browse to a local address to open the console. A header bar shows UTC time, battery percentage, and a green connection dot so you can confirm the link at a glance. For Android users the README warns that .local addresses may not resolve and tells them to use the numeric IP instead. The whole design targets a small, waterproof friendly workflow where gloves and a phone are all you have.

Offline and connected use

The README splits usage into two conditions based on cell service. With no cell service, the RUN page still works fully: you can tune the radio, send CW, and toggle transmit. The CHASE page needs internet and is empty when offline, but you can still self spot through SOTAmat FT8 synthesis, which requires the separate SOTAmat app on iOS or Android. With cell service, CHASE shows live spots with tap to tune and auto scan, and there are SMS spot and SMS QRT buttons for a full click to pounce workflow. This distinction matters because field operators often sit outside coverage, and the tool is honest that spotting and spot lists depend on a connection while core rig control does not. The documentation section points to user guides for getting started, a UI tour, networking, and troubleshooting, plus developer docs for building, architecture, the web UI, and testing. Hardware guidance explains how to buy a pre made unit from a store or build your own from the hardware guide. Support runs through GitHub issues, discussions, and a Slack channel. The practical takeaway is that SOTAcat is most useful as a lightweight control surface that works without a laptop, with the connected features layered on top when the network allows.

Getting started

Setup is meant to take about sixty seconds. You join the SOTAcat WiFi network with the documented password, open the local web address in a browser, and verify the header shows UTC time, battery, and a green dot. From there the RUN page drives the radio and the CHASE page lists spots when online. The README's networking guide covers recovery if the page stops responding, which is the most likely field problem. Because the device is a small access point, the phone does not need cellular or an existing network to talk to the radio. The documentation also separates user and developer content so someone who only wants to operate can ignore the build instructions. Buying options are a pre made unit or a do it yourself build following the hardware guide, which broadens access for operators who are comfortable with kit. The SOTAmat app is presented as the off grid spotting companion rather than part of SOTAcat itself, keeping the dependency explicit. For a tool used on a cold summit with low battery, the simplicity of connect, open, and operate is the actual feature, and the README keeps that promise by documenting only what is needed to get on the air. The source lives in the sotamat-sotacat repository on GitHub and is implemented in JavaScript, with the license recorded as NOASSERTION in the project metadata.

Editorial conclusion

The project is written in JavaScript and provides a phone friendly web console that connects to the radio over a local WiFi access point.