Here are a couple of items that have landed in my inbox that I think you might find of interest…

YOTA is hosting a silent auction!

electronic watchThe folks at Youth on the Air (YOTA) write:

Thanks to Garmin, we are raising funds for YOTA Americas with a silent auction for a Garmin Vivoactive 5 GPS Smartwatch! The auction begins on May 12th at 12:00 AM EDT and will end on May 31st at 9:00 PM EDT.

All proceeds go towards supporting YOTA camps in the Americas.

Click here to bid on the watch.

KI2D wins 2025 Amateur Radio Software Award

The Amateur Radio Software Award (ARSA) committee has selected Ham2K Portable Logger, a groundbreaking project led by Sebastian Delmont (KI2D), as the winner of the 2025 annual Amateur Radio Software Award. This award celebrates software projects that enhance amateur radio and promote innovation, freedom, and openness in amateur radio software development.

Ham2K Portable Logger stood out among a competitive field of nominations for its transformative approach to field operations. Designed with intuitive, user-friendly interfaces and a suite of convenient features, the software empowers operators to log, analyze, and share their on-the-go radio activities seamlessly. The Award Committee believes encouraging adventurous portable operations, Ham2K Portable Logger has redefined how enthusiasts engage with the hobby—whether from mountain summits, parks, or impromptu field setups.

PoLo, short for Portable Logger, is a mobile application for amateur radio operators to log their contacts on the go. It is designed to be simple, fast, and easy to use, with a focus on the most important features for logging contacts. It supports multiple activation types such as: POTA – Parks On The Air, SOTA – Summits On The Air, WWFF – Worldwide Flora & Fauna, Field Day, Winter Field Day, and many more.

Sebastian Delmont, the project’s lead developer, emphasized the community-driven ethos: “I’m deeply honored to receive this award on behalf of the entire community behind the Ham2K project. We set out with the goal of pushing the boundaries of what good amateur software could be, and to do it through open source and community building. This recognition is an incredible validation that we’re on the right track.”

The Amateur Radio Software Award is an annual international award for the recognition of software projects that enhance amateur radio. The award aims to promote amateur radio software development which adhere to the same spirit as amateur radio itself: innovative, free and open.

Personally, I used PoLo on my POTA activations and love it. It’s very easy to use and works great. Kudos to Sebastion on the award.