FT8 From Anywhere: Running POTA Remote with the X6200, DigiPi, and WSJT-X
- 4 min reading time
Setup: Xiegu X6200 · DigiPi · WSJT-X · Home Shack: DX Lab Suite · GridTracker 2 · WRL
One of the things I've been working on lately is getting my field station to talk to my home shack in real time — so when I'm out at a park running FT8 on the X6200 and DigiPi, everything at home stays in sync automatically. No manual log imports, no gaps in the awards tracking, no missing spots. It just works like I never left the chair.
Here's how I set it up.
The basic idea
WSJT-X has a built-in feature that broadcasts station data over UDP — every decode, every QSO, every station heard. Normally that data just stays on the local machine. The trick is pointing it at your home IP address instead of localhost, so it travels over the internet to your shack while you're in the field.
On the field end, the X6200 connects to the DigiPi via USB — one cable handles both audio and CAT control, so there's nothing complicated going on. WSJT-X runs on the Pi, sees the radio, and you're on the air. The only change from a normal local setup is where the UDP data goes.
The problem with multiple apps
Here's where it gets a little tricky. Back at the home station I have four programs that all want that WSJT-X data — GridTracker 2 picks up the feed and lights up its map in real time — connection lines to every station that's hearing you, just like PSKReporter, along with TX and RX cycles showing live and new grids and entities flagging as they come in.
The fix is a small Python script running in the background that I call the UDP cloner. It listens on the port the field data comes in on and simultaneously forwards every packet to four different local ports — one for each application. I've got it set up as a batch file so it just runs quietly in the background whenever I'm heading out to a park.
What each app does with the data
GridTracker 2 picks up the feed and lights up its map in real time — connection lines to every station I'm hearing, TX and RX cycles showing live, new grids and entities flagging as they come in. It's genuinely cool to watch from home while you're operating remotely.
SpotCollector in DX Lab Suite gets its feed and cross-references everything against my log — flags needed countries, states, grids, all of it. Same intelligence I'd have sitting at the home rig.
DXKeeper logs every QSO the moment it's made and pushes it automatically to QRZ, eQSL, LoTW, and Club Log. No post-activation import needed. By the time I'm packing up the antenna the contacts are already confirmed online.
WRL logger gets its own feed as a backup and additional logging layer.
Router and firewall setup
The one thing you can't skip is the router side. Your home router needs a UDP port forward for the incoming port pointed at your home PC, otherwise the packets get dropped before they ever reach the shack. Windows Firewall will also prompt you the first time the Python script runs — just click Allow.
If your home internet uses a dynamic IP, set up a free dynamic DNS service and use the hostname in WSJT-X instead of a raw IP address. Most home routers have a built-in DDNS client that keeps it current automatically.
Does it actually work in the field?
Yes — I've been running this setup and it's solid. The UDP packets are tiny so even a mediocre cellular hotspot handles it without breaking a sweat. You don't need fast internet, you just need reliable internet. A dedicated hotspot beats sharing phone data for stability.
The whole thing runs transparently. I set up at the park, fire up WSJT-X on the DigiPi, and everything at home just starts receiving data. GridTracker draws the map, the log fills in, awards tracking stays current. It feels like operating from home except I'm sitting at a picnic table.
73 de W4GGJ — questions or comments, catch me on the air or drop a note below.