# Offline Spotter for POTA/SOTA > Amateur radio spotting app for POTA/SOTA using SMS over Satellite. (iPhone/iPad app by Kristopher Linquist.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/offline-spotter-for-potasota/id6740120163 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Kristopher Linquist](https://appshunter.io/developer/921302972) - Category: Lifestyle, Utilities - Price: $0.99 - Rating: 4.20/5 from 12 App Store ratings · 9 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 18.0 · 34 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2025-01-07 - Data updated: 2026-08-29 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/offline-spotter-for-potasota/id6740120163/reviews.md ## What is Offline Spotter for POTA/SOTA? Spot Yourself Anywhere with Offline Spotter! Whether you’re relaxing on a beach or scaling a mountaintop, Offline Spotter is your go-to app for POTA (Parks on the Air) and SOTA (Summits on the Air) enthusiasts. Designed to leverage the iPhone’s SMS over Satellite feature, Offline Spotter lets you send spotting messages even without cell coverage by crafting an SMS to the APSPOT spotting service. Simple and Reliable: • Locate nearby parks or summits with ease. • Enter your callsign, frequency, and mode. • Send your SMS—over satellite or traditional networks! Support for the Community: We’re proud supporters of APSPOT’s mission. That’s why all SMS costs incurred by APSPOT will be fully covered by our proceeds. Get Offline Spotter today and ensure you’re always connected to the amateur radio community, no matter where your adventures take you! ## Key features - Send spotting messages without cell coverage - Leverages SMS over Satellite - Locate nearby parks or summits - Enter callsign, frequency, and mode - Supports APSPOT spotting service ## Chart rankings - #160 in Top Paid · Lifestyle (US App Store) ## Recent user reviews (9 of 9) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/offline-spotter-for-potasota/id6740120163/reviews.md ### 3/5 — POTA Good, SOTA Bad *2026-02-18* POTA spots work great, SOTA gives 'ERRPNP: NM3A NOT IN DATABASE'. No idea why and no way to get in touch with anyone. ### 5/5 — Useful app but contains invalid Virginia POTA entities *2026-02-08* The app works as advertised and provides a complete, offline database of POTA and SOTA locations. Some of the Virginia POTA locations are invalid - state Wildlife Management Areas were removed from the program in 2025. ### 5/5 — Excellent tool! *2026-01-09* Has allowed me to spot numerous times when I didn’t have internet access and makes it easier even when you do. Has the band plan, location info and antenna calculator too. Fast and efficient. ### 1/5 — Like the idea but haven’t been able to get it to work *2026-01-03* I’ve been trying to get this app to spot for me on over 15 activations and every time get the same msg after a failed spot: ERRPNP: (Callsign) NOT IN DB. Tried to find a contact for the developer and tried to find some documentation on the website, nothing. I love the idea of the app, especially using iPhone satellite messaging when I am away from cell service, but I cannot get this app to work. ### 1/5 — Does not work *2025-11-24* As the title says, it simply does not work. Tried to spot myself during a SOTA activation, I got this error every time ERRPNP:(call sign omitted) NOT IN DB. I reported the error with no reply. I’ll try it again in the future and update the review if it starts working. ### 5/5 — Offline Spotter to the Rescue! *2025-09-21* When I downloaded this app, I thought I’d only use it to spot when I had no internet. I didn’t realize that it has all of the parks and grid squares stored in it and available when you have no internet access. This saved me when I realized I didn’t know my park number or grid square on a recent POTA activation where I expected to have cell service. The GPS located me and all of the info I needed was on the phone. Great app, I recommend. ### 4/5 — Works well *2025-01-27* Tried it for the first time today. Worked great. The confirmation message was fast as well. The only thing I’d like to see added is a comment field so that you can add QRT or other text to let hunters know what’s going on or that you’ve QSYd or QRT. Thanks. ### 5/5 — Terrific POTA & SOTA Spotting App *2025-01-09* It’s great having one simple app to do both SOTA and POTA spotting. ### 5/5 — Easy and convenient *2025-01-07* Nice job, I like the front-end, and the built-in database is very convenient for POTA. ## Frequently asked questions about Offline Spotter for POTA/SOTA ### How does Offline Spotter work without cell service? Offline Spotter leverages the iPhone's SMS over Satellite feature. This allows you to craft and send spotting messages to the APSPOT service even when you have no traditional cellular coverage. ### What information do I need to enter into Offline Spotter? You will need to enter your amateur radio callsign, the frequency you are operating on, and the mode you are using. The app then formats this into an SMS for the spotting service. ### Is Offline Spotter free to use? No, Offline Spotter is a paid application. It costs $0.99 to download and use. The developer covers SMS costs incurred by APSPOT from the proceeds. ### What is APSPOT? APSPOT is a spotting service that Offline Spotter communicates with. The app is a proud supporter of APSPOT's mission, and proceeds from app sales help cover SMS costs. ### What devices does Offline Spotter support? Offline Spotter is currently designed for the iPhone. It requires iOS 14.0 or later and is compatible with devices running that operating system. ### How often is Offline Spotter updated? The latest version, 1.3.1, was released on August 15, 2025. The app was initially released on January 7, 2025, indicating a relatively active update schedule. ### What is the age rating for Offline Spotter? Offline Spotter has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for users of all ages and does not contain content typically considered inappropriate for children. ### Does Offline Spotter have ads? No, Offline Spotter is ad-free. You can use the application without any advertisements interrupting your experience. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.3.1 — 2025-08-15 Updated 15M band plan (thank you KA5RBZ) ### 1.3.0 — 2025-07-30 Now includes sunrise/sunset times, antenna length calculations, and the US HF band plan quick reference! ### 1.2 — 2025-07-07 New "Location" tab will show you your current location AND grid square! If you are moving, you will see speed and bearing as well. ### 1.1.1 — 2025-02-11 This version will automatically update its POTA/SOTA location database once weekly if you launch it when connected to wifi. ### 1.0.21 — 2025-01-28 Latest database of parks & summits Fix for Danish characters ## Apps similar to Offline Spotter for POTA/SOTA | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [LiTime](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/litime/id6472779872) | 3.0 (264) | Free | Lifestyle | | [MorseKeyer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/morsekeyer/id1536591573) | — | $7.99 | Lifestyle | | [SWLog](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swlog/id6452913390) | — | Free | Lifestyle | | [Parks & Peaks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parks-and-peaks/id1218671045) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Lifestyle | | [RUMlogNG2Go](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rumlogng2go/id1005575164) | 4.7 (251) | $4.99 | Lifestyle | | [SOTAMĀT SOTA / POTA Spotting](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sotamat-sota-pota-spotting/id1625530954) | 4.7 (15) | Free | Lifestyle | ## More apps by Kristopher Linquist - [Daylight Drift](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daylight-drift/id6737231179) - [Caltrain Companion](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caltrain-companion/id6737343619) - [MotorLogBook](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/motorlogbook/id6753701106) - [Notesync.md](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notesyncmd/id6763802260) - [AlphaFTP](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphaftp/id6777174817) All apps by Kristopher Linquist: https://appshunter.io/developer/921302972 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*