Export & Sharing

ADIF export, Cabrillo export, share cards, and recording clips

Overview

Carrier Wave provides multiple ways to export and share your logging data:

  • ADIFAmateur Data Interchange Format - a standard file format for exchanging amateur radio log data between programs. file export for importing into other logging software or online logbooks
  • Cabrillo export for contest log submissions
  • Activation brag sheets for sharing POTA activations as attractive image cards
  • Daily activity share cards for sharing your day’s operating summary
  • Session share cards for individual sessions
  • Recording clip export with metadata
  • Video export for animated session replays

All export and sharing features integrate with the iOS share sheet, allowing you to send data via AirDrop, Messages, email, or save to Files and Photos.

ADIF Export

What is ADIF Export?

ADIFAmateur Data Interchange Format - a standard file format for exchanging amateur radio log data between programs. (Amateur Data Interchange Format) is the standard format for exchanging amateur radio log data. Carrier Wave exports your QSOs as .adi files that can be imported into other logging applications or uploaded to online logbooks like QRZ, LoTW, and eQSL.

Exporting ADIF Files

You can export ADIF files from:

  • Activation detail view – Tap the share button in the toolbar to export that activation’s QSOs
  • Sessions list – Long-press or swipe on a session row to access the export option
  • Logging session manager – Export the current session’s QSOs

When you export an ADIF file:

  1. Carrier Wave generates a properly formatted .adi file containing all QSOs for the selected session or activation
  2. The iOS share sheet appears with options to:
    • Share via AirDrop to nearby devices
    • Send via Messages or Mail
    • Save to Files for later use
    • Copy to clipboard as text

ADIF File Handling

Carrier Wave properly registers the ADIF UTType (public.adi-file) with iOS, ensuring that .adi files are recognized correctly when shared via AirDrop. Without this registration, some apps rename .adi files to .txt, causing import issues. Carrier Wave’s implementation prevents this problem.

What’s Included in ADIF Exports

Each exported ADIF file includes:

  • All QSO contact information (callsign, date, time, frequency, mode, RST)
  • Station information (operator callsign, grid square, power)
  • POTAParks on the Air - a program encouraging portable operation from parks and public lands. park references (for activations)
  • SOTA summit references (when applicable)
  • WWFF references (when applicable)
  • Equipment information (MY_RIG field)
  • Additional fields like comments and equipment notes

Cabrillo Export

What is Cabrillo?

Cabrillo is the standard format for submitting contest logs. Unlike ADIF, Cabrillo includes contest-specific exchange information and header fields required by contest sponsors.

Generating Cabrillo Files

From a contest session’s detail view:

  1. Tap the Export button
  2. Select Cabrillo (.cbr)
  3. Review the generated header (callsign, category, contest name)
  4. Share or save the file

Cabrillo Header Fields

Carrier Wave populates the Cabrillo header from session and contest metadata:

  • CONTEST - Contest identifier (from WA7BNM calendar)
  • CALLSIGN - Your operating callsign
  • CATEGORY-OPERATOR - Single-op, multi-op
  • CATEGORY-BAND - ALL or specific band
  • CATEGORY-POWER - QRP, LOW, HIGH
  • CATEGORY-MODE - CW, SSB, MIXED, etc.
  • CLAIMED-SCORE - Calculated from QSO data and contest scoring rules

Edit any header field before exporting if the auto-detected values need correction.

See Contest Support for details on contest logging.

Share Cards

Activation Share Cards

Activation share cards (brag sheets) summarize a POTA activation as an attractive image. See Brag Sheets & Share Cards for full details on customization, presets, and statistical overlays.

Activity Share Cards

Daily activity share cards provide a quick summary of your operating day:

  • Total QSOs logged
  • Bands and modes used
  • Activations completed
  • Notable contacts or achievements

From the Activity Log view:

  1. Find the day you want to share in the daily summary
  2. Tap the share button next to that day’s entry
  3. Carrier Wave generates a branded card with your day’s statistics
  4. Use the iOS share sheet to send it via your preferred method

Session Share Cards

Generate a share card for any logging session (not just POTA activations):

  • Map with QSO locations and arcs
  • Session duration and QSO count
  • Band and mode breakdown
  • Equipment summary

Access from the session detail view via the share button.

Recording Share Cards

When sharing a WebSDR recording clip, Carrier Wave generates a companion card showing:

  • Recording duration and session details
  • QSO count during the recording
  • Frequency and mode information
  • Waveform thumbnail

Recording Clip Export

Export audio clips from WebSDR recordings as standalone files.

Creating a Clip

  1. Open the recording playback interface
  2. Tap the Share button
  3. Adjust the range handles to select the desired time window (default: active QSO start/end)
  4. Tap Export Clip

M4A Export with Metadata

Clips are exported as M4A files (AAC compressed audio) with embedded metadata:

  • Title - Callsign and date of the QSO (if applicable)
  • Artist - Your callsign
  • Album - Session name
  • Date - Recording date
  • Comment - Frequency, mode, and park reference
  • Artwork - Session share card thumbnail (if generated)

This metadata ensures clips are properly labeled when imported into other apps or shared on social media.

Sharing Clips

The clip opens the iOS share sheet. Share via:

  • AirDrop
  • Messages
  • Email
  • Save to Files
  • Save to Voice Memos

Share Preview and Photos

Share Card Preview

When generating any share card (brag sheet, activity card, or summary), Carrier Wave presents a rich preview sheet showing:

  • The generated card image
  • A ShareLink button that opens the iOS share sheet with a proper thumbnail
  • A Save to Photos button for quick saving to your device

This preview allows you to review the card before sharing and ensures the iOS share sheet displays a proper thumbnail image instead of a generic file icon.

Saving to Photos

The Save to Photos button provides one-tap saving to your device’s photo library. This is useful for:

  • Building a collection of your activation memories
  • Archiving statistical summaries
  • Sharing later without regenerating the card

Video Export

Carrier Wave can generate animated videos of your sessions. See Video Export for full details on rendering modes, map styles, and export options.

Tips for Effective Sharing

Brag Sheet Best Practices

  • Enable Professional Statistician Mode if you want to showcase detailed analysis
  • Include equipment badges to share your field setup with others
  • Wait until activation is complete to ensure all statistics are accurate
  • Check the preview before sharing to verify all information is correct

ADIF Export Best Practices

  • Export regularly to maintain backups of your log data
  • Use consistent filenames when saving to Files for easy organization
  • Verify import after uploading to online logbooks to ensure all QSOs transferred correctly

Files.app Access

Carrier Wave now appears under Files → On My iPhone → Carrier Wave, exposing Documents/QSOLedger/*.adi for self-service ADIF recovery without the in-app share UI. Useful when you want to AirDrop the safety-ledger ADIFs to a Mac, copy them to iCloud Drive, or pull them into another logger directly. Enabled by LSSupportsOpeningDocumentsInPlace + UIFileSharingEnabled.

Cabrillo Export Best Practices

  • Review the header before submitting to ensure contest category is correct
  • Verify exchange fields are properly populated for the specific contest
  • Submit promptly after the contest ends (most sponsors have submission deadlines)

Social Media Sharing

Carrier Wave’s share cards are designed to look great on social media platforms:

  • The 16:9 aspect ratio works well on most platforms
  • Carrier Wave branding is subtle but professional
  • Maps and statistics are easy to read at various sizes
  • Colors use high contrast for accessibility

See Also