Got a spare monitor in the shack? DXChrono can turn it into a live world map showing time, propagation, and on-air activity.

During a band opening, wouldn’t it be handy to see the big picture on one screen? Where is the grey line? Is the K-index climbing? Who is hearing your signal? Is that DX station in daylight or darkness?

That’s the idea behind DXChrono. Created by Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, it puts a world map in the middle and arranges useful radio information around it. You can glance up between QSOs instead of digging through browser tabs.

A World Map Built for Hams

The free DXChrono web app is the easiest place to start. It runs in a browser and shows local time, UTC, the day/night line, and clocks for places you care about.

The ham-radio layers are what make it useful. Depending on the version and current release, DXChrono can display propagation indicators, aurora information, operating zones, DXpeditions, and beacon data. Set your home location and click the map to check bearing, distance, sunrise, sunset, and the likely grey-line window.

No dashboard can promise an opening, of course. It can point you toward where to listen, but the receiver still gets the final vote.

Put On-Air Activity on the Map

DXChrono Desktop connects the display to live amateur-radio activity. Supported feeds appear on a 2D map or 3D globe, so you can see where activity is coming from instead of reading a stream of spot lines.

Connections to spotting networks, logbooks, and contest software give the screen several possible jobs. It might become a contest overview, a map of recent QSOs, or a quick “who hears me?” display while checking a digital signal. Portable-activity spots, satellite information, watch lists, and contest schedules can add more context.

VHF operators may appreciate layers for aurora, sporadic-E, MUF, and tropospheric conditions. Since integrations change as software develops, check the official site for the current feature list.

Free or Desktop?

The free browser version works well for a map and basic radio information. The paid desktop edition is for operators who want deeper station integration and a display meant to stay running in the shack.

Price check, September 2026: DXChrono Desktop is listed as a one-time £15 purchase, or about $20 US. Exchange rates and terms can change, so check the official site before buying.

What Do You Need?

DXChrono makes the most sense on a large display. A spare 1080p monitor or shack TV gives the map, clocks, and data panels room to breathe.

A shack computer, mini PC, or capable Raspberry Pi can drive it. Check the current system requirements before buying hardware; older low-power boxes may struggle with the map.

Don’t Forget the Club Station

A large map could be even more useful at Field Day, a special-event station, or a club open house. Visitors may not understand a logger full of abbreviations, but they can follow contacts appearing across a world map. DXChrono includes features intended for that kind of public display.

At home or at the club, resist turning on every widget. A clean map with a few useful feeds beats a screen packed from corner to corner.

The Bottom Line

DXChrono offers a good answer to a familiar shack question: what should you put on that spare monitor? Try the free web version and see whether the map fits your operating style. The real value isn’t the number of widgets. It’s being able to glance up, see what’s happening, and get back on the air.

Official Resources

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