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QRZCQ?

7 August 2012 | by Juilian G4ILO | Share| | Leave a Comment (25)

For more years than I care to remember I’ve always used qrz.com to look up calls I’ve worked or heard on the bands. Recently I’ve noticed that the site wants me to log in every time I try to access the details of a call. Perhaps my memory is faulty, but I’m sure that you didn’t used to have to log in to see the basic details, and the site remembered your login for at least a week. Now it seems you have to log in every day if you aren’t a subscriber. This isn’t very convenient, even though I understand the reason for it (presumably to encourage more people to subscribe.) I now hardly ever visit qrz.com.

The G4ILO page at QRZCQ.com

Using Google to search for a call I found that one of the first results returned was from a site called qrzcq.com. I didn’t at first notice the different URL. QRZCQ has a callsign lookup similar to QRZ.com – it even uses the same URL format – but doesn’t require a login to access the details. The site’s database already holds quite a bit of information about me – all of it already in the public domain but I won’t ask where it came from! I have just registered with the site so as to edit and add to the information shown on the G4ILO page.

I don’t know who is behind the new site but they seem to have done a good job on it. The pages look a lot more attractive than qrz.com and they aren’t stuffed with ads – though it is early days yet and I suppose the desire to “monetize” the site will come eventually. But right now qrzcq.com looks like a venture that is well worth supporting, visiting and updating your own page.

Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [emailprotected].

• David - K2DSL:

  7 August 2012 at 07:38 UTC

  From what I’ve read QRZCQ seems to have obtained QRZ data inappropriately. They probably obtained data from other sources, but they also took QRZ data without permission.

  I am a paid subscriber to QRZ and appreciate what the site offers and the amount of effort and cost to keep it up and running. I won’t use QRZCQ because of their inappropriate means of obtaining some or all of their data.

• WA8MEA:

  7 August 2012 at 07:48 UTC

  QRZ is fast becoming one, big PITA. Inaccurate and missing info. Forums are all over the road map.

  For buying and selling, I exclusively use QTH.com.

  For call-sign look-up, I use HamData.com. HamData has all the info right in front of you, which is especially great if you are a county hunter. No need to log in, go from page to page, etc.

• Michael - N5TGL:

  7 August 2012 at 09:01 UTC

  I signed up on qrzcq, but that was before I found out what they did. Starting your own site is fine, but stealing all the data from another site is not, and that’s exactly what they did. Not a very ethical way to start a website.

• Goody K3NG:

  7 August 2012 at 12:03 UTC

  Accusations were made that QRZCQ stole data, but I haven’t see definitive proof of it. My QRZ.com profile data didn’t appear in QRZCQ.

  I’ve been loving QRZCQ. The site is easy to use and visually appealing. The site admins have been friendly and very responsive to requests and bug reports. “All over the map” is a friendly way of describing QRZ.com forums. It’s interesting that people don’t get upset over some of the stuff going on over there, stuff that doesn’t reflect well on amateur radio.

  I hope the major logging programs add support for QRZCQ queries. It’s time to support an amateur radio resource that uses 21st century technology and has a friendly culture.

• Cliff Fox KU4GW:

  7 August 2012 at 17:05 UTC

  I’m with K3NG as I have not seen definitive proof of QRZCQ doing this either other than a post by QRZ.com’s owner accusing them. I love QRZCQ’s website because it is very visually appealing and has lots of nice features for example I can upload my entire HRD Logbook to it as a ADI format file. Until I see definitive proof of QRZCQ hijacking QRZ’s data I will continue using and enjoying it! Very 73 de KU4GW!

• Mike, K1VI:

  7 August 2012 at 19:02 UTC

  At first I was fascinated by how much QRZCQ already knew about me. Then it occurred: how did they get it? QRZCQ.com ain’t perfect, but I respect the effort that a limited proprietorship puts into it, and am for now, avoiding QRZCQ until the story clears up.

• Mike, K1VI:

  7 August 2012 at 19:04 UTC

  Big typo in my comment above: should read “QRZ.com ain’t perfect” … Danged word completion robot…

• Roland K7MCK:

  7 August 2012 at 20:13 UTC

  Hi I am Roland, K7MCK and just getting back into HF after an extended
  absence. I have a Vibroplex Blue Racer. I have heard there is a way to
  slow it down. I would like to find a modification that would allow this
  bug to send about 12-13 words a minute. I wonder if any of you are aware
  of a modification any help would be greatly appreciated. I enjoy the
  news here on a regular basis. Thanks Roland West

• Jerry - KD0BIK:

  7 August 2012 at 22:13 UTC

  I read somewhere (perhaps on QRZ) that Fred (of QRZ) had some test data in his database which was how he discovered that QRZCQ had harvested the information.

  I’m all for other sites starting up and providing callsign look ups. However, since most of the non-US call data has been populated by the individual hams, I’m not sure we can expect all hams from all countries to go to a half dozen websites and create a profile.

  I’m a subscriber and supporter of QRZ mainly because I see the value in what it serves to the amateur radio community. Owning my own websites to host my podcast and blogs, I understand the cost associated and from what I’ve read…QRZ has many, many, many hits to the call sign database and there is a cost to offer that service.

  The requirement of logging into QRZ may or may not be a ploy to require subscriptions. It might also be in an effort to try to provide some security. At least that is what I’ve thought. However, I’m rarely prompted to have to log into QRZ. Perhaps you just need to clear your browser cache and cookies?

  This could all be a he said, he said situation. Who knows.

• Colin GW3WSU:

  8 August 2012 at 04:35 UTC

  I wonder if anyone uses the “Buckmaster” QTH look up system now!!??

• James kg4zva:

  8 August 2012 at 17:00 UTC

  Nice site without all the junk! And how do you steal what is “public domain”? Interesting the accusation came from the one you are competing against. Anyhow, I like this site and will continue to use it. It has everything that is going on over the air right on the first page. Outstanding! Believe it or not, there are some of us who actually spend our radio time on a radio and not a computer. Fast, easy and a lot of info.

• Anthony K3NG:

  8 August 2012 at 21:26 UTC

  I understand HamQTH was caught with stealth QRZ.com “tracking” records, but in their defense they accept user submitted database records. QRZ.com retaliated by deleting HamQTH’s founder from the QRZ database. That’s not good when such a popular database is manipulated in this way. Luckily today we have Google, otherwise this essentially would be a “blacklisting” of someone in the amateur radio community.

  I get the feeling that QRZCQ harvested data from Google. That could explain how profile data made it into QRZCQ for some callsigns, and not others, if it actually occurred. There’s currently no robots.txt limitation on the QRZ.com database query directory, so prior to mandatory logins search engines could spider the callsign database, as far as I can tell.

• Bryan Herbert - KE6ZGP:

  9 August 2012 at 00:19 UTC

  For anyone who is interested, Gregor Surmann – DO5SSB, is the owner and operator of QRZCQ

• saturnino fernandez:

  22 January 2013 at 17:02 UTC

  Tengo un Problema tengo la pajina QRZCQ. del Cluster y se me olvido la CONTRASEÑA y no me deja hacceder.
  No se si por aqui pudieran echarme una Mano en Español quedaria muy muy agradecido.Como lo ponen en Ingles pues no lo entiendo lo siento.
  muchas Gracias.

  Saturnino Fernandez ( EA1GOI -NINO)
  Salamanca España.
  Correo email.( [emailprotected] )

• EA1GOI (NINO):

  2 October 2013 at 17:46 UTC

  No encuentro la manera de aceder a la Pjina del Cluster por que no entiendo el Ingles Gracias Saludos.
  Saturnino Fernandez. (nino)
  [emailprotected]

• EA1GOI:

  12 November 2013 at 05:30 UTC

  SE ME OLVIDO LA CONTRASEÑA Y NO TENGO HACCESO QUE PUEDO HACER MUCHAS GRACIAS

• G ED King K8OT:

  9 December 2013 at 13:55 UTC

  All Ham information is in the public doman and does not belong to anyone!
  any information I post about My Call or ham information is free to all Ham sites. BUT NOT TO SITES WHO REQUIRE MONEY TO SEE IT. or people who want to make a profit selling my information.
  I have been to the qrzcq site only two times and like it.
  George “ED” King K8OT

• Norm KG7KWK:

  12 May 2014 at 17:14 UTC

  Looks like there hasn’t been a post on this thread for some time so I thought I would chime in. Ed’s right, all the info on us is PD. Being a member of both QRZ.com and QRZCQ.com I simply prefer QRZCQ.com. I like the way it looks, I like the way I can search and I like the way it gives DX cluster info and spotter comments. This doesn’t mean I quit using QRZ.com because both have advantages over the other. So quit sniveling and use both like I do and be happy. 73.

• Enrique (EA4CXV):

  13 June 2014 at 04:09 UTC

  Alguien me dió de alta mi indicativo en qrzcq sin mi permiso. Llevo mas de un mes escribiendo a esta gente para que me den de baja en su base de datos, y no consigo que elimimen mi indicativo de su web. ¿Me podría decir alguien que puedo hacer para que no aparezca mi indicativo en la basde de datos de qrzcq? He rellenado el formulario que tienen ellos para darse de baja y no hacen ni caso, y mi indicativo continúa saliendo en su base de datos. Por favor que alguien me ayude, pues esta gente no tiene ni el mas mínimo interés en dar de baja mi indicativo. Saludos y gracias.

• Enrique (EA4CXV):

  31 August 2014 at 17:00 UTC

  Ruego a Vdes. se sirvan ELIMINAR de su web, el comentario de fecha 13 de Junio de 2014 a las 4:09 UTC. En la web QRZCQ ya me han borrado mis datos de su base de datos. Saludos, Enrique EA4CXV.

• K4NJ Richard Langbert:

  30 September 2016 at 12:17 UTC

  I have asked more than once to stop e-mailing me to join QRZCQ to no avail. I believe their tactics are unethical.

• Sam Carpenter K4BZZ:

  30 August 2017 at 15:21 UTC

  Whats the big deal?? Just go to Fcc.gov/uls and get the info you want.

• ea6aog:

  21 November 2020 at 18:55 UTC

  hola,queria dar de baja el indicativo,este indicativo es error,gracias

• EA6AOG:

  10 September 2021 at 19:49 UTC

  hola quiero dar de baja mi indicativo,que x equivocacion esta equivocado,gracias

• Doug N4AHO:

  29 October 2022 at 00:06 UTC

  Has QRZCQ been around for a long time? Why is there no documentation? I can’t even figure out how to upload an ADI file to it. The only “help” there starts with, “After you have uploaded you ADI file…” Not helpful.

  Looks like it has great features but with some glaring big holes, how useful is it?