Privacy Policy

Johnston Software & Services LLC Effective Date: April 14, 2026

This privacy policy describes how Johnston Software & Services LLC ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you use the SkyWave mobile application ("the App").

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

  • Callsign: If you enter your amateur radio callsign, we use it to look up your Maidenhead grid square and license class via the HamDB API. Your callsign is sent to HamDB (hamdb.org) for this lookup.

  • Location: If you choose to share your GPS location or enter a grid square manually, we use this to calculate propagation conditions for your area. You can use the App without sharing your location by entering a grid square manually.

  • Saved Locations: Any additional locations you save are stored locally on your device.

Information Collected Automatically

  • Analytics and Crash Reports: We use Google Firebase Analytics and Firebase Crashlytics to collect anonymized usage data and crash reports. This helps us understand how the App is used and fix problems. Firebase may collect device type, operating system version, app version, and general usage patterns. Firebase Analytics data is not linked to your identity. For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy.

Information We Do Not Collect

  • We do not collect your name, email address, phone number, or payment information directly. Purchases are handled entirely by the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

  • We do not collect precise GPS coordinates on our servers. Location data is used on-device to determine your grid square for propagation calculations.

  • We do not create user accounts or require login.

How We Use Your Information

  • To calculate and display real-time radio propagation conditions for your location

  • To look up your grid square and license class from your callsign (via HamDB)

  • To fetch space weather data from our Cloudflare Worker proxy, which retrieves data from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center and KC2G

  • To improve the App through anonymized analytics and crash reporting

Third-Party Services

The App connects to the following third-party services:

ServiceData SentPurposeHamDB (hamdb.org)CallsignGrid square and license class lookupCloudflare Worker (our proxy)Grid squareFetches NOAA SWPC and KC2G dataFirebase Analytics (Google)Anonymized usage dataApp improvementFirebase Crashlytics (Google)Crash logs, device infoBug fixing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with any third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

Data Storage and Security

  • Callsign, grid square, and saved locations are stored locally on your device.

  • Analytics and crash data are stored by Google Firebase according to their data retention policies.

  • We do not maintain a database of user information on our servers.

Children's Privacy

The App is intended for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Your Choices

  • You can use the App without entering a callsign or sharing your location.

  • You can opt out of Firebase Analytics by disabling analytics collection in your device settings.

  • You can delete all locally stored data by uninstalling the App.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact us at:

Johnston Software & Services LLC PO Box 230614 Tigard, OR 97281

Or visit: philjohnstonii.com/contact