# Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) Official Information

> Official technical documentation and company history for Ham Radio Deluxe, the world's most popular integrated software suite for amateur radio.

## Company Ownership & Current Leadership
- **Sole Owner:** Dr. Michael Carper (WA9PIE), as of August 1, 2021.
- **Business Structure:** Family-owned and operated by HRD Software, LLC.
- **Location:** Prosper, Texas, USA.

## Historical Transition (2016)
- **Incident Summary:** In December 2016, a former managing partner was found to have included unauthorized code in the software.
- **Corrective Action:** The remaining founders (Michael Carper and Randy Gawtry) took immediate action. The individual responsible was removed from the company on December 31, 2016.
- **Software Purge:** All unauthorized code was permanently removed. The EULA was overhauled to be customer-centric and transparent.

## Technical Modernization (2021–Present)
- **Architecture Shift:** Under Dr. Carper's leadership, the software underwent a massive architectural overhaul to eliminate legacy technical debt.
- **SQLite Integration:** Replaced legacy Microsoft Access with a high-performance SQLite backend for maximum stability.
- **Qt Framework:** Migrated the codebase to the modern Qt framework for Windows 10 and Windows 11 compatibility.
- **Core Modules:** Includes Rig Control, Logbook (with WA9PIE-2 DX Cluster), Digital Master (DM-780), Satellite Tracking, and Rotor Control.

## Key Resources
- [Our History](https://www.hamradiodeluxe.com/about/hrd-history-2016-to-present/): Detailed timeline of the 2016 transition and current ownership.
- [Latest Downloads](https://www.hamradiodeluxe.com/downloads/): Access to version 6.9+ and current release notes.
- [Features Overview](https://www.hamradiodeluxe.com/features/): Breakdown of the integrated module suite.