diff --git a/app.go b/app.go
index 78d15f6..c96cb48 100644
--- a/app.go
+++ b/app.go
@@ -508,6 +508,7 @@ type App struct {
 	liveFreqHz         int64      // last freq/band/mode the UI reported (fallback when CAT is off)
 	liveBand           string
 	liveMode           string
+	livePublishTimer   *time.Timer // debounced live-status publish on activity change
 	liveLastQSOAt      time.Time  // when this operator last logged a NEW contact — drives online/offline
 	awardSnapMu        sync.Mutex // guards the award QSO snapshot
 	awardSnap          []qso.QSO  // light-scanned + enriched logbook snapshot reused across award computations
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index edbdb48..f3b30a1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -451,9 +451,9 @@ export default function App() {
     if (!liveStationsOn) { setLiveStations([]); return; }
     const load = () => GetLiveStations().then((s) => setLiveStations((s ?? []) as LiveStation[])).catch(() => {});
     load();
-    const id = window.setInterval(load, 15 * 1000);
+    const id = window.setInterval(load, 5 * 1000);
     // Small delay lets the async publishLiveStatus MySQL write land before we read.
-    const offLogged = EventsOn('qso:logged', () => { window.setTimeout(load, 2000); });
+    const offLogged = EventsOn('qso:logged', () => { window.setTimeout(load, 1500); });
     return () => { window.clearInterval(id); offLogged?.(); };
   }, [liveStationsOn]);
   // Mode OpsLog shows when the rig reports generic DIG_U/DIG_L. OmniRig
diff --git a/livestatus.go b/livestatus.go
index ffe04df..292f81e 100644
--- a/livestatus.go
+++ b/livestatus.go
@@ -159,10 +159,23 @@ func (a *App) liveStatusOperator() (op, station string) {
 // ReportLiveActivity is called by the UI with the current entry-strip freq/band/
 // mode, used as a fallback for live status when the CAT isn't connected.
 func (a *App) ReportLiveActivity(freqHz int64, band, mode string) {
+	nb := strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(band))
+	nm := strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(mode))
 	a.liveActMu.Lock()
+	changed := a.liveFreqHz != freqHz || a.liveBand != nb || a.liveMode != nm
 	a.liveFreqHz = freqHz
-	a.liveBand = strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(band))
-	a.liveMode = strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(mode))
+	a.liveBand = nb
+	a.liveMode = nm
+	// Push a fresh row PROMPTLY when the operator's freq/band/mode changes, instead
+	// of waiting for the next 15 s heartbeat — otherwise "who's on air" showed a
+	// stale band and took up to a minute to catch up. Debounced so spinning the VFO
+	// doesn't hammer the shared MySQL.
+	if changed {
+		if a.livePublishTimer != nil {
+			a.livePublishTimer.Stop()
+		}
+		a.livePublishTimer = time.AfterFunc(1500*time.Millisecond, func() { a.publishLiveStatus() })
+	}
 	a.liveActMu.Unlock()
 }