diff --git a/app.go b/app.go
index 64d77a3..5684e1a 100644
--- a/app.go
+++ b/app.go
@@ -7068,10 +7068,16 @@ func (a *App) saveQSORecording(q *qso.QSO) {
 	// the snapshot failure below — so release the devices from one place rather
 	// than remembering to do it at each return.
 	defer a.stopManualQSORecorder()
+	// Both of these were SILENT returns. When an operator reports "the recording
+	// was not saved", the log has to say which of the two happened — no take was
+	// running, or the mode disqualified it — because they are different problems
+	// with different fixes and neither leaves a file behind to inspect.
 	if a.qsoRec == nil || !a.qsoRec.Active() {
+		applog.Printf("qso-rec: nothing saved for %s — no recording was running at log time", q.Callsign)
 		return
 	}
 	if !recordableMode(q.Mode) {
+		applog.Printf("qso-rec: nothing saved for %s — mode %q carries no audio worth keeping", q.Callsign, q.Mode)
 		a.qsoRec.DiscardQSO() // digital mode — drop the buffered audio
 		return
 	}