HamClock

User’s Guide
V4.26

June, 2026

Open HamClock Backend Team (OHB)

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 1

Table of Contents
Introduction ...............................................................................................................6
Current Main Features ............................................................................................6
Installation .................................................................................................................8
System Description .....................................................................................................8
Setup ..........................................................................................................................9
How to remote connect ........................................................................................10
Enter the Setup menus..........................................................................................11
Setup Page 1 .........................................................................................................12
Setup Page 2 .........................................................................................................13
Setup Page 3 .........................................................................................................14
Setup Page 4 .........................................................................................................15
Setup Page 5 .........................................................................................................16
Setup Page 6 .........................................................................................................18
Setup Page 7 .........................................................................................................19
Operations................................................................................................................20
Local Info area ......................................................................................................21
Upper Data Panes .................................................................................................23
Aurora...............................................................................................................23
NOAA SpcWx.....................................................................................................24
Bz Bt ..................................................................................................................24
On The Air .........................................................................................................25
Contests ............................................................................................................25
Planetary K........................................................................................................25
DE Wx ...............................................................................................................26
SDO ...................................................................................................................26

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 2

 DRAP .................................................................................................................27
Solar Flux ..........................................................................................................27
DXPeditions ......................................................................................................27
Solar Wind ........................................................................................................28
DX Cluster .........................................................................................................28
Moon ................................................................................................................29
Disturbance .......................................................................................................29
Sunspot N..........................................................................................................30
X-Ray.................................................................................................................30
Tropical Wx .......................................................................................................31
Rotator control .................................................................................................32
ADIF ..................................................................................................................32
VOACAP ............................................................................................................33
Live Spots ..........................................................................................................34
ENV ...................................................................................................................34
Upper Auxiliar Pane ..............................................................................................35
Left Flex Panes ..........................................................................................................37
The DE pane ..........................................................................................................37
The DX pane..........................................................................................................38
Main Map Area .........................................................................................................40
Map Overlays........................................................................................................41
Map Projections ....................................................................................................42
Mercado Projection...........................................................................................42
Azimuthal Projections .......................................................................................44
Azimuthal Equidistant (Hemisphere View) ........................................................45
Robinson Projection ..........................................................................................47

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 3

 Zoom levels .......................................................................................................49
Grid overlays .....................................................................................................49
Other Map Options ...............................................................................................51
DRAP .................................................................................................................51
MUF-VCAP ........................................................................................................52
MUF-RT .............................................................................................................53
Aurora...............................................................................................................54
Weather ............................................................................................................56
Clouds ...............................................................................................................59
REL (Reliability) .................................................................................................60
TOA (takeoff angel) ...........................................................................................61
RSS Banner ........................................................................................................62
Night .................................................................................................................62
Cities .................................................................................................................62
Lightning ...........................................................................................................62
Pop up panels in maps. .....................................................................................62
Satellite Information.................................................................................................64
Clock Functions .........................................................................................................67
Time......................................................................................................................67
Stopwatch and Alarms ..........................................................................................67
Mobile Dashboard ....................................................................................................70
Watch Lists ...............................................................................................................71
External IO Options...................................................................................................73
GPS ...........................................................................................................................75
Command Line Options.............................................................................................76
RESTful Webserver Command Reference ..................................................................77

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 4

Directional Antenna Maps ........................................................................................79
Version History .........................................................................................................80
Version 4.26 June 2026......................................................................................80
Version 4.25 May 2026 ......................................................................................80
Version 4.24: May 2026 .....................................................................................80
Version 4.23: April 2026 ....................................................................................80
Version 4.22: 2026-01-17...................................................................................80
Version 4.21: 2025-09-06...................................................................................81
Version 4.20: 2025-07-06...................................................................................81
Version 4.19: 2025-06-10...................................................................................81
Version 4.18: 2025-06-07...................................................................................81
Credits ......................................................................................................................82

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 5

Introduction
HamClock is an operator‑focused, real‑time information display designed to support
amateur radio activity with accurate, at‑a‑glance situational awareness. Whether
running on a desktop system, Raspberry Pi, or embedded display, HamClock
consolidates essential propagation, timing, and station‑planning data into a single,
continuously updated dashboard. Its goal is simple: give operators the information they
need without requiring menu diving, web searches, or external tools during on‑air
operation.
This manual introduces the core features of HamClock as they exist today and provides
guidance for configuring, customizing, and operating the software across supported
platforms.
This manual covers the traditional HamClock based on the original application
developed by Elwood Downey (WB0OEW) (sk). There are a few new variations on the
concept of HamClock which have significant operational differences and are not
covered here.

Current Main Features

Real‑Time World Map Display
Shows day/night shading, greyline position, solar terminator movement, and major DX
entities for quick propagation assessment.
Solar & Geomagnetic Data Panes
Continuously updated SFI, Kp, A‑index, solar wind, X‑ray flux, and other space‑weather
metrics sourced from live data feeds.
DX Cluster Integration
Displays recent spots, filtered by band or mode, with optional highlighting for wanted
entities or active DXpeditions.
Satellite Tracking
Predict passes, footprints, and visibility windows for amateur satellites, including ISS,
with real‑time position overlays.
Local & UTC Timekeeping
Multiple clocks with configurable time zones, including sidereal time for
astronomy‑aligned operations.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 6

Propagation Prediction Tools
MUF, VOACAP‑style path hints, and band‑opening indicators to help operators choose
the most effective band at any moment.
Customizable Layouts & Widgets
Users can tailor the display to their operating style—selecting panes, adjusting colors,
and choosing map projections.
Network‑Aware Data Fetching
Automatic retrieval of solar data, DX spots, satellite elements, and other live
information through internet sources.
Touchscreen & Remote-Control Support
Designed for both hands‑on interaction and remote operation, making it suitable for
shack desktops, wall displays, and field‑deployable setups.
Cross‑Platform Compatibility
Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows (via WSL), Raspberry Pi, and a variety of embedded
display appliances

This and additional supporting material may be found at

[Link]

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 7

Installation
The installation of HamClock depends on the hardware you are trying to use. There are
many platforms supported and each has its unique process.
For Raspberry Pi follow the instructions by Keith - G6NHU
([Link]

For Inovato Quadra or N0LSR HK1RBOX you can download ready-made SD card images
which then can be used for transferring the whole image to the device.
([Link] )

If you have problems with the installation, please visit [Link] for links to
support sites.

System Description
HamClock can operate for the most time “headless” that means your device is only
connected to power and the internet (wired or Wi-Fi). You will then access HamClock
from a different device on the same network in a web browser. However, this only
works when the HamClock application is running. If the HamClock application is
stopped (shut down), you will lose your remote access through a web browser.
For full access you will need a monitor, keyboard and a mouse. Or you will have to
enable remote access software like NoMachine or VNC. However, most of the
configuration of HamClock can be done from a Webserver.
Note-> If you want to shut down your device, make sure you select “Shutdown
Computer” in HamClock and not just switch off the power.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 8

Setup
When HamClock starts up you have about 10 seconds to
click on the screen to enter the setup menus. If you missed
the time or HamClock is already running, you can get back
to that point by restarting HamClock from the “Lock” menu.
You can do this setup either direct with monitor, keyboard
and mouse connected to the device, or you can do it
remotely from a web browser.
Note: Do not select “Exit HamClock” when you are
remotely connected to the HamClock device. You will lose
your connection.
Setup provides several pages of configuration options. The exact choices available will
depend on your platform but all options are shown here for completeness. Orange text
denotes passive prompts for the corresponding White entry fields to their right. Cyan
text denotes on/off choices or other discrete options. Clicking on a data entry field will
place a green cursor where the next character will go. Click Delete to erase the
character to the left. Click the Page arrows to move to next or previous. When finish,
click Done. If any fields do not pass checks, they are marked with a red Err and you
remain on the Setup screen until corrected.
Pages with text fields include a virtual keyboard for use on touch screens or with a
mouse. On desktop systems, a normal keyboard may also be used using tab to step to
the next prompt; delete to erase a character, space to toggle discrete options; arrow
keys to edit; escape to change page and Return for Done.
Many places have popup tool tips activated with either control-click or middle mouse
button.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 9

How to remote connect
First, you must find out what the IP address is of your HamClock device. If you have a
Quadra4k or a HK1RBOX it displays the IP address on the display at the device. For
other devices you might have to look at the device table in your router and try to
identify the HamClock device. If you can’t find your IP address, you might be able to
connect with the host name of the device. To connect use the following entry in your
address field from your browser:
<IPAddress>:8081/[Link] (replace <IP Address> with the IP address of your device)
e.g.: [Link]:8081/[Link]

If you can’t figure out the IP address, try using the host name instead:
<hostname>:8081/[Link] (replace <hostname> with the hostname of your device.
e.g.: Inovato:8081/[Link]

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 10

Enter the Setup menus
When you see this screen:

Click somewhere on the screen to enter the setup menus.

The setup menus are displayed on 7 screens. You navigate

between the screens with the <Page> control. The most
important options you need to configure are configuration
page 1 and configuration page 5. The other pages have optional settings.
Clicking on moves to the next page, and clicking on moves you to the previous
page.
Most options have help text when you hold the “Ctrl” key and click on the data field or
use the middle mouse button.
When you are done with the configuration click on “Done” and HamClock starts.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 11

Setup Page 1

“Call” → Enter your callsign.  Change this

“Enter DE Lat:/Lng:/Grid” → You only need to enter your grid, the rest gets calculated
automatically.  Change this.
The other entries are optional.
“use gpsd?” → Allows connecting to a gpsd daemon on your local network for time.
Enter the host name of your gpsd server; the port is fixed to 2947.
“use NMEA?” → Allows reading NMEA sentences directly from a GPS device; see page
75
Both gpsd and NMEA normally only set the time but selecting follow will also update
the DE location occasionally, handy if HamClock is in an RV for example.
“IP Geolocate?” → If Yes, uses your public IP to set DE location once. This may not be
accurate.
“NTP? - Built-in” → will use the best from among a default set of world-wide NTP
servers; host allows entering the IP or host address of any desired NTP server on the
network.
“NTP? – Computer” → uses the time from the computer running HamClock (ok, not
NTP but here for convenience).

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 12

Setup Page 2

“Cluster?” → This section configures listening to an internet DX Cluster or a local

program sending spots with UDP packets.
It is by default set to “No”. If you click on it, it will toggle to “YES” and will give you
access to other configuration options for DX Cluster operations.
“watch” → see page 71 for details.
“Cluster Commands” can be entered in the table. Those marked “On” will be sent once
to the cluster server right after logging in. These must be in the native cluster syntax,
HamClock does not check them. Commands marked “Off” are saved but not sent.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 13

Setup Page 3

The settings on this page are optional and seldom used.

“rotctld?” and “rigctld?” → whether and how to connect to hamlib for rotator and/or
radio control. See pages Apendix A.
“flrig?” → whether and how to connect to W1HKJ’s flrig for rig control.
“Radio” → if using either rig connection, choose whether to set spot frequencies or
just monitor PTT.
“ADIF?” → set file used by the ADIF pane; may include environment variables and ~.
“ADIF” and “ONTA” watch: see page 23.
Rig control: These settings allow choosing rigctld or flrig for simple rig control. You can
also monitor PTT using a hardware connection instead of using software rig control.
Also, the RPi can control the frequency of a KX3 via an IO pin, see page 73. Set the host
and port fields to the program on your network. When set up correctly, clicking a DX
Cluster or On The Air spot will send the frequency to radio VFO A. HamClock also polls
PTT to change your call sign to ON THE AIR while transmitting. Three consecutive
errors disable PTT polling until the next attempt to send a spot.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 14

Setup Page 4

“Map center longitude” → set desired center map longitude for the Mercator and
Robinson projections. If you want it centered on your location, use the longitude value
from setup page 1.
“GPIO?” → Controls whether the native RPi GPIO pins will be used by HamClock. See
page 73.
“I2C file?” → name of the local I2C bus connection, either native or via USB. See page
73.
“dTemp”, “dPres”: → temperature and pressure corrections added to each BME280
sensor. See page 73.
“KX3?” → Toggle direct KX3 frequency control and set serial baud rate. RPi only; see
page 73.
“Brightness Min% and Max%” → if supported by your hardware, display brightness
range as percent of hardware total.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 15

Setup Page 5

“Date order?” → choose one of three formats for all date displays.
“Week starts?” → choose whether the first calendar column is Sunday or Monday.
“Units?” → choose Metric, Imperial or British units for environment sensor, weather
data, speed and distances.
“Show public IP?” → whether the main page shows the public network address (local
address is always shown)
“Spot labels?” → select whether and how to label Live Spots, On The Air and DX
Cluster map locations.
“Scroll direction?” → whether scrolling panes fill from bottom-up or top-down.
“Pane rotation?” → select one of several pane rotation periods.
“Show UDP spots?” → select whether to accept all incoming UDP spots or just those
by your HamClock call.
“Auto SpcWx map?” → turn on Aurora map if > 50% or DRAP if > 25 MHz; off if < 25%
or < 15 MHz, with hysteresis.
“Full scrn web?” → set to Yes to enable full screen option on Live web connections.
“Full scrn direct?” → set to Yes to force HamClock to fill all surrounding screen area
with black, when applicable.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 16

“Log usage?” → choose whether to send us your HamClock settings anonymously to
guide further development.
“Demo mode?” → “Yes” causes HamClock to change its own settings automatically.
“Bearings?” → choose True or Magnetic North when displaying bearings to DX.
“New DE/DX Wx?” → whether to temporarily show weather in left Pane when setting
new DX or DE.
“Min label dist?” → select minimum distance from DE to label spots; distance in mi or
km depending on Units. Set this to 1000 or 2000 to declutter your display.
“Gray display?” → whether to render map or entire display in shades of gray
“Map rotation?” → select one of several map rotation periods.
“Look up bio?” → select which online bio service to use when clicking a spot, if any
“UDP sets DX?” → when “Yes” spots from any supported UDP logging program will
automatically set the DX object.
“Max TLE age” → select maximum allowed satellite Keplerian two-line element age, in
days.
“Auto upgrade?” → select whether or about when (DE time zone) to automatically
upgrade if new version is available. If set to “No” you have the option to manually
upgrade. The version number turns red if a new version is available.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 17

Setup Page 6

Color Editor: → This page displays and controls the colors used for map paths and
band indications.
Click on one of the edit buttons to display its RGB color definition in the edit box in the
upper right. The box works by clicking within a color bar or clicking a numeric value
which can then be edited with the keyboard. Click “Dash” to toggle whether map paths
are drawn dashed or solid; “Thin” to set line and symbol size; and “On” to set whether
the path is drawn on the map (it always remains editable here).
A sample of each color shows how the current choices will appear over a full range of
background intensities. The current palette and choices may be saved as A or B then
later these, or two read-only built-in palettes (default and pskreporter), may be
loaded.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 18

Setup Page 7

On/Off Times: → Use this table to set desired DE on and off (or dim) times for each
weekday. Click just above or below each number to increase or decrease. Left and
Right arrows copy to the adjacent day. The On/Off pane will also display, and allowed
editing, the current day settings (only). The display is never turned off if both times are
set equal. It is not supported by all systems.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 19

Operations
The operational screen of HamClock is divided into 5 sections.

Local Info area This pane has a fixed layout with a few
configuration options. It is also the home of the
“Lock” menu.
Upper Data Panes These three panes can display selectable
information. If multiple options are selected,
the pane will display them in sequence.
Upper Auxiliar Pane This smaller pane has only a small set of options
which are unique
Left Flex Panes Dedicated for “DE” and “DX” information. The
lower pane is also used for satellite functions.
They also can be combined for a larger DX
cluster, on the air or live spot pane.
Main Map Area The map area will display world maps in
selectable projections and diverse overlays.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 20

Local Info area

Call/Message
Time sync
Info banner
warning

Time/Date
Lock menu

Call/Message → Click to the left of the call sign toggle the callsign color. Click to the
right of callsign, toggle the background color. Click in the center to select to display a
message instead of the call sign. Clicking near the center of the main call sign box
brings up the menu shown on the left. Normally the
box shows the DE call sign, but it can display any
arbitrary text by selecting title and entering the desired
text here or rotate between both.
Info banner → Displays the uptime of HamClock. Alternates between the following
information: Local IP address / Public IP address (if enabled) / Backend server URL /
Backend server IP address / CPU temperature / Disk space usage / Wi-Fi signal
strength.
Displays the version number to the right. If version number is red, an update is
available. To get the update click on the version number. If the version number is
clicked without a pending update, it will display the last release notes.
Message Icon → A red envelope indicates a system admin message.
Click it to display the message in the map area.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 21

Time/Date → Displays time and date. If time is not
synchronized a large “?” is displayed to the right. If
you click on the time a pop-up menu will allow some
time changes. When clicking on the date, you can
choose different date formats.
The alarm clock symbol is filled in if an alarm is set.
Clicking on it will open the alarm clock menu.
Time sync warning → The UTC text will change to a red “OFF” if the UTC time was
manipulated and is deviating from UTC.

Lock Menu → access to the control menu. A small “runner”

in front of the lock indicates that the demo mode is
enabled.
Lock screen → Locks the screen from unintentional
changes. Hover over a point of interest still works.
Demo mode → HamClock will autonomously make a
random setting change to itself every 30 seconds, including
the plot panes, DX location and map view options. The
running man icon indicates demo mode is active. Meanwhile HamClock may still be
used normally. Note that whether Demo mode is active is not persistent, so it must be
selected again if desired each time HamClock starts.
Configurations → enables the (local) saving of setup parameters under specified
names and allows to be recalled later.
Post diagnostics → This function posts the file to the backend server. Used on request
from the development team to help with troubleshooting.
Restart HamClock → will restart the HamClock application but not the device
HamClock is running on.
Exit HamClock → will stop the HamClock application and return to the desktop of the
OS. If you select this option from a remote web browser, you will lose the
connection.
Reboot computer → will restart the device HamClock is running on.
Shutdown computer → will shut down the device HamClock is running on.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 22

Upper Data Panes
There are three data panes. Click the top left of any pane
for a menu of choices; if more than one option is selected
the pane will cycle through them; ctrl-click will force
rotation.
Options may be assigned to only one pane at a time, and
panes must be assigned at least one option.
Some options also use runtime menus which are described
below. The runtime menu can be accessed by clicking on the center of a pane.
Scroll controls appear automatically when panes have too
many lines to display. Up shows how many more lines are
above, Down shows the number below. Clicking either shifts the list in the given
direction, leaving one line for context. Setup page 5 allows setting whether the list grows
top-down or bottom-up. If the scroll entries are DX spots, the arrow is red if there are
any spots in that direction matching a Red watch list. If new spots arrive while scrolled
away from the front of the list, the list position does not change but a button labeled
New appears; clicking it will jump immediately to the front of the list. Also, while
scrolled away the border is red, pane rotation is suspended and clicking the title does not
offer a menu to assign new choices.

Aurora shows the current and recent maximum

percent chances of visible activity anywhere on Earth.
To see the current best location, change to the Aurora
map style (page 54). Active auroral regions can absorb
HF but function as reflecting layers at VHF. This pane
has no additional settings.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 23

 NOAA SpcWx shows the three main NOAA space
weather scales. The left column shows the current
conditions, and columns to the right are predictions
for each of the next three days. All scales use a range
of 0 through 5, with larger numbers indicating greater
severity and public impact. Radio blackout impacts HF
communication and navigation; Solar storm impacts
living organisms and exposed electronics;
Geomagnetic storm impacts pipeline current, power
distribution and disrupts the ionosphere.
This pane has no additional settings.
Bz Bt shows the strength of the interplanetary
magnetic field near Earth in units of nano Tesla. Bz is
the strength of the field pointing north, the same
direction as the Earth’s field. Bt is the total vector
sum in all directions and thus is always the larger
value. When Bz is negative, the fields are in opposite
directions, partially cancelling the net shielding effect
of the magnetosphere and negatively impacting HF
propagation. Values of Bz < -10 can be significant.
This pane has no additional settings.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 24

 On The Air shows spots from various organizations.
Current orgs are POTA, SOTA
and WWFF; more may be
added. The current org is
shown below the title. If
none is selected “All” is
displayed. The table columns are kHz, activator call
and code, and m if > 10 minutes or h if > 1 hour old.
Frequencies are colored by band as per Setup page 6.
Click the org name for a menu to select whether to
show bio, max age, desired sort and to edit the Org filter and watch list. The Org filter
may list multiple orgs separated by spaces to rotate; by + to combine together without
rotation; or an empty filter matches all. Click a spot row to set DX, radio (if enabled),
rotator (if enabled) and bio page if used. Spot locations are plotted but paths are not
because the spotter location is not available.

Contests lists amateur radio contests for the

upcoming, or current, weekend. Click the credits line
to set whether to show dates in
UTC or DE time zone. Click a
C specific contest to set the one-time
future alarm to the contest start time or display the
WA7BNM web page for the contest. Contests
currently in progress are highlighted with a green
background. Data are kindly provided with permission
by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM.

Planetary K shows the Kp index now, with a graph

extending from 7 days prior to 2 days forecast. The
color scheme matches the NOAA web page.
This pane has no additional settings.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 25

DE Wx and DX Wx show the current weather at DE
or DX from [Link]. If the location is
not changed for at least an hour, an up or down
arrow may appear to indicate the pressure trend
direction. When either DE or DX is
changed by any means the left pane
will temporarily show its weather,
unless already selected on another
pane or disabled in Setup page 5
There are no additional settings for
these panes.

SDO shows current images from the Solar Dynamics

Observatory satellite. The corners show current
information with respect to an observer located at DE
including the Azimuth, Elevation, time of next Rise or
Set, and radial velocity where
positive values indicate the
motion is away from the observer.
Click near the center of the image
to display a menu allowing any
one of several image types to be
selected; select Rotate to
automatically cycle them all in
turn; show a Grayline planning
tool where DE and DX share
twilight whenever either of
their rise/set lines are close
together; or display a recent
solar Movie in a separate
browser window.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 26

 DRAP plot option shows the highest frequency that
is attenuated by at least 1 db anywhere on Earth over
the past 24 hours. Although the plot does not indicate
the location where this occurred, it is usually centered
on the Earth daylight side unless there is a Polar Cap
Absorption event in progress. Also see the DRAP map
option on page 51. The signal paths are for an angle
of incidence, a, of 90 degrees (straight up). For
shallower angles, multiply the attenuation by 1/sin(a).
This pane has no additional settings.

Solar Flux shows the current 10.7 cm measurement

from National Research Council Canada, as well as a
30-day history and prediction for the next three days.
Click in the lower half to show a longer history.

DXPeditions lists current, or

upcoming, amateur DX
expeditions. Click the credits
line for overall menu options.
Click a specific contest to hide;
set a future alarm; assign to DX;
or display the expedition web
page, if any. Roaming over a list
entry will mark it on the map.
Map info table will show
spotted frequency and, if ADIF is
configured, worked slots to same DXCC. Data are kindly provided by DXNews and G3K.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 27

 Solar Wind This pane shows 24 hours history of
solar wind activity. Solar wind is a good predictor of
geomagnetic disturbances such as auroral activity and
unusual polar HF propagation. The available real-time
metrics are density, in protons cm , and speed, in km
-3

s . The product of these values gives the flux rate, or

-1

number of protons flowing through a unit square per

unit time, which is often a better predictor than
either value alone. HamClock displays this product in
units of 1012 protons m-2-s-1 for which values above
five or so suggest better chances for aurora.
This pane has no additional settings.
click to clear
click to clear list DX Cluster lists and maps spots from the cluster
host defined in Setup page 2, subject to age, any
* DX filters and watch list. Frequencies are colored by
band as per Setup page 6. Only the latest spot of a
given call on the same frequency is shown. The
columns are kHz, call and age. Click any row to set
DX, rotator (if enabled), radio (if enabled) and look
up bio if configured.
click to set whether to show
bio (if configured), set max
age and edit watch list

click spot to set DX, radio

and bio if enabled; roam
over to mark on map

Click the host name to edit the watch list.

Roaming over a list entry will mark it on the map.
Clear the list by clicking CLR. The list will not move
if scrolled away but arrival of a spot will display
NEW.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 28

 Moon displays a graphic of the lunar surface facing
earth with the proper portion shown in shadow. The
image is oriented depending on the DE hemisphere.
The corners show information with respect to an
observer located at DE including the Azimuth,
Elevation, time of next Rise or Set, and radial velocity
where positive values indicate the motion is away
from the observer. Click the lower half for a menu to
display a full rotation movie or display the EME
planning tool.

click to show EME

planning tool

Disturbance refers to the Disturbance Storm Time

index which measures the onset and recovery of the
magnetosphere ring current, in nano Tesla. Values
beyond about ±10 may indicate sufficient energy is
stored in the ring to interfere with lower HF
propagation, particularly 160 m. Conversely, values
near zero may indicate better than average
propagation on this band. Data provided by World
Data Center for Geomagnetism, Kyoto University,
Japan.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 29

Sunspot N shows the current SIDC sunspot number
and 30 days history. Since one solar revolution is
approximately this period and solar features typically
evolve fairly slowly, the graph provides a crude
prediction of solar activity for the next month. Click in
the lower half to show a longer history.

X-Ray shows the current solar X-Ray levels and flare

classification as measured by the GOES-16 satellite
with a 24-hour history. The levels are the powers of a
logarithmic scale computed as log (W m-2). The blue
10

line is the 0.05 - 0.4 nm band, red is the 0.1 - 0.8 nm

band.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 30

 Tropical Wx pane provides a quick visual summary
of active tropical cyclone activity. It plots active
storms on the main map, showing each storm’s
current location, intensity, and forecast track. Current
positions are emphasized, while forecast points and
connecting lines show the expected path over
upcoming advisory periods.
Storm type and intensity are represented using
category-aware labeling and colors, making it easier
to distinguish tropical depressions,
tropical storms, hurricanes, and
typhoons at a glance. The pane is
intended as a situational-awareness
display, not a replacement for official
watches, warnings, or local
emergency guidance.

Data is supplied by the configured

HamClock backend and is normally
updated every six hours, consistent
with tropical cyclone advisory schedules. When no active storms are available, the
pane will indicate that no tropical systems are currently being tracked.
Clicking on the storm name in the Tropical Wx pane will change the DX location to the
storm.

Clicking on the Red dot for the displayed storm

will display specific storm information such as
speed in knots and general direction. Colors
correspond to official Saffir-Simpson Scale
colors for storm intensity.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 31

 Rotator control If rotctld is set in Setup page 3 then
a Rotator option is available as a pane choice to
control most rotators supported by hamlib. Set the
host and port fields to the address of rotctld on your
network. You must get rotctld working on your system
first, then consider controlling it from HamClock. The
Az row shows the rotator azimuth reported by rotctld
and an angle graphic. Click the arrows beneath to
manually command left and right rotations of 5 and
20 degrees, with the current commanded position
shown between in a smaller font. An azimuth beam will also be shown on the main
map. If the rotator includes an elevation axis a second row, labeled El, provides similar
functions.
Clicking Auto will either track the current satellite, if one is set and there is an
elevation axis, or keep azimuth pointing toward the short path of the current DX
location. If the elevation axis can rotate beyond vertical to 180 degrees, i.e., upside
down, it will be used to avoid an azimuth wrap during tracking and will be indicated
with a red arrow arc on the El row. All motion will cease while the Stop button is active
or the Rotator pane is not visible. Sat tracking requires HamClock to be set to UTC.
Pointing direction honors the long or short path setting (see page 23).

ADIF This pane lists and maps all QSOs in the ADIF
file named in Setup page 3. File name is followed by
total minus any malformed entries (details are in the
diagnostic log, see FAQ 18). Frequencies are colored
by band as per Setup page 6. The file is reread every 2
seconds for automatic monitoring. Click file name for
menu to set sort and edit watch list (see page Error!
Bookmark not defined.) or file name. Click a row to
assign the DX object. Each ADIF record must define
the fields CALL or CONTACTED_OP; QSO_DATE;
TIME_ON; BAND or FREQ; and MODE. GRIDSQUARE or LAT and LON are used if present
location is set, looking up CALL in cty list. OPERATOR or STATION_CALLSIGN are used if
present else set to DE; MY_GRIDSQUARE, MY_LAT and MY_LON are used if present else
set using DE or cty lookup if possible. All other fields are ignored.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 32

 VOACAP This pane choice shows a graph of path
percentage reliability predictions from DE to DX
spanning 24 hours for each HF ham band starting
NOW on the left edge. Graph squares are black if
reliability is less than 10%; red if less than 33%; yellow
if less than 66% and green if above 66%. Predictions
always use VOACAP configured for isotropic 0 dbi
antennas on both ends; quiet location noise (-153 db)
and the current mean sunspot number.

Click a band row here will Click band row will show a Variable parameters may be set by
show a marker and add a marker and add a world clicking the fields across the bottom:
world map of path map of take-off-angle for transmit power, mode, Take-Off-Angle
reliability from DE that band from DE at DE and SP/LP to select short or long
path.

The graph time axis always places now at the left edge. Click the timeline to toggle
labels in UTC or DE local time.
Clicking the left half of a band row will show a marker and add a world map of path
reliability from DE. Click the right half of a row to show map of take-off-angle for that
band.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 33

Live Spots shows personalized reports from
[Link], [Link] or Reverse
[Link]. With WSPR and PSK you may choose
spots posted by your own DE call or from your grid; or
spots which others post of your DE call or grid. Using
your grid allows you to explore propagation from
your general location without receiving or
transmitting. 4- character grid precision is used to
find spots near you. Note RBN only works with
skimmer spots of your call (not by) because grids of
the spotted transmitter stations are not available.
Click the summary line to display a menu that
controls these choices as well as maximum age;
whether to list count or distance to farthest spot; and
which bands to map. Paths show a circle ● at the TX
end, a square ■ at the RX end and the farthest path
for each band is marked with a target  and labeled
as per Setup page 5. Placing the cursor near either
end will show the info table (see page 40).

ENV If an optional BME280 environmental sensor is

installed and working (see page 73), then several
pane options are available whose names begin with
ENV to display temperature, humidity, dew point or
station pressure. The current value is shown along
with a 24-hour history. Clicking near the bottom of
the pane will cycle immediately to another ENV
choice without having to use the normal menu. If two
sensors are installed, the pane is split to show graphs
from each, labeled with their respective I2C bus
addresses.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 34

Upper Auxiliar Pane
The upper auxiliar pane, which is located at the upper right corner of the screen, has
some unique features which are described here in detail. The available options depend
on your hardware, and not all options might be available on your device.
Display Brightness Control (see page 67) Display On/Off Timer (see page 67.)
Light sensor reading (if installed) Period until display OFF
if no activity; 0 disables

DE on time today

DE off time today

Light sensor present
ss Click just above or below
each digit to change
Display brightness Times are reset from table on Setup page
7 each midnight.

NCDXF Beacons BME Env stat

Click value to set Pane.

Map color key

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 35

Space Wx stats ranked by impact if Auto DE/DX Wx stats

Lightning pane

This panel shows an aged list of lightning

strikes. Click in the middle of the pane to
change radius to or select world wide.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 36

Left Flex Panes
click to set format The DE pane shows HamClock’s idea
click to manage DE timeof your location and local time. HamClock
zone, see page 67 uses this location for many purposes from
lunar angles to spot bearings. In this
default format the panel shows local time
and date, latitude and longitude, grid
square and sun rise and set events. Click
click to select at/in
DE: to select other formats or select Data
click to set DE location, see page 67 Panes (listed starting on page 23) that can
overlay this and the DX panel. Click
location to edit lat, long or grid. Click R or S to toggle showing the
time at which the next or previous events occur, or the interval in
which they will or have occurred. Click the time zone offset to
update if necessary; see page 67 for more about how HamClock
manages time.
Clicking on DE activates the format menu. There are several clock
options to choose from and a monthly calendar.
Selecting the Data Panes option will merge the DE and DX pane into a larger pane. This
pane will then show a longer list of DXPeditions, On The Air spots, Contests and DX
Cluster spots. The configuration options are the same as for the upper data panes (see
page 23)

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 37

 click to manage The DX pane shows HamClock’s definition of a
DX time zones
second location independent from DE. Controls and
layout are like the DE panel except the rise/set table
also has an option to show the DX location prefix;
click to select at/in clicking DE shows a list of satellites that can be
click to choose up tracked; and clicking LP or SP toggles whether the
to two satellites
data shown refers to long path or short path. If a
click to toggle satellite has been selected, this panel changes to
short or long path
display its next pass; see next.

The DX pane can be repurposed to show details of the

next satellite pass as viewed from DE. Below the satellite
name is the time until the next Rise or Set event, current
az and el, and TLE age. Rise and set are based on the
satellite passing above or below the ideal geometric
horizon without regard to refraction. The time format will
be HH:MM if the event is more than an hour away
click for more options otherwise MM:SS. A schematic representation shows how
the pass will appear in the sky above DE oriented as
shown by the compass directions in each corner. Faint lines are drawn at 30° and 60°
elevation and every 30° in azimuth. The setting end of the pass is marked with an S.
Midway along the pass are shown the duration as MM:SS and maximum elevation in
degrees. Click anywhere in the circle for a menu of additional options.
If the DE and DX panels are visible you can set the location
directly. Clicking lat, long or grid in the DE: or DX: panes will
display a dialog where these values may be directly edited to full
precision either by clicking the virtual keyboard or using a real
keyboard the same way as Setup.
Corresponding values will be computed automatically, and
invalid entries will be flagged when clicking Ok. Grid coordinates are based on the SW
corner.
HamClock always uses full precision internally but, due to limited screen space, rounds
the display to whole values. This may lead to unexpected results when entering
fractional lat or long values.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 38

For example, suppose they are set to 35N and 110.1W so the grid will be DM45ka. The
main display will show 35N 110W grid DM45 which, unless one knows the internal
values, seems incorrect because 35N 110W exactly is actually in grid DM55. When in
doubt, open the dialog to review the values at full precision.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 39

Main Map Area
For the main map area, you can select different projections, styles, and overlays. If you
select multiple options, the display will cycle through the options.
Styles – here you can select the map type.
Grid – for the selection of the grid overlay type.
Projection – You can select between Mercator, Robinson and Azimuthal
projection.
RSS – enables the information banner at the bottom of the map.
Night – enables the shading of the night area of the map.
Cities – enables cities as spots to hover over and displaying information
about them.
Lightning – enables the lightning display function. If this option is
enabled, it will also enable also the lightning options for the auxiliar
pane.

Info table: A box such as those at left will appear automatically in

the upper left corner of the map whenever the cursor is over the map,
over a spot on the map or listed in a data pane. The contents depend
on context but may contain Latitude; Longitude; Grid; Local Mean
Time (does not account for savings time); CQ and ITU zone
designations; Prefix; TX and RX call and grid; Mode; Frequency;
spot Age; Bearing and Distance from DE; and weather conditions. The bearing degree
symbol becomes M if referenced to magnetic north (see Setup page 5). When displaying
spot information, the border color matches the assigned band color, and a red bullseye
shows the corresponding map location.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 40

Map Overlays
Map style – see page

Sub-earth Moon location

Info table, see and phase from surface
page 12
Long path

Short path

DE NCDXF beacon
Sun
Rotating RSS feeds
DX

Most maps have some indicators which are described above. The visibility of these
indicators is dependent if certain features are enabled or not (E.g., beacons or
satellites).

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 41

Map Projections
Mercado Projection

The Mercator projection is a type of world map that displays the Earth on a rectangular
grid. HamClock uses it because it keeps shapes and angles accurate, which is extremely
useful for radio operators who need to visualize great-circle paths, greyline, and
station bearings.
But it comes with tradeoffs.
What the Mercator Projection Preserves
Mercator is a conformal projection, meaning:
• Angles are correct.
• Shapes are preserved locally.
• Compass bearings appear as straight lines.
This is why it’s ideal for:
• Visualizing beam headings
• Tracking DX paths
• Displaying greyline consistently
• Showing weather overlays without distortion of storm shapes
For radio work, this is gold.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 42

What the Mercator Projection Distorts
Mercator greatly exaggerates size as you move toward the poles.
Examples:
• Greenland looks the size of Africa (it’s actually 1/14th)
• Alaska looks huge.
• Antarctica becomes a stretched band.
This happens because the projection stretches the map vertically to keep angles
correct.
For HamClock, this means:
• Polar regions look larger than reality.
• Aurora ovals appear stretched.
• High-latitude DX paths look longer than they physically are.
But the direction is still correct, which is what matters for antennas.
Choose HamClock’s Mercator projection to:
• Keep beam headings visually intuitive.
• Makes greyline easy to interpret.
• Displays weather systems in familiar shapes.
• Works well with DX cluster spots.
• Keeps map labels readable.
It’s the most operator-friendly projection for everyday HF/VHF monitoring.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 43

Azimuthal Projections
HamClock includes two distinct Azimuthal Equidistant projections, both centered on
your QTH. They look similar at first glance, but they serve different operator needs.
Azimuthal Equidistant (AZIM One - Centered on Your QTH)

Purpose: True great-circle bearings for antenna pointing.

This is the classic ham-radio projection used on wall maps for decades. Every point on
the map is plotted so that:
• The direction from your QTH is correct.
• The distance from your QTH is proportional.
• Every straight line = the true great-circle path.
This makes it the best projection for:
• DX antenna headings
• Contesting
• Beam steering
• Path prediction
• Understanding long-path vs short-path

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 44

What it looks like:
• Your QTH is at the center.
• The world radiates outward like a compass rose.
• Distortion increases at the edges (normal for this projection).
Why operators love it:
It’s the most accurate map for real-world HF paths. If you point your beam along the
straight line on this map, you’re pointing correctly.

Azimuthal Equidistant (Hemisphere View)

Purpose: A full-Earth view with correct bearings but smoother global context
This version still keeps:
• Correct bearings from your QTH
• Correct distances from your QTH
…but instead of showing the entire Earth on a flat disk, it displays a hemispheric view
that:
• Shows your half of the Earth cleanly
• Reduces edge distortion.
• It makes weather, grayline, and DX clusters easier to interpret.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 45

 • Keeps the “radio-accurate” geometry without the harsh stretching of the full
disk version.
What it looks like:
• Your QTH is still the center.
• The visible half of Earth is shown as a circular hemisphere.
• The far side of Earth is hidden (because it’s behind the globe)
Why operators use it:
• Cleaner, more readable
• Better for global situational awareness
• Still accurate for beam headings
• Ideal for DX cluster overlays, grayline, and weather maps
Which One Should You Use?
Use Azimuthal (Full Disk) when you want:
• Maximum accuracy for antenna headings
• Both short-path and long-path visible at once
• A traditional ham-radio “beam map”
Use Azimuthal (Hemisphere) when you want:
• A cleaner, more readable map
• Better weather and DRAP visualization
• A more intuitive global view
• Accurate bearings without extreme distortion

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 46

Robinson Projection

In this screenshot the live spots are turned on and one

spot is highlighted, displaying the information about
this spot in the upper left corner.

The Robinson projection is a world map style designed to look balanced and visually
natural, avoiding the extreme distortions of projections like Mercator. It’s often
described as a “compromise projection” because it doesn’t preserve any single
property perfectly—but it keeps shape, size, and distance errors low enough to
produce a map that looks right to the human eye.
For HamClock users, the Robinson projection offers a smooth, aesthetically pleasing
global view that’s excellent for monitoring:
• Greyline movement
• Global weather systems
• DX cluster activity
• Satellite footprints
• Worldwide propagation patterns
The Robinson projection is designed for visual realism, not mathematical precision. It
provides:
A natural-looking world.
Continents appear proportionate and familiar, without the polar stretching seen in
Mercator.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 47

Reduced distortion
• Shapes are more accurate than Mercator at high latitudes.
• Areas are more balanced globally.
• Distances are visually reasonable.
Excellent global context
It’s ideal for dashboards like HamClock where you want to see the whole Earth at once
without dramatic distortion.
Because it’s a compromise projection, Robinson does not preserve:
• True angles (so bearings are not accurate)
• True areas (continents are slightly resized)
• True distances (scale varies across the map)
This means it’s not ideal for antenna headings or great-circle path analysis—that’s
what the Azimuthal Equidistant projection is for.
Why HamClock Includes the Robinson Projection
HamClock offers Robinson because it provides:
• A beautiful, readable world map
• A balanced view of continents and oceans
• A smooth backdrop for overlays like:
o Cloud/precipitation maps
o DRAP absorption
o MUF-RT and MUF-VCAP
o Solar terminator (grayline)
o DX spots
It is the best choice when you want a global situational awareness display rather than
precise directional information.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 48

Zoom levels are only available with the Mercado Projection.

With cities enabled you will be able to get more information about a city when
hovering over it.

Grids allow you the selection of different grid overlays.

Grid overlays
Lat/Long Grid Maidenhead Grid

Tropics Lines Maidenhead Grid+

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 49

Azimuthal Grid CQ Zones

ITU Zones

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 50

Other Map Options
DRAP

This map style shows a near real-time display of the NOAA D Region Absorption
Predictions model, or DRAP. The model predicts HF propagation absorption caused by
solar X- ray and proton flux events. D layer absorption decreases with increasing
frequency, so the map color-codes the highest frequency ray that is attenuated by at
least 1 dB while passing through each location. Rays at lower frequencies will
experience progressively greater attenuation of 30 dB or more. The color scale is gray
for no absorption at any frequency progressing through a spectrum to indicate higher
frequencies. See also the DRAP pane (page 23) for a time history.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 51

MUF-VCAP

This map style shows the VOACAP model for median Maximum Usable Frequency
between DE and other points in the world about half the time each month. This model
is useful for long-term planning, such as for a DXpedition; the MUF-RT style is a better
indication of current conditions. Note even when a path seems promising, it may still
not be unusable due to low signal power, local noise or variable space weather
conditions. The map is color coded the same as DRAP.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 52

MUF-RT

This style shows a real-time map of Maximum Usable Frequency based on a worldwide
consortium of ionosondes, those of which were active within the last hour are labeled
with their reporting frequency. The data are updated every fifteen minutes. Note that
since the stations are not spaced uniformly, significant license was required to perform
global interpolation. At any given location, the MUF value is the highest frequency that
will refract back to Earth a wave launched 1500 miles away, thereby supporting a total
single hop path of 3000 miles. Waves higher in frequency will generally continue into
space and be lost. Using this basic model, one can imagine where the hops will occur
along a path from DE to DX and estimate whether they will be supported for a given
band. Note even when a path seems promising, it may still not be unusable due to low
signal power or local noise. This map is a good indication of current conditions; the
MUF-VOACAP style is better suited for long term planning such as for a DXpedition.
Both use the same color key. Data for this map are from GIRO collected and used with
permission from KC2G.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 53

Aurora

This map style shows the chances for aurora activity based on total ionospheric energy
deposition. High activity is often associated with geomagnetic storm conditions. This
map is best viewed with the Azimuthal projection.
Aurora for radio propagation refers to the way charged particles from the sun disturb
the ionosphere near the polar regions, creating both severe HF degradation and
unique VHF propagation modes. Auroras occur when solar-wind particles funnel into
the Earth’s magnetic poles and energize atmospheric atoms, producing both the visible
aurora and major ionospheric disturbances.
What Causes Aurora
When the solar wind intensifies, especially during geomagnetic storms, the Earth’s
magnetic field directs energetic particles into the polar atmosphere. These particles
ionize atmospheric gases, creating:
• Visible aurora (green/red curtains)
• Highly disturbed ionospheric regions
• Irregular, turbulent electron densities
These disturbances dramatically alter how radio waves refract or scatter.
HF Effects (3–30 MHz)
Aurora is bad news for HF:
• HF blackouts occur because the ionosphere becomes too disturbed to refract
signals normally.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 54

 • Severe absorption in the D and E regions kills long-distance propagation.
• Signals become weak, fluttery, or vanish entirely.
• When Kp ≥ 5, expect HF degradation.
• Bands collapse during strong auroral events.
VHF Effects (50–150 MHz)
Aurora creates one of the most unique VHF propagation modes: auroral backscatter.
• Instead of refracting, signals scatter off the auroral curtain.
• The curtain acts like a moving, irregular reflective sheet.
• Operators point antennas north (or toward the auroral oval), not toward the DX
station.
• When Kp ≥ 5, expect possible auroral VHF openings.
You will hear:
• Raspy, distorted CW
• Buzz-saw SSB
• Digital modes (e.g., Q65) optimized for aurora are increasingly used.
Auroral propagation is strongest on 6m and 2m but can extend to 10m and 12m during
intense events.
Aurora is favorable for:
• VHF DX via auroral scatter
• Short-lived openings at 6m and 2m
• Auroral-E events (Es + aurora) enabling unusual HF/VHF paths.
Unfavorable:
• HF long-distance communication
• Polar paths (e.g., Midwest → Asia via polar route)
• Aviation HF
• Emergency HF nets
• Point beams north for auroral VHF work.
• Use CW or Q65—SSB becomes nearly unreadable.
• Check aurora dashboards (e.g., DXRadar’s aurora tools) for real-time activity.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 55

Weather

HamClock’s weather map is a real-time (hourly updated) global meteorological layer

that includes:
Cloud Cover
• White/gray shading = cloud density
• Helps identify thunderstorm regions, cold fronts, and tropical systems.
• Useful for predicting static crashes (QRN) on HF
Precipitation
• Blue/green/yellow/red shading = rain intensity
• Red/purple = severe storms
• Correlates with lightning activity, which increases HF noise.
Storm Systems
You can visually track:
• Tropical storms / hurricanes
• Mid-latitude cyclones
• Squall lines
• Frontal boundaries
This matters because they change noise levels, absorption, and signal stability.
Weather impact for radio frequencies

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 56

Weather doesn’t change the ionosphere directly — but it absolutely affects operating
conditions:
HF (3–30 MHz)
• Thunderstorms → QRN spikes
• Lightning → broadband noise across 80m/40m/20m
• Tropical systems → persistent static crashes
• Heavy rain → slight attenuation on higher HF bands
VHF/UHF (50–1200 MHz)
• Temperature inversions → ducting
• High-pressure systems → enhanced tropospheric propagation
• Storm fronts → scatter and fading.
• Humidity gradients → refractive bending
HamClock’s weather map helps you spot these patterns at a glance.
Where HamClock Gets the Weather Data
HamClock pulls from global meteorological satellite composites, typically NOAA and
international weather agency feeds. It updates automatically and overlays the data on
the world map projection you’ve selected.
HamClock Weather Map Legend
Cloud Cover (Grayscale)
• White / Light Gray — Heavy cloud cover
• Medium Gray — Partial cloud cover
• Dark Gray / Black — Clear skies
Cloud shading helps identify storm systems, fronts, and regions likely to produce HF
noise (QRN).
Precipitation (Color Scale)
• Light Blue — Light rain or drizzle
• Green — Moderate Rain
• Yellow — Heavy rain
• Orange — Intense rain / thunderstorms

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 57

 • Red / Purple — Severe storms, tropical systems, or extreme precipitation
These areas correlate strongly with lightning-generated noise on HF.
Storm Structure Indicators
• Bands of curved precipitation — Mid-latitude cyclones
• Circular or spiral patterns — Tropical storms / hurricanes
• Linear yellow/red streaks — Squall lines or frontal boundaries
These patterns help operators anticipate QRN spikes and VHF scatter conditions.
Geographic & Map Elements
• Coastlines — White or light outlines
• Country borders — Thin gray lines
• Latitude/Longitude grid — Optional, depending on your HamClock configuration.
• Day/Night Terminator — Soft shadow showing the grayline (important for HF
propagation)

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 58

Clouds

The HamClock Cloud Map is a real-time global weather overlay that displays current
(delayed by 1 to 2 hours) cloud cover and precipitation patterns across the Earth. It
provides operators with quick situational awareness of weather systems that influence
HF noise levels, VHF/UHF propagation, and general operating conditions.
HamClock renders cloud cover in grayscale, where lighter shades indicate denser cloud
formations, and darker shades represent clearer skies. Overlaid color regions show
precipitation intensity, from light rain to severe thunderstorms. This allows operators
to visually identify storm fronts, tropical systems, and high-pressure zones at a glance.
Because thunderstorms and large weather systems generate significant QRN on HF,
the Cloud Map helps predict noisy bands, especially 80m, 60m, and 40m. For VHF/UHF,
clear areas under stable high-pressure systems often correspond to enhanced
tropospheric propagation, while sharp weather boundaries can indicate scatter or
fading.
In short, the HamClock Cloud Map is a radio-relevant weather layer, giving operators a
fast, intuitive view of atmospheric conditions that affect real-world operating
performance.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 59

REL (Reliability)
When a specific band is selected in VOACAP band conditions on
the left in the VOCAP pane, a reliability map overlay is displayed in
the rotation.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 60

TOA (takeoff angel)
When a specific band is selected in VOACAP band conditions on
the right of the VOACAP pane, a takeoff angle map overlay is
displayed in the rotation.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 61

RSS Banner
Overlays the lower map with live RSS feeds, cycling every 15 seconds. Click to show
parent web page. Sources are AR Newsline, HamWeekly and NG3K (DXCC).

Night
Select to darken the map where it is currently nighttime; good for showing current
gray line boundary.
Cities
whether to display name and population of representative cities nearest to cursor, if
any.

Lightning
Select to display lightning icons that
indicate detected lightning. Range rings
for the coverage area are shown. This
will also enable the lightning option in
the upper right auxiliar pane.

Pop up panels in maps.

Clicking anywhere on the map brings up a multi-purpose popup menu. It
always offers controls to set the HamClock DE or DX object to the
clicked location if desired. It may also offer controls to set a specific
Zoom factor and/or to Recenter the map at the clicked location,
depending on the current map projection. The Mercator projection
implements all options although recentering may not extend beyond the

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 62

poles. Robinson can only shift the center longitude; it cannot zoom. The other
projections can neither zoom nor recenter. The menu starts with the current zoom factor
preselected. Reset restores the map to full size centered on the longitude specified in
Setup page 4. DX can also be set immediately without using the menu by either clicking
mouse Button 2 (middle) alone, or Button 1 (left) in combination with the Control or
meta key (names vary depending on your keyboard).
Hovering with your mouse pointer on the map will provide additional
information about spots on the earth. Additional to the coordinates it will
display the grid locator, CQ zone, ITU zone, the local time and the country
prefix. It also will give you the angel for short path, the distance and the
weather conditions if available.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 63

Satellite Information
A very important feature of HamClock is the display of satellites (and some
astronomical objects) and their information. The path of a satellite is displayed as an
overlay of the maps. You can select up to two satellites to follow.
To enable satellites, you click on the top of the DX pane, and the satellite selection
page will open.

Satellites in red text will be coming up the

horizon at the DE location in less than 10
minutes. Satellites in green text are
currently above the horizon.

You can select up to two satellites to bring

them in focus. After clicking on Ok, they will
be displayed on the map.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 64

They will be also displayed on the DX pane with the satellite
name, current azimuth and current elevation. Negative
elevation numbers mean that the satellite is below the
horizon and visible at DE. The Age is information about how
fresh the data is.

If satellites are enabled, you will have additional options for

the DX panel when you click on that panel.
Choose satellites/Show DX info here → Here you can select
if you want to see the DX information or the satellite
information.
Then you get the option to select which satellite path you
want to display as overlay on the map (Show track also).
Show rise/set table → displays a table with the rise and set
time and angular information.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 65

Show planning tool → this tool allows you to plan for a satellite connection between

DE and DX. The satellite has to be above horizon (>0) to make contact possible. There
is a green block for the time slot on the DE timeline.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 66

Clock Functions
It wouldn’t be called HamClock if it wouldn’t have different clock options.
Time
The time shown in large white letters below your call always shows HamClock’s idea of
UTC. If your DE time is incorrect, click the time zone offset button. If the UTC button is
black-letters-on-white- background, then HamClock is using real UTC. But you may
modify the time by clicking on the numbers. This can be useful, for example, to show a
satellite location, gray line or VOACAP prediction at some moment in the past or
future. Changing away from UTC causes the UTC button to flash red OFF as a stark
reminder HamClock is no longer tracking real UTC. Clicking the red button will return
abruptly back to real UTC. A large question mark is shown when time is unknown (no
NTP server is available due to network issues). Additional time displays are available.
Local time in the DE panel (if displayed). Time at the DX location in the DX panel (if
displayed).
Stopwatch and Alarms
Click the stopwatch icon (beneath UTC seconds) to enter. It will display elapsed time in
HH:MM:[Link]. Clicking Run begins or resumes counting; Stop freezes display and
counting; Lap freezes display but continues counting; Reset starts over; click along the
spectrum bar to adjust color; Exit returns to main HamClock screen.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 67

With Big Clock you select a full screen digital clock replacing the normal HamClock
display.

Clicking on the clock area opens up a set of options you can choose
from.
You can select between different clock forms (analog/digital), color
choices and other options.
Independent 24 hours daily and once-only alarms are available. They
may use either DE or UTC time zones. When either is armed, the
alarm clock icon on the HamClock main screen will be green (instead
of gray) and the alarm time may be shown in Big Clock. When either
alarm goes off it will be announced on the main screen in the center
pane; on the Stopwatch screen by highlighting its control button; and
on Big Clock by highlighting the alarm time. Clicking any of these will
cancel the alarm; these alerts automatically time out after 60
seconds. See page 73 for hardware control.
Count down counts backwards from the value set at its right, click just above or below
to increase or decrease down to 1 minute. If counting down is active: the main
HamClock screen shows the time remaining in lieu of the stopwatch icon; Countdown
may be chosen as a Pane option; and the value may be shown in Big Clock. It may be

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 68

restarted from any of these locations with a click. Hold the main icon for 3 seconds to
enter the Stopwatch screen. See page 73 for hardware control.
Brightness and Light sensor controls: If a light sensor is installed (aka “photo resistor”
for historical reasons) and the Full scrn direct? option in Setup page 5 is Yes, then the
right-most pane may be set to show two vertical scales. The left shows the current
display brightness and the right the current light sensor reading. Both include their
respective calibration markers. Brightness is scaled from, and limited to, Min% to
Max% from Setup page 4. If the display can only be turned on or off, the brightness
scale will only show a marker at top or bottom. To calibrate a desired brightness
response, start by exposing the light sensor to a bright intensity then click in the upper
half of the left scale to set the desired display brightness at that intensity (or just “on”).
Then expose the sensor to a dim light and click in the lower half to set the desired
brightness at that low intensity (or “off”). Systems without a light sensor but with
ability to control display brightness will provide a single slider to control display
brightness manually.
On/Off timers: The upper right-most HamClock pane may provide a table of DE clock
On and Off times at which the display may be set to Max% or Min%, respectively; set
the times equal to disable. Idle sets the number of minutes of no user activity after
which the display may change to Min%; set to zero to disable. Changing the On or Off
times will also set the On/Off table in Setup page 7 to match the current day.
Conversely, the pane values will be reset from this table at each local midnight. If these
timers turn the display Off, the light sensor will then not control display brightness
again until either a timer commands the display back On or the user clicks anywhere in
HamClock to restore brightness.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 69

Mobile Dashboard
A new feature introduced in version 4.26 is a mobile
dashboard. You access it on port 8080 with the
following command:
<IPAddress>:8080/[Link]
Or using the host name instead:
<hostname>:8080/[Link]
The dashboard shows a text representation for the
most important information from HamClock.
There are no configuration options in the curent
version.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 70

Watch Lists
Watch lists are used to filter DX Cluster, On The Air and ADIF spots. They may be edited
either in the Setup session or within the popup menus for each pane. Each watch list
consists of one or more specifications separated by commas. Each specification may
consist of any of the following requirements, all of which are optional:
● Band names in several formats:
● a single band name followed by M for meters, such as 40M.

● multiple bands separated by hyphen in either order, such as 20-10M or 10-20M.

● a sub-band mode may be specified following the band number such as 40CW or 20SSB or

30FT8.
● multiple sub-band ranges separated with a hyphen, such as 160-10CW or 10-20DATA.

● Exact frequency range:

● min-max in MHz which may span multiple bands, such as 14-14.02MHZ or 7.0-10.15MHZ

● ADIF keyword: predefined qualities of a spot which must not be found within the current ADIF
file:
● NADXCC: no ADIF entry matches the spot’s DXCC entity.
● NAPREF: no ADIF entry matches the spot’s prefix.
● NAGRID: no ADIF entry matches the spot’s grid (first 4 characters only)
● NABAND: no ADIF entry matches the spot’s band.
● These may be combined, such as NAGRID NABAND to require no matching grid square

or band.
● prefix: anything not fitting the above rules specifies the required leading characters of a call
(see more below)
Notes:
● Prefixes only check their number of characters for a match. Ex: prefix AA matches AA0 and
AA1 but not A or AB.
● Spot call signs containing a slash (/) are broken into “dx” and “home” portions. The “dx” portion
is the shorter side but is ignored if it consists of 1 character or digit, is one of the abbreviations
/MM or /AM, or consists of 3 or more characters without any digits such as /QRP. Calls without
a slash are always considered to be “home” calls.
● Ex: VK2/WB0OEW and WB0OEW/VK2 both assign “dx” to VK2 and “home” to WB0OEW, but
WB0OEW/0 assigns “home” to WB0OEW but has no “dx” portion because /0 is ignored.
● Watch list prefixes that end in a slash, /, apply only to the “dx” portion of a portable call.
Prefixes without a slash apply only to the “home” portion of a call. Ex: the prefix VK2 will
match WB0/VK2ABC but not VK2/WB0OEW; conversely prefix WB/ will match VK2ABC/WB0
but not WB0OEW/VK2.
● A spot is considered a match if it is selected by all the given requirements within any of the
given specifications.
● Think carefully when mixing watch lists with native DX Cluster commands (see Setup page 2).
● The ADIF keywords may not be used in the ADIF watch list.
● The supported sub-band modes are based on those in DX clusters: CW, DATA, FT4, FT8,
RTTY, SSB. Modes are implemented as frequency boundaries, not actual transmission
content, so may not be correct.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 71

Each watch list can be set to control its display list in one of four ways:
● Off: HamClock will save the watch list, but it has no effect; all spots are displayed normally.
● Red: all spots are displayed but those which match are highlighted in red in the display list.
● Only: like Red but only the matching spots are displayed.
● Not: the opposite of Only, i.e., only spots that do not match all specifications are displayed.

Example Watch List A spot matches if ...

30M ... it is any frequency on 30 meters
40-80M ... it is any frequency on 40 or 80 meters
20-10DATA ... it is any frequency spiders consider DATA on 20 through 10 meters
20m WA WB K ... it is on 20 meters with home prefix WA or WB or K
7.0-7.01MHZ ... it is in the DX CW window of 40 meters
VK/ 20M 30M, ZL/ 30M ... it is a portable station in VK on 20 or 30, or a portable ZL station on 30
NADXCC ... its DXCC does not match any spot in the ADIF file on any band.
use this to look for new DXCC entities.
NADXCC NABAND ... both its DXCC and band do not match any one spot in the ADIF file.
use this to look for new band slots.
40M NAPREF ... it is on 40 and has a prefix not in the ADIF file.
use this to look for new prefixes on 40m
20-10M NAGRID ... it is on any band from 20 to 10 and no spots in the ADIF file have the same grid.
use this to look for new grids on these bands.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 72

External IO Options
HamClock supports several optional external devices to enhance the operator
experience. These include:
● one or two BME280 environmental sensors for temperature, pressure and humidity.
● LTR329 light sensor for automatic dimming depending on ambient lighting (see page).
● several switches and LEDs to complement the ON THE AIR indicator, timer, alarm clock and
satellite status.
● time and location from NMEA sentences from the serial connection of a GPS receiver.
● Elecraft KX3 serial frequency control, available only with RPi header pin 8.
These devices may be connected to HamClock in two different configurations, as shown
below. Devices may be connected in any order, and all are optional.
● to the 40-pin header of a Raspberry Pi
● to any Linux or Mac with a USB port using an I2CMini from [Link], including the Pi if
preferred.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 73

The discrete GPIO options are described in the table below. Each is independent and
may be chosen separately as desired. Connect the Terminal connections to either the
Pi header or the MCP23017 port expander, depending on the HamClock configuration
used. The MCP23017 is not needed if none of these are used.
On Raspberry Pi, Setup page 4 also includes a toggle named GPIO. Setting this Off
prevents HamClock from using any of the native pins in order that they may be used for
something else. To use the I2C header pins on a RPi the GPIO toggle must be set to
Active in addition to setting the proper file name (see next).
GPIO Option Description Terminal Pi Header MCP
Pin 23017
Pin
A falling edge from a SPST switch or PTT line on CD_1 CD_2 17 VIN A0
terminal CD_4 (re)starts the countdown timer. CD_3 CD_4 33 A1 A2
Driving voltage, if any, must not exceed 3.3 V. 35
The LEDs indicate the time remaining: green
37
when counting down; both when 1 minute or
less remains; red when timed out.

Output terminal SA_A indicates satellite SA_1 38 A5

visibility from DE. Normally low, it cycles high at
1 Hz for 1 minute before rise, stays high during
the pass, cycles at 2 Hz during the last minute
then stays low again after set.

Grounding input terminal OA_1 with a switch OA_1 40 A6

or PTT line will change the call sign text to “ON
THE AIR”. Driving voltage, if any, must not
exceed 3.3 V.
Output terminal AL_1 will go high while either AL_1 AL_2 31 A3 A4
alarm is “ringing”. The schematic shows an 29
LED, but a piezo buzzer works also. Briefly
grounding input terminal AL_2 will silence
either alarm.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 74

This flexibility does come at a price. You must determine and enter the name assigned
by the host to the native or bridged I2C bus in the I2C file field of Setup page 4. The
table below shows a sample of systems and typical names. One way to discover the
exact name on Linux is to start a terminal session and run the command ls/dev. Look
for something similar or, in the case of a USB-I2C bridge, remove and plug the device
back in and see what changes. If you find both tty and cu names that are otherwise the
same, always use the cu name.

Configuration Typical I2C File name

Raspberry Pi 40 pin header Debian /dev/i2c-1 FreeBSD
/dev/iic0
USB-I2C bridge Debian /dev/ttyUSB0
FreeBSD /dev/cuaU0
macOS /dev/[Link]-DK0C3XGZ

GPS
The serial output from a GPS module that sends the RMC NMEA sentence may be
connected directly to HamClock. The TX line from the module can be connected to
Raspberry Pi header pin 10 or via any serial-USB converter cable supported by your
computer operating system.
To use the RPi header, perform the following steps:
● Connect the TX line from the module to header pin 10. If needed, +5V can be taken from pin 2
and ground from pin 14.
● run sudo raspi-config, go to Interfaces and select Serial. Turn Off console and On hardware
support; finish and reboot.
● Got to HamClock Setup page 1, turn on NMEA, set the baud rate of the GPS module and enter
file.
● /dev/serial0 on RPi 4 or earlier, or /dev/ttyAMA0 on RPi 5.
● To use a USB converter cable on any computer running HamClock:
● connect cable +5V, ground and RX to the GPS module and plug the USB end into the computer.
● run ls /dev before and after plugging in the USB to find the new entry. On RPi it might be /dev/ttyUSB0; macOS
something like /dev/[Link]-AL00FP5D; FreeBSD it might be /dev/cuaU0.
● Go to HamClock Setup page 1, turn on NMEA, set the module baud rate and the file name found above.
● Bonus! Use UNIX fifo:
● Use mkfifo to create a fifo file anywhere.
● Enter the fifo path as the HamClock NMEA file. Baud rate does not matter.
● Now any NMEA sentences piped into the fifo will be read and processed by HamClock.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 75

Command Line Options
The HamClock program accepts the following optional arguments. For example: to skip the initial setup
screens (assuming all fields are valid) to immediately begin normal operation, change the read/write web
interface to port 20000, and throttle the CPU load to 20%, run HamClock as:

hamclock -k -w 20000 -t 20

-0 : restore all original default Setup values

-a x : set debug name=level, bogus name gives list
-b h : set backend host:port to h; default is [Link]
-d d : set working directory to d; default is ~/.hamclock/
-e p : set RESTful web server port to p or -1 to disable; default is 8080
-f o : force display full screen initially to "on" or "off"
-g : init DE using geolocation with current public IP; requires -k
-h : print this help summary then exit
-i i : init DE using geolocation with IP i; requires -k
-k : start in normal mode, ie, don't offer Setup or wait for Skips
-l l : set Mercator or Robinson center longitude to l degrees, +E; requires -k
-m : enable demo mode
-n t : set live web idle timeout to t minutes; default forever
-o : write diagnostic log to stdout instead of in ~/.hamclock/
-p f : require passwords in file f formatted as lines of "category password"
changeUTC configurations exit newde newdx reboot restart setup shutdown unlock upgrade
-q : ignore saved startup screen location and size
-r p : set read-only live web server port to p or -1 to disable; default 8082
-s d : start time as if UTC now is d formatted as YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS
-S s ; set Software server host for OTA download; default is [Link]
Must come after -b if used
-t p : throttle max cpu to p percent; default is 80
-T t ; set max timeout for responses from backend; default is 10
-v : show version info then exit
-w p : set read-write live web server port to p or -1 to disable; default 8081
-x n : set n max live web connections; max 100; default 10
-y : activate keyboard cursor control arrows/hjkl/Return -- beware stuck keys!

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 76

RESTful Webserver Command
Reference
In addition to the HamClock’s main web interface HamClock provides a REST interface that allows
external control by the user via a browser or programmatically by an external program. The general web
interface is, by default, on port 8081 (See options -w and -r on page Error! Bookmark not defined.),
HamClock’s REST interface is, by default, on port 8080 (See option -e on page Error! Bookmark not
defined.).
The REST (Representational State Transfer) interface takes a command in the form of a web address with
an argument that returns result information in ascii text form. Please note that some web browsers may
not access these rest web addresses consistently, so command line access is recommended using
command curl which is available on Windows and Linux. An exception is [Link] which is a
widget designed to work in a browser.
Commands that take arguments have the argument start with ? and any additional arguments separated by &. Here
is an example of setting the grid to EM13 and the callsign to KR8X:
curl "[Link]

Entering an invalid command or no REST command after the RESTful port will list all of the available RESTful
webserver commands (for example): curl "[Link]
[Link] antennas widget to administer antenna information
get_antennas.txt Get antenna information from hamclock and backend
get_capture.bmp get live screen shot in bmp format
get_config.txt get current display settings
get_contests.txt get current list of contests
get_de.txt get DE info
get_dx.txt get DX info
get_dxpeds.txt get current list of DXpeditions
get_dxspots.txt get DX spots
get_gpio? pin=MCP&latched=[true,false]
get_livespots.txt get live spots list
get_livestats.txt get live spots statistics
get_ontheair.txt get POTA/SOTA activators
get_satellite.txt get current sat info
get_satellites.txt get list of all sats
get_sensors.txt get sensor data
get_spacewx.txt get space weather info
get_sys.txt get system stats
get_time.txt get current time
get_voacap.txt get current band conditions matrix
list_antennas.txt list antenna indexes and description
set_adif? pane=[0123] (POST)
set_alarm? state=off|armed&time=HR:MN&utc=yes|no
set_antennas?
antdeindex=n&antdxindex=n&antdedxcontrol=n&antdeaz=n.n&antdxaz=n.n
set_auxtime? format=[one_from_menu]
set_bmp? pane=[1,2,3,map]&fit=[resize,crop,fill][&off] (POST)
set_cluster? host=xxx&port=yyy
set_debug? name=xxx&level=n
set_defmt? fmt=[one_from_menu]&atin=RSAtAt|RSInAgo
set_displayOnOff? on|off
set_displayTimes? on=HR:MN&off=HR:MN&day=[Sun..Sat]&idle=mins

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 77

set_gpio? pin=MCP&level=[hi,lo]&blink=hz
set_livespots? (see error message)
set_mapcenter? lng=X
set_mapcolor? setup=name&color=R,G,B
set_mapview? Style=S&Grid=G&Projection=P&RSS=on|off&Night=on|off
set_newde? grid=AB12&lat=X&lng=Y&call=AA0XYZ
set_newdx? grid=AB12&lat=X&lng=Y
set_once_alarm? state=off|armed&time=YYYY-MM-DDTHR:MN&tz=DE|UTC
set_pane? Pane[0123]=X,Y,Z... any from:
VOACAP_DEDX DE_Wx DX_Wx Solar_Flux Planetary_K Moon NOAA_SpcWx Sunspot_N
X-Ray SDO Solar_Wind DRAP Contests Live_Spots Bz_Bt On_The_Air Aurora
DXPeditions Disturbance
set_panzoom? pan_x=X&pan_y=Y&pan_dx=dX&pan_dy=dY&zoom=Z
set_rotator? state=[un]stop|[un]auto&az=X&el=X
set_rss? reset|add=X|network|interval=secs|on|off|file (POST)
set_satname? abc|none
set_sattle? name=abc&t1=line1&t2=line2
set_screenlock? lock=on|off
set_senscorr? sensor=76|77&dTemp=X&dPres=Y
set_stopwatch? reset|run|stop|lap|countdown=mins
set_time? change=delta_seconds
set_time? ISO=YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS
set_time? Now
set_time? unix=secs_since_1970
set_title? call|title|onair=[text]&fg=R,G,B&bg=R,G,B|rainbow
set_touch? x=X&y=Y
set_voacap? band=X&power=W&tz=DE|UTC&mode=X&map=X&TOA=X
exit exit HamClock
postDiags post diagnostic logs and configuration settings
restart restart HamClock
updateVersion update to latest version

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 78

Directional Antenna Maps
Band conditions, Reliability Maps, Take Off Angle Maps and VOAcap Maps default to a
generic omnidirectional isotropic antenna for the DE location and DX location. RESTful
commands are available to administer the types of antennas and how they are used
(see page Error! Bookmark not defined.). Directional antenna support requires
support of the backend server.
Restful command [Link] brings up the Antenna manager widget for user
control of this function.

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 79

Version History
Version 4.26 June 2026
● mobile dashboard on 8080:/[Link]
● update dxcluster connection retry
● center clicked on zoom map
● lightning uses config units
● fix DE format's OK button broken
● fix web-3200x1920 in alpine docker
● support sys admin messages
● ensure sat tracks on top
● support 4-char grid squares
● prelim support for tropo maps
Version 4.25 May 2026
● improve lightning icons
● fix UA missing in lightning
● tropical cyclone feature
● support save configuration
● allow unselect all
● better missing satellite
Version 4.24: May 2026
● fix: maidenhead conversions in REST api
● add: show lightning strikes on maps
● add: directional antennas in voacap
● add: highlight "now" as ^ in VOACAP DE-DX
Version 4.23: April 2026
● fix: 1-sat crash in Show planner
● change: better diag file posting
● change: show backend host/IP in status
● fix: prevent OTA crash on long pre/suffix
● fix: gpio pin for alarm
● add: add -T for HTTP timeout
● add: add T= build argument for HTTP timeout
● add: add -S for alt software server
● add: add S= build argument for software server
● add: add B= build argument for backend server:port
Version 4.22: 2026-01-17
● change: clicking wifi strength now shows a history plot
● fix: don't offer Moon track in satellite
● menufix: make satellite track option persistent
● fix: satellite name could overlay RSS
● fix: remove unused watchdog funtion calls
● fix hopefully: TZ updates could repeat continuously if net fails

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 80

Version 4.21: 2025-09-06
● new: support up to two simultaneous satellites
● new: add Live Spots menu item to choose whether to show paths
● change: add next rise and set azimuth to Sat pane
● change: tweak satellite path arrowheads
● fix: TZ updates could repeat continuously if net fails even briefly
Version 4.20: 2025-07-06
● fix: NOAA SpaceWx day label color was not consistent
● fix: add arrows to dashed satellite
● pathfix: Big Clock refresh could leave extra bits
● fix: avoid versions of gpiod that are too old
Version 4.19: 2025-06-10
● change: add timeline labels beneath NOAA SpaceWx
● columns fix: next sat pass was not updated after set
Version 4.18: 2025-06-07
● new: support user file of sat TLEs in ~/.hamclock/[Link] new: add Setup option to
configure desired max sat TLE age new: add Setup option to set minimum spot label distance
● new: ctrl-click data pane title, map style or NCDXF to force rotation change: EME tool is now
full size and remains up until dismissed change: separate Demo and padlock icons
● change: + in On-The-Air Org shows all selections without rotation
● change: NOAA SpaceWx pane now spells out scale and category meanings
● change: show expedition mode if spotted
● change: add satellite TLE age above passfix: map info table lookup is now faster to handle
larger data sets
● fix: add Makefile args FB_DEPTH=16/32 and WIFI_NEVER=0/1
● fix: posting diagnostics worked but menu was broken

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 81

Credits
HamClock would not be possible without the following resources:

Space Weather Prediction Center for several data sets: Sunspot number
Solar flux monthly and current Aurora
Scales DRAP X-Ray Solar wind
K index and K and SFI forecast Bz and Bt
Jari Perkimki, Gregory Hand and Jim Watson for generous VOACAP support. DX cluster operators and spotters the
world over.
SOTA, POTA and WWFF users and their respective database maintainers. Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, for the 8 day
context calendar.
Celestrak for timely satellite elements. NASA for SDO and STEREO images.
National Research Council Canada for 70 years of continuous 10.7 cm solar flux data. Open Weather Map for near-
real-time world-wide weather data.
Philip Gladstone, N1DQ, for assistance and live data from his web site [Link] . Pete Smith, N4ZR, and
Felipe Ceglia, PY1NB, for the Reverse Beacon Network.
Arne for assistance and live data from his site [Link].
NOAA for the World Magnetic Model and their Science on a Sphere real-time cloud maps. Davidson Francis for his
Websocket server.
Andrew D. Rodland, KC2G, for his ionosonde data via GIRO. Sean Barrett for a compact and easy-to-use image
format writer. Jim Reisert, AD1C, for maintaining the cty country file.
ITU and CQ zones based on data from [Link].
Mario, DL4MFM, for his support and assistance with data from WWFF. DX expedition data from NG3K and
DXNews
World Data Center for Geomagnetism, Kyoto University, for DST data

And special shoutouts to Adafruit and Raspberry Pi Foundation for great products and support.

If you find any errors or you think sections need clarification please send an e-mail to
udo@[Link] .

HamClock User’s Guide V4.26 82