At the heart of every modern amateur radio station (the so-called 'shack') has settled a specific piece of software in the last decade - HamClock. This tool, originally developed by Elwood Downey (WB0OEW), has become an indispensable window into the world of short waves for many operators. As technologies have progressed and demands for flexibility have increased, however, the original architecture of HamClock has begun to hit its limits. Today, its successor is increasingly mentioned: OpenHamClock.
This article discusses in detail why this project is a necessary evolutionary step, what it brings to amateur radio operators in 2026, and why you should consider switching to this modern platform.
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The end of an era: Why does HamClock need a successor?
The original HamClock was revolutionary. It was able to display everything essential on a small screen (often on a Raspberry Pi with a 7-inch touch display): current solar flux (SFI), number of sunspots (SN), A and K indices, DX cluster, the grey line map (Grey Line), and even the position of satellites.
However, as is often the case with monolithic projects, time has become its enemy. The original code was written in C with a focus on very specific hardware (ESP32, Raspberry Pi) and fixed screen resolutions. The moment amateur radio operators began requesting support for 4K monitors, integration with new APIs (like PSKReporter or POTA.app) and the ability to run in Docker containers, HamClock started to lose momentum.
OpenHamClock was created in response to these challenges. Its goal is not only to replicate old functions but to build them on an open, modular, and extensible architecture, which will survive another decade of amateur radio development.
What is OpenHamClock?
OpenHamClock is a modern, open-source reimplementation of the concept of amateur radio clocks. Unlike its predecessor, it is designed to be maximally independent of hardware. Whether you want to run it on an old laptop, the latest Raspberry Pi 5, or as a virtual machine on your server, OpenHamClock will adapt.
Key features and improvements
VOACAP prediction in OpenHamClock based on DX location Flexible resolution and UI: Unlike the fixed resolutions of the original software, OpenHamClock utilizes browser-based operation. Whether you have a small display in your backpack during SOTA activation, or a huge monitor above your transceiver, the graphics remain sharp and readable.
Modular widget system: This is probably the greatest asset of the project. Each piece of information (solar data, satellites, VOACAP forecast) is processed as a separate module. Users can choose what they want to see, and programmers can easily add new data sources without having to interfere with the core system.
Integration with digital modes: In the era of FT8 and JS8Call, it is important to see activity in real-time. OpenHamClock can aggregate data from PSKReporter and display a map of current path traffic directly from your station.
Advanced satellite and ISS tracking: Trajectory tracking has been revamped in OpenHamClock. It uses more accurate libraries for calculating elevation and azimuth, which will be appreciated especially by operators working through amateur satellites or reflections from the Moon (EME).
Technical depth: Under the hood
For the technically adept amateur radio operators, it is interesting to see how the project is structured. Developers opted for a modern approach that combines performance with ease of maintenance.
Event-driven architecture
While the old software often 'froze' while waiting for a response from the server (e.g., when downloading solar activity data), OpenHamClock utilizes asynchronous processing. This means that the clock and map run smoothly in the background while the network modules communicate with the internet at another level.
Support for third-party APIs
OpenHamClock is built to natively understand modern data formats like JSON and XML. This allows for easy integration with:
SpaceWeather.com for the most accurate data on geomagnetic storms.
Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) for tracking your own call sign in the ether.
QRZ.com for automatically filling in information about DX stations.
Installation and configuration
Transitioning to OpenHamClock is not complicated. You can open it in a browser https://OpenHamClock.com. The second option is to install it on your own device. The project is hosted on GitHub, ensuring transparency and the ability to download the latest version at any time.
Quick installation procedure on Raspberry Pi:
System preparation: A clean installation of Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) is recommended.
Cloning the repository: `bash git clone https://github.com/accius/openhamclock.git
Installing dependencies: The program uses libraries like SDL2 or Python (depending on the version), which ensure smooth graphics operation.
Configuration: Through an intuitive configuration file, you enter your latitude and longitude (Maidenhead locator), API keys, and preferred colors.
One of the advantages is that OpenHamClock also supports remote viewing. You can have it running in the shack, but monitor its output through a web browser in the living room or on a tablet.
Why is it important for the community?
Amateur radio has always been about experimentation and openness. Closed systems or software that relies on a single developer pose a risk.
OpenHamClock this problem is addressed by the principle of 'by amateurs for amateurs'. Since the code is freely available under the GPL license, anyone can fix a bug or add a new feature. For example, if a new popular contest format or a new sensor network for measuring wave propagation appears, OpenHamClock will be the first to integrate them.
Practical use in amateur radio practice
Imagine a Saturday morning. You plan to participate in a contest or just 'hunt' DX stations. You turn on OpenHamClock and immediately see:
Solar activity: Is there a large group of spots? The 10m band will likely be open today.
DX cluster: You see that a station from Kiribati has appeared on 20m.
Grey Line: The map shows you that in 15 minutes the line of the sphere will pass through your QTH
POTA/SOTA:Ak radi aktivujete parky, widget vám ukáže, kto je práve „on-air“, takže môžete rýchlo získať body do svojho logu.
You have all of this in front of you without having to click in the browser or switch windows on the computer.
Conclusion: Time for an upgrade
The original HamClock deserves an honorable place in the amateur radio hall of fame. It did a great job and inspired thousands of operators to build their own information terminal in the shack. However, with the arrival of OpenHamClock the time has come to move on.
Nástupca prináša stabilitu, modularitu a predovšetkým slobodu. Už nie ste obmedzení hardvérom ani rozhodnutiami jedného človeka. OpenHamClock je platforma, ktorú si môžete Customize svojim potrebám, či už ste začiatočník s ručnou rádiostanicou, alebo skúsený „contester“ s anténnym polom.
If you're looking for a project for the upcoming weekend, visit the GitHub page of OpenHamClock and give your amateur radio station the modern visual system it deserves. The future of ham radio is digital, connected, and above all, open.