Updating Ham Clock Software plus Bonus Content

#hamradio #hf #propagation #analysis #hamclock #inovato #quadra #hfclock
In this video I show how to update the Ham Clock software on both the version I have running on Windows 10 and the version I have running on the Inovato Quadra compact computer.
Below is a DX cluster host I have found to be reliable and stable. Check the description of my other Ham Clock and HF Clock videos for more cluster options.
port: 7300
host: dxspider.co.uk
login:
The Inovato Quadra computer bundle comes with Ham Clock software installed, plus other Ham Radio related software. As I write this, the bundle only costs $50. It is available from: www.inovato.com
Important Notes: I contacted the seller to ask why I see two cursor arrows. I see the small black cursor (from the Quadra OS) and the large red cursor (Ham Clock). I also asked how to properly shutdown the Quadra while Ham Clock is running. I long-pressed the lock symbol, next to the time display at the upper left of the Ham Clock software. After a few seconds, I released the mouse button. A menu of options appeared. I clicked to shutdown the host and I clicked Yes to confirm. Nothing happened. I contacted the seller and his answers were as follows: “The quick answer is that is normal. The OS shuts down so nothing will get corrupted, but it won't actually shut the power off. For that, you would need to disconnect power. The answer to your two cursors question is also in the forum. It is due to hamclock being written for an ESP8266 being run through an emulation layer in Linux. HamClock creates it's own red cursor and the Linux cursor isn't always turned off. There is no known fix that I have found. It doesn't bother most people who see it.”
If you are interested in purchasing the HF Clock (also shown in this video), here is a link: www.veritiumhfclock.com.
If you only want the software, it is called Ham Clock. It is a free download. Here is a link that shows how to install it on a PC: w4cae.com/wait-a-hamming-minu...
Note: Ham Clock version 3.03 included significant changes related to the DX clusters. Prior to 3.03, every single spot from the cluster to the clock resulted in the clock sending a show/heading command which a very vocal minority of dxcluster sysops objected to. From 3.03 onwards, the heading calculations are done locally to take the stress off of the remote cluster. For versions after 3.03, the clock puts no more load on the dxcluster network than any other user does which is a good thing. However, the local CPU load is now very high for the ESP version of the HF Clock. Users of the ESP version of the HF Clock will notice a loss of the ability to tap a callsign in the DX cluster and see the short path plot, beam heading, DX WX, and VOACAP data for the station you clicked on. The processor in the HF Clock is just not powerful enough to keep up with the new programming that was required to minimize the load on the DX cluster servers.
At the end of this video, you will be able to see a listing of some of the supporters of this channel who made this video possible. These are people who have supported the channel via Patreon membership, as what I call long-haulers. Long-haulers have supported the channel on a long-term basis. There are 4 levels of Patreon membership, including S5 (Associate), S7 (Executive), S9 (VIP), and S9+ (VIP+). S9+ (VIP+) denotes a member who voluntarily chooses to give over and above the amount for S9 (VIP) membership, helping me help others who might not be able to afford even Associate level membership.
I hope you enjoy this video and find it helpful. If you find my channel informative and entertaining, I hope you will consider joining my support group by clicking on: www.patreon.com/N4HNH There are 3 levels of support, including exclusive content. Visibility of premium content is determined by the level of membership you choose. The higher the membership level, the more content you have access to. VIP members are invited to participate in periodic Zoom meetings.
Most videos are visible to the Patreon team members long before they are released for public viewing. Some videos are never released for public viewing. Executive and VIP members have access to the menu optimizations PDFs I’ve written for the FT-891, FT-991A, FTdx5000MP, FTdx101D/MP, FTdx10, and FT-710 AESS. Future radios could be added. These documents are for Executive and VIP members who subscribe annually. They are also copyrighted. They shall not be divulged to anyone else without the written permission of Doug McAlexander, callsign N4HNH.
N4HNH Radio has a Web site where you can purchase T-shirts with some of the sayings you might hear in the videos. Some of the more prominent videos are featured there as well as a page geared toward ham radio training. Go to: www.n4hnhradio.com
Another great way to help support this channel is to click like and subscribe.
73, de N4HNH

[@kc3ppb]

Thank you Doug. This video convinced me to purchase this today!

[@n4hnhradio]

It’s actually free if you have a platform that can run it. Or you can install to your PC. I posted the link for that in the description. Or you can buy the Inovato Quadra, and you only need to supply a mouse, monitor, and keyboard. Or, for a faster unit, there is the HF Clock Raspberry Pi, from Veritium. Link in the description. You supply a mouse, monitor, and keyboard.

[@DCDura]

Thanks for showing what this is capable of...all the hidden choices and configurations.

[@n4hnhradio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kumasu]

Thank you for explaining the colors and meanings of the VOACAP display.

[@n4hnhradio]

You’re very welcome. 73

[@JohnHill-qo3hb]

It's 12:25am Mountian Time, I just found your video, ran down stairs to do the up date, easy-peesy, tnx

[@n4hnhradio]

It’s definitely easy.

[@1mouseman]

Some Reservations in the Southwest are a half hour off local time.

[@sparty837]

Thank you for the video, for those of us who don't read manuals like me, i greatly appreciate it.

[@n4hnhradio]

Glad to help! 73

[@KT4LS]

Great setup, Doug! ,

[@n4hnhradio]

Thank you, Lee! 42 years in the making.

[@RichardWright142]

Thanks for posting. Yes, some timezones are off by 30 minutes. Also, when you start HamClock it will let you know if was an update available and will ask if you want to update.

[@n4hnhradio]

Yes, I noticed that. But mine is on constantly, so I saw the version appear in red text.

[@DXingTV]

In Australia we have areas that are 15min and 30min of set from the traditional time zones.

[@user-zy4cq6vo3q]

Figures.

[@n4hnhradio]

Can you explain the rationale for it? It seems confusing.

[@ve3ekn808]

Newfoundland Canada. Time zone in St. John's, NL (GMT-3:30)

[@n4hnhradio]

Thanks for that! Seems confusing.

[@rohnkd4hct260]

I have the Inovato. With Ham Clock, I love it

[@n4hnhradio]

It’s a great tool for educating yourself about propagation.

[@terrywood6414]

FYI, It's your money, time, desire. I also have a refurb IBM Lenovo laptop doing what I want. Not the basement boneheads. Good video, good content and explanations. Carry On

[@n4hnhradio]

I hope to continue but the economy is taking away my free time to be able to do this. I will have limited time as I have to pay the bills.

[@LetsGoAmateurRadio]

@n4hnh I activated Sugar mountain with a KX2 and a whip and utilized your video to understand where the summit is for my video. Thank you!

[@n4hnhradio]

That’s great! Sugar is a fun mountain. Surely not this video. I have activated Sugar 3 times. Maybe 4. The last time was in snow. I did video the activation. I took one of my S9+ (VIP+) Patreon members with me. His first activation.

[@donsmusic6697]

Thanks!

[@n4hnhradio]

Thank you so much!

[@donsmusic6697]

I wanted to be put on your patreon site for the video's on the 101mp..Don

[@n4hnhradio]

@donsmusic6697 you have to join via Patreon.com/N4HNH. It is separate from KZbin. I cannot put you on Patreon. You have to join via Patreon.

[@brianchandler3346]

I run into the 1/2 hour thing at work regularly with India team. 8a EST is 6:30p IST. Made me do a double take at first as well.

[@n4hnhradio]

It’s so confusing.

[@tomloughney7253]

I know parts of India and Afghanistan are on the 1/2 hour. I have not investigated why. Time to Google. Weird when working stations there.

[@DonDegidio]

Hi Doug, Thanks for those Ham Clock tips. 73 WJ3U

[@n4hnhradio]

You’re very welcome, Don! The Ham Clock is a great tool.

[@ryanmattke9668]

I noticed you run a different dx cluster on each of your ham clocks. Is there a specific reason, or just to try and capture as many dx as possible? Thanks again for all your videos.

[@n4hnhradio]

I can’t use the same DX Cluster on more than one. If I do, they all struggle to keep up. My theory is that the server on the other end doesn’t like more than one simultaneous connection from the same IP address. But yes, each cluster supplies a slightly different list.

[@RichardHews]

Newfoundland is 30 minutes -3:30

[@brentjohnson6654]

I know in Australia they had half hour time zones

[@bruceclayton9140]

Awesome information question were did you get your information for cluster

[@n4hnhradio]

I provide cluster information in the video descriptions in this series.

[@KH07734]

I have it running on 3 different machines, RPI 5 with a 7" display ( display is so dark), Virtual Ubuntu on my Dell server 640, Quadra SBC. Each iteration is slightly different and the Quadra continues to complain about space which I keep removing apps to fix it. I haven't figured out which one I want to keep it on.... My vision was to use the Dell server and have all Ham radio apps on a virtual machine that I can re-spin if there's any issues but that is a pain then I thought the Quadra and that is a speed issue so now I am moving it all over to the RPI 5 and I am hoping that does the trick.

[@n4hnhradio]

I only use the Quadra for Ham Clock and thus far it is rock solid.

[@KH07734]

It was for me as well until I installed more apps. the RPI 5 gives me 8 gigs of mem and I can put a 512G SSD drive to it and boot from it. If I can just find the time. @@n4hnhradio

[@markpetruno7368]

What cluster are you using and how did you set that up on the inovata quadra

[@n4hnhradio]

Did you read the video description?

[@Frank_K4FMH]

Doug, what DX cluster do you use? Any issues with getting the settings recognized?

[@n4hnhradio]

They are listed in the video description.

[@Frank_K4FMH]

Sorry I missed that. Nice video…Selling my Geochron after serving as a beta tester for Patrick.

[@n4hnhradio]

Wow!

[@Frank_K4FMH]

@@n4hnhradio Geochron now sold...bought a Palstar DL2K dummy load for my shack with the proceeds...using Innovato on a 4K screen and via browser on two other devices. Thanks for the final inspiration on this, Doug!

[@n4hnhradio]

I’m really enjoying this. I never could spring for the Geochron. I’m liking having three different views running simultaneously. I’ve been corresponding with the developer. He’s a genius, as you might expect.

[@donaldriddle8002]

On the Pota screen, pick any band and click on the right and a different map shows up. What is the interpretation for this map?

[@n4hnhradio]

That isn’t enough information to go on. I will gamble a guess. In the POTA spot display, you can click a callsign and the short path will be drawn on the map. If you have the VOACAP analysis enabled in one of the panes, you will see which bands might yield the best propagation to the location of the callsign you clicked on. If you have the MUF map enabled and you click on a band number in the VOACAP display, you will see a reliability map for that band, with green representing the area where you have the best chance of making a contact and red representing the area with the least chance.

[@h2osmokey]

Have you set up for ADI File viewing? I can't figure out the file/document format needed.

[@n4hnhradio]

It needs a file in the Amateur Data Interchange Format (.adi or .adif). This is a typical format for exchanging a log from one platform to another. I use N3FJP Amateur Contact Log while operating. I have no need to see a smaller version of my log on the HamClock. I use the HamClock for monitoring solar conditions and propagation predictions.

[@ScottyD]

How are you getting it to show DX Cluster lines? My DX Cluster is working but not showing any lines.

[@n4hnhradio]

The HF Clock doesn’t show the lines. But, running Ham Clock software on the Inovato Quadra, or running it on my PC, using Ubuntu to emulate Linux, there is a place in the setup screens to choose the lines and their thickness.

[@ScottyD]

@@n4hnhradio I am running HamClock on my Linux Mint system and I don't see an option for showing the lines or thickness? The lines I am talking about are the ones showing in the video that show two stations talking with each other. UPDATE.... I figured it out. I had SPOT PATH turned off in the settings. It's working now. Thanks for a great video.

[@n4hnhradio]

@ScottyD the Ham Clock has different features according to the platform it is running on. The HF Clock doesn’t show the lines. But, with the Inovato and Ubuntu hosts, the lines are shown.

[@wildbill1]

Thanks for the video i have the inovato quadra with ham clock. I can no longer get it to show the bands lines that are open from my QTH (which it worked at first) Any idea? any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[@n4hnhradio]

There are lines that point from the spotter to the station on the map. Those can be turned off or on in the setup menu. You can select thick or thin. Are you referring to those?

[@wildbill1]

No, when I first started up the inovato and put all my information in I had lines going from my QTH outwards which I believe, was showing the bands that were open to that specific direction I have not been able to get it back to that screen ever since the update I do have a snapshot that I took, but I don’t know how to upload it to here.

[@n4hnhradio]

@wildbill1 I’ve never seen such a feature. I use the MUF map and VOACAP to check that.

[@n4hnhradio]

Those lines don't indicate where the band is open for you. Those are lines to DX stations, based upon the location of who posted the spot for them. You enable or disable the Spot Paths on Page 5 of the Ham Clock Setup. Mine were already on my default. Clock on a particular station in the DX cluster and VOACAP will tell you which bands you might be able to use to work them. I covered all of that in my various HF Clock and Ham Clock videos.

[@wildbill1]

@@n4hnhradio ok thanks

[@michaelmauldin59]

How did you bring up the DX Cluster window?

[@n4hnhradio]

That’s all covered in the series of videos about HF Clock and Ham Clock. There is a collection of videos in the Radio Wave Propagation collection at www.patreon.com/N4HNH

[@KB2AT]

How do I add a dx cluster after initial setup? Anyway to return to setup menu? Thank U KB2AT

[@n4hnhradio]

That’s covered in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bouUpJ2qrqujgLM

[@n4hnhradio]

Links are in the description.

[@killj802]

Dont have the option to pick DX Cluster. Is there a setting elsewhere that isnt in the clickable menu in the window?

[@n4hnhradio]

You enable the option to add the DX cluster in the setup menu.

[@killj802]

@@n4hnhradio yeah, thanks buddy….. all sorted.

[@n4hnhradio]

You’re very welcome! 73

[@Tonylovesjazz]

How do you setup DX Cluster? I do not understand the settings. Maybe a future video? 73's K8JAZ 😎

[@n4hnhradio]

Already covered in another video.

[@Tonylovesjazz]

Thanks Doug. I'll look it up.@@n4hnhradio

[@n4hnhradio]

@Tonylovesjazz look at the HF Clock video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bouUpJ2qrqujgLMsi=zVvOLZ0QoB593qtf

[@stevehildreth1934]

Ha! I just updated my laptop from 7 to 10. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

[@n4hnhradio]

That’s been my modus operandi for decades. I ran Windows XP Pro in my shack until a couple of years ago. It’s the most stable version of Windows ever, and I started with Windows 3.11.

[@reginaldfoket7035]

Strange thing happen on my hamclock running under Ubuntu 22.04, when I start the hamclock and go into settings, the cursor seems to dissapear. Any solution for this strange behavior ?

[@n4hnhradio]

I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve not had to deal with such an issue. In fact, with the Inovato Quadra version I have two cursors. But the one for the Ham Clock, the big red cursor, is the only one that moves. I wrote about it in the video description. BTW, today’s video is about Ham Clock version 3.04.

[@albinchilinski]

Hi mine keeps shutting down any way it can be change to say on all the time

[@n4hnhradio]

Mine doesn’t shut down. Is your computer going into screen saver?

[@donsmusic6697]

Hello all your videos are helpful and I do like them and watch them over just got a ftdx101mp replaced my ft2000D and need to watch some of your video on the audio setting on it ,so I gave you donation for your helping hand.God bless Don - n8mgt

[@Frank_K4FMH]

Time Zones!

[@bigchew3149]

i have an ubuntu VM spun up on one of my servers but i still am not 100% sure how to install hamclock on it ! I Even have an old PC that i use as a Test Box with windows 11 That i Could Use What Ever Is The Fastest Way To Get up & Running !

[@n4hnhradio]

The video description has the link for downloading and installing to a PC.

[@albinchilinski]

Inovato

[@n4hnhradio]

What about Inovato?

[@vinnyboomba9948]

I can't get this thing to connect to wifi

[@coloradobiker8483]

Where can I download a ham clock to my MacBook computer?

[@n4hnhradio]

Links in the description.

[@coloradobiker8483]

@@n4hnhradiowill this work for us MacBook users

[@Doodles-W3BOO]

There are a few locations that are off by 30 minutes from the rest of the world.

[@albinchilinski]

No screensaver is off

[@albinchilinski]

No I’ve shut off the screensaver

[@n4hnhradio]

You didn’t say which version you are using, HF Clock, Inovato, Ubuntu/Linux, etc. So I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe you should contact whoever you sourced yours from. If you have the Inovato Quadra, it might be overheating. They sell a fan for it.

[@KT4RAM]

I have been running Hamclock for a couple of years now. I don't profess to know everything as they keep improving it. I believe that the Green Circle 🟢 is for the location that you click on the map. It should also show you the long & short path from your location. The green DX information box on the lower left is set to wherever you placed the green dot by clicking on any given location on the map.

[@n4hnhradio]

That is indeed what the green dot indicates. It will follow where you click onscreen or it will position itself where a DX station is located when you click their callsign.

[@Stealthbobber06]

Great video. Thank you! KO4KSB

[@n4hnhradio]

Glad you liked it!

[@pakeck1]

I had a Cluster running for a few days.. but that panel now shows “ DX Cluster error: Max 10 connections/hr limit. Rebooted error still there. Any suggestions on how to get Cluster running again

[@n4hnhradio]

I’ve heard of that from one other. It could be that your connection to the cluster server is unstable. It must have lost the connection and tried to reconnect 10 times.

[@pakeck1]

@@n4hnhradio so maybe try a different cluster ? If it will let me . Tnx

[@n4hnhradio]

@pakeck1 sure! You aren’t locked out of all clusters. Just the one you had it set to. And if you walk away from it and come back in a few hours, it might be back.

[@Feakre]

@@n4hnhradio The lockout isn't coming from the cluster itself, it's coming from within HamClock so the solution is just to wait for that internal timeout to end.