Author Archive
Advantages to having radio control software.
April 20th, 2026 | 
Author:  |
| Snap shot of my Win4icom setup. |
Radio Control Software: Taking the Complexity Out of Ham Radio
For some time now, new radios have come with onboard sound cards, LAN and USB connections, among other features. It seems that integrating your radio into the computer world is becoming increasingly easier. I have been using radio control software for some time now. I use VA2FSQ Innovations software, or as some may know it, Win4Icom, Win4K3, Win4K4, or Win4Yaesu. Tom (VA2FSQ) has excellent software that continues to be improved upon, as well as offering great support. The company is also Canadian, which is a bonus, as this household is Canada-first when it comes to purchasing.
What Are the Advantages of Radio Control Programs?
Most controls you may need are just a mouse click away. There is no diving into radio menus to find something. Easy tuning with a mouse wheel, and the list goes on. In my case, the best thing about radio control programs are the macros and the ability to control other programs. Being a contester, when I start Win4Icom it loads N1MM+ contesting software as well. But the icing on the cake, in my case, is the macros.
Macros in Action
For example, I have macros set up for contesting. When I click on the 40m macro, here is what I have programmed to happen:
- The radio goes to 40m if not already there, on VFO A
- Antenna 2 is selected.
- CW mode is chosen.
- I am dropped into the middle of the 40m CW band segment.
- A custom audio level is set.
- Filter 1 (300Hz) is applied.
- NB, Digi select, RF gain, and NR are all set to custom values optimized for 40m CW.
This all happens with a single click of the 40mA macro (A is for VFO A). I have all the bands set up with macros customized for each one. If you are not into contesting, not to worry — I also have macros for split on/off, dual watch on/off, and filter settings at 400Hz, 300Hz, and 200Hz, among others.
The Split Operation Macro
Let’s look at the split on macro as another example. With one click:
- Dual watch is turned on.
- Split is turned on
- The appropriate antenna is selected based on the current band.
- VFO A and B are set to the same band
- VFO B is set to 1kHz above VFO A
- Filters are configured for both VFOs
With this in mind, you can have macros set up for digital modes, SSB, and any settings you commonly use that are otherwise buried in the radio’s menu system.
A Word on Reliability
Some may say that adding a radio control program is just another layer where things can go wrong. At times, yes, there is a hiccup or two, but overall, you rarely see this anymore. In most cases, when there is an issue, it is due to operator error rather than the program itself.
If you have never used a radio control program before, give it a whirl — most, if not all, programs out there offer a free trial period to help you get your feet wet.
Look what showed up the other day?
My birthday came and went just the way I like—without fanfare. I’m not one for big parties or everything that comes with them. I turned 66 this year, and since retiring 7 years ago, time has sped by.
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| SO2R for a very short time. |
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.
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| My clone drives |
3Y0K in the log
Finally, it has started to warm up here and on Saturday temps hit a nice 7C, and we celebrated by burping the house. It ended up raining all day, but that helps melt the snow faster which is ok with me. I was in the radio room doing some this and that, I decided to check (again) the DX Heat cluster and see what if anything was going on with 3Y0K on Bouvet island. As way of background I have seen them many times on the cluster followed by a huge pile up but never could hear them.
As I was looking over the spots on the cluster 3Y0K just popped up with a new spot on 20m. I flipped the switch on the 7610 and ventured down to there spotted frequency on 20m. For the first time I could hear them at about S3, even better there was next to no pileup.....YET! The Icom 7610 was on CW, I tapped Dual then split and joined the fray.
In the right ear I could hear the pileup and was looking at the waterfall to see where the lonely signal was who answered 3Y0K's beck and call. Very fast I caught on to how they were working the pileup. One issue was 3Y0K would reach out to a caller BUT still many would continue to send their call sign. Once 3Y0K worked a station many like me have a waterfall display and could see were the action was. Then all of a sudden that small wedge of the frequency became very busy. What I noticed was 3Y0K moved down frequency a bit more than normal to get away from the clump of callers. I decided to do the same. I noticed that 3Y0K now had moments of fading in and out, also the pileup was starting to grow fast. But after only 3 tries I was in the log.
During my attempt there were those calling on 3Y0K's frequency, someone for about 30 seconds or more sending a carrier over top of 3Y0K and those who just sent their call continually no matter who 3Y0K was working. Oh well just part of the fun I guess.
HamClock lives on
With
Elwood (the creator of HamClock) now SK, HamClock is set to stop
functioning in June 2026. Fortunately, several alternatives and
workarounds exist for those looking to continue using similar features.
Here’s a summary based on my experience and research:
1. Open HamClock
- Feature-rich: Offers extensive customization and configuration.
- Spotting Control: Ability to turn off spotting to de-clutter the map.
- Setup: Easy setup process; remembers your preferences if saved.
- Full Screen: Can be run in full-screen mode.
- Updates: Regular updates with clear notifications and instructions.
- VOACAP Display: Improved propagation prediction display.
2. Hamtab
- Web-based: Runs in your browser for all OS’s.
- HamClock Themes: Includes a theme similar to Elwood's HamClock theme.
- Fewer Options: Less configurable than Open HamClock.
- Spotting Limitation: No clear option to remove all spots from the map.
- Map Interaction: Limited ability to click on the map for DX/solar info; can only click on spots.
- Solar Overlay: Not as detailed as Open HamClock, Open HamClock-backend or Bruce W4BAE HamClock.
3. HamVision
- Early Development: Still under heavy development; site is often in maintenance mode.
- Limited Configuration: Little to no configuration is possible at this stage.
- Updates: Latest info and updates are shared on their Facebook page.
4. HamClock me Online
- Web-based Version: Another browser option.
- Limited Testing: I haven’t explored this one deeply, but it’s worth checking to see if it meets your needs.
GitHub-Based Projects
- General Note: These require familiarity with GitHub, Docker, and self-hosting.
- Actively Updated: Closest in spirit to Elwood’s original HamClock.
- Setup Challenges: Can be tricky to get running if you’re not comfortable with GitHub/Docker.
- Mixed Results: I couldn’t get this running on my Pi4; the Mac OS version didn’t work due to OS version issues. Your experience may vary.
3. Keeping HamClock Alive
- Resource: Bruce (W4BAE) has compiled a detailed guide and history at his website.
- -b Flag: Elwood’s last version (4.22) introduced a back-end override (-b flag) letting HamClock point to an alternate server.
- Easy-to-Follow Instructions: Bruce’s guide makes it straightforward to implement this workaround, and he’s responsive to questions.
- Result: I was able to set up a working HamClock on my Pi3b using this method. I kept my Pi4 still running Elwood's HamClock until I am happy with alternatives.
- Summary
While Elwood’s original HamClock will stop functioning, there are multiple alternatives and ways to keep similar functionality alive. Your best option depends on your technical comfort level and preferred features. For those wanting a near-identical experience, Bruce W4BAE’s method is highly recommended along with Open HamClock-Back-end. As for a one stop shopping I would recommend Open ham clock. Enter it in your browser and you are ready to go.
ARRL DX CW contest
I spent a lot of time in the contest chair this weekend. While the Olympics were on and on Sunday, the much-anticipated U.S. vs. Canada hockey matchup sparked sports fever in our house, but it belongs to my wife, not me. For me, it was all about contesting, so I happily settled behind the radio.
I began early Saturday morning and continued until Sunday evening, wrapping up at 23:45. Conditions fluctuated significantly: on Sunday morning, I noticed a lot of what I call “wobbling” in station signals. Solar activity picked up on Sunday, and I found many stations calling me were just above the noise floor. I ran for about 90% of the contest and enjoyed every minute. I can always tell when I’m spotted suddenly as the floodgates open with callers!
By the end of each evening, fatigue started to set in, and I found myself mixing up S and H or 7 and 8. When that happens, I know it’s time to pull the plug and walk away before frustration takes over.
The station, PC, and antenna all operated flawlessly. I had contacts from South America, Hawaii, and even Africa. There were also quite a few QRP stations reporting just 5 watts I double-checked, thinking they meant 500, but nope, it was 5! One of my many pins now claims South Korea, though I know that’s not accurate. When I looked up the call, I realized my mistake, but by then, the station had already moved on.
All in all, it was a memorable weekend of contesting, full of challenges and highlights.
ARRL DX CW contest
I spent a lot of time in the contest chair this weekend. While the Olympics were on and on Sunday, the much-anticipated U.S. vs. Canada hockey matchup sparked sports fever in our house, but it belongs to my wife, not me. For me, it was all about contesting, so I happily settled behind the radio.
I began early Saturday morning and continued until Sunday evening, wrapping up at 23:45. Conditions fluctuated significantly: on Sunday morning, I noticed a lot of what I call “wobbling” in station signals. Solar activity picked up on Sunday, and I found many stations calling me were just above the noise floor. I ran for about 90% of the contest and enjoyed every minute. I can always tell when I’m spotted suddenly as the floodgates open with callers!
By the end of each evening, fatigue started to set in, and I found myself mixing up S and H or 7 and 8. When that happens, I know it’s time to pull the plug and walk away before frustration takes over.
The station, PC, and antenna all operated flawlessly. I had contacts from South America, Hawaii, and even Africa. There were also quite a few QRP stations reporting just 5 watts I double-checked, thinking they meant 500, but nope, it was 5! One of my many pins now claims South Korea, though I know that’s not accurate. When I looked up the call, I realized my mistake, but by then, the station had already moved on.
All in all, it was a memorable weekend of contesting, full of challenges and highlights.
