The amateur radio community recently received difficult news: Elwood Downey (WB0OEW), the creator of the beloved HamClock, became a silent key on January 29, 2026. With HamClock scheduled to cease functioning in June 2026, many operators are exploring alternatives. Projects like OpenHamClock have emerged to continue Elwood's legacy, while other tools like DXLook serve related but distinct purposes.
If you're searching for "HamClock alternatives," you might wonder which tool is right for you. The answer depends on what you're trying to accomplish—because these tools, while sharing some common ground, are built around fundamentally different design philosophies.
What Made HamClock Special
HamClock earned its place in thousands of ham shacks worldwide by doing one thing exceptionally well: presenting a beautiful, functional clock display surrounded by useful amateur radio data. At its core, HamClock was a clock-first application. The time—displayed across multiple zones, with sunrise/sunset indicators and day/night terminator visualization—was the organizing principle around which everything else revolved.
The genius of HamClock was its kiosk-style presentation. You could glance at it from across the room and immediately know the time in multiple locations, see propagation indicators, and get a sense of current space weather conditions. It was designed to be mounted on a wall or placed on a shelf, always visible, always informative at a glance.
With over 2,600 installations globally as of 2023, HamClock became a fixture in the amateur radio world. Its loss is felt deeply, but it also opens an opportunity to examine what tools best serve different operating needs.
OpenHamClock: Carrying Forward the Legacy
In response to HamClock's impending sunset, the amateur radio community mobilized. OpenHamClock emerged as a community-driven effort to preserve what made HamClock valuable. Built as a modern, open-source reimplementation, OpenHamClock aims to recreate the familiar experience while ensuring the project can continue indefinitely under community stewardship.
OpenHamClock retains the clock-centric philosophy that defined the original while expanding its capabilities. The "Classic" theme mirrors HamClock's aesthetic—black background, large colored numbers, the distinctive rainbow frequency bar. OpenHamClock has grown into a comprehensive dashboard that includes PSKReporter lookups by callsign, POTA activator tracking, DX Cluster feeds, band conditions, satellite tracking, and WSJT-X integration.
A parallel project, open-hamclock-backend (developed by KO4AQF and KN4LNB), takes a different approach by providing a drop-in replacement for the backend servers, potentially allowing existing HamClock installations to continue operating beyond June 2026.
These community efforts represent the best of amateur radio: operators coming together to preserve something valuable for the hobby.
DXLook: A Different Design Philosophy
While OpenHamClock organizes information around the clock, DXLook takes a fundamentally different approach. DXLook is propagation-first—built specifically around deep propagation analysis rather than time display.
The distinction is meaningful. OpenHamClock answers the question: "What time is it, and what's happening in amateur radio right now?" DXLook answers: "What does propagation look like from my specific location, how can I analyze it in depth, and what should I expect?"
Both tools tap into similar data sources. Where they differ is in their core focus, the depth of integration, and unique capabilities that set them apart.
Where the Tools Diverge
Full Data Source Integration
Both tools display data from PSKReporter, POTA, and other sources—but the depth of integration differs. DXLook provides full PSKReporter integration searchable by both grid square and callsign. For POTA and SOTA, DXLook offers filtering by specific park or summit reference, not just a list of active stations. This granular filtering helps operators find exactly what they're looking for rather than scanning through all activity.
DXLook also provides six hours of historical data, allowing operators to see propagation trends and patterns over time rather than just a current snapshot.
VOACAP: Predictions Meet Reality
Perhaps the most distinctive feature in DXLook is its VOACAP View. VOACAP (Voice of America Coverage Analysis Program) is the gold standard for HF propagation prediction, originally developed by the U.S. government. Until recently, using VOACAP required command-line tools and configuration files that put it out of reach for most operators.
DXLook made VOACAP accessible through a web interface that uses the same visual language as its real-time reports—colored arcs showing propagation paths, band indicators, signal quality visualization. When you enter your grid square, DXLook finds the closest of its 239 defined transmitter locations and shows predictions to 328 receiver points spread across the globe.
The result: operators can see both what propagation is (from real PSKReporter, RBN, and WSPRnet data) and what propagation should be (from VOACAP predictions) in the same interface. Predictions update hourly based on current smoothed sunspot numbers and cover all HF amateur bands from 80m to 10m.
This combination of observed data and theoretical prediction is unique. It helps operators understand whether current conditions are running better or worse than expected, and plan their operating accordingly.
Personalized Band Conditions
Global propagation indices tell you about worldwide conditions, but propagation is inherently local. DXLook emphasizes personalized band conditions that factor in your specific grid location. An operator in the Pacific Northwest experiences different propagation than one in Florida, even when the SFI is identical. DXLook's conditions are specifically tailored to show what propagation looks like from where you are.
VHF Propagation
DXLook expanded into dedicated VHF propagation visualization through vhf.dxlook.com. Using live APRS-IS data, it displays actual reception paths and coverage contours—useful for operators interested in VHF weak-signal work or understanding their station's reach. This addresses a gap in the HamClock ecosystem.
Satellite Tracking
OpenHamClock includes satellite tracking with orbital visualization—a feature inherited from the original HamClock that DXLook currently doesn't offer. For operators who track satellites alongside their HF activities, this integration is valuable.
Clock vs. No Clock
The most fundamental difference: OpenHamClock is a clock. The time display is central to its identity and purpose. DXLook deliberately isn't clock-centered—it's a propagation and activity analysis tool that doesn't try to serve the "shack clock" function. This isn't a limitation; it's a design choice that keeps the focus on data depth.
Shared Capabilities
Both tools provide access to:
- POTA and SOTA activator information
- PSKReporter data
- DX Cluster integration
- Band condition displays
- Space weather information
- World map visualization
For basic "what's happening on the bands" awareness, either tool delivers. The differences emerge in how deeply you can explore that data and what additional analysis tools are available.
Which Tool Is Right for You?
The answer might be: both, depending on the situation.
Choose OpenHamClock if:
- You want a clock-centered shack display
- You value the familiar HamClock aesthetic
- You want satellite tracking integrated with your dashboard
- You need a kiosk-style display that's glanceable from across the room
Choose DXLook if:
- Deep propagation analysis is your primary interest
- You want VOACAP predictions alongside real-time observed data
- You need to filter POTA/SOTA by specific park or summit
- You want band conditions personalized to your grid location
- You're interested in VHF propagation visualization
- You want to analyze propagation trends over several hours
Many operators run both: OpenHamClock as the always-on shack clock and visual centerpiece, and DXLook open when diving deep into propagation analysis or planning operating sessions.
Looking Forward
The loss of Elwood Downey and the original HamClock reminds us that the tools we rely on are built and maintained by individuals who pour their passion into this hobby. The community's response—OpenHamClock, open-hamclock-backend, and the continued development of tools like DXLook—shows that amateur radio operators step up when needed.
These tools aren't competitors fighting for the same space. They're different approaches to helping operators understand conditions and make contacts. OpenHamClock carries forward the beloved clock-centered dashboard tradition. DXLook provides deep propagation analysis—combining real-time data with professional-grade predictions—for operators who want to study the bands in detail. Understanding what each tool optimizes for helps you choose the right one—or recognize that using both gives you the best of both worlds.