Quick Summary
OpenHamClock
A community fork of the original HamClock by K0CJH. Runs as a desktop application or Docker container. Most faithful to the original HamClock look and feel.
- - Desktop app (requires install)
- - Docker/Railway deployment option
- - Classic HamClock pixel-art UI
- - Modular dockable panels
- - Local configuration files
KJ4WLC Ham Dashboard
A modern web application at hamradio.shaneburrell.com. Zero install, works on any device with a browser.
- - Browser-based (zero install)
- - Works on phone, tablet, desktop
- - Modern responsive UI
- - 20+ dedicated tool pages
- - localStorage preferences (no account)
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | OpenHamClock | KJ4WLC Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Installation & Access | ||
| Install required | Yes (desktop/Docker) | No (just open URL) |
| Mobile/tablet support | Limited | Full responsive |
| Auto-updates | Manual update | Always current |
| Pi/dedicated display | Native | Chromium fullscreen |
| Propagation & Solar | ||
| MUF/foF2 maps | Yes | Yes (interactive) |
| Solar flux/SSN/Kp | Yes | Yes + trend charts |
| Day/night band conditions | Yes (N0NBH) | Yes (N0NBH + RBN) |
| Solar imagery (SDO/GOES) | Yes (cycling) | Yes (cycling) |
| Greyline/terminator | Yes | Yes (on prop map) |
| D-RAP absorption | Yes | Yes (map layer) |
| Point-to-point prediction | Yes (ITU-R P.533) | Coming soon |
| Spotting & Activity | ||
| DX Cluster spots | Yes (real-time) | Coming soon |
| PSKReporter | Yes (MQTT) | Coming soon |
| RBN spots | Yes | Yes + explorer |
| POTA activators | Yes | Yes |
| SOTA activators | Yes | Yes |
| Contest calendar | Yes | Yes (29 contests) |
| Satellites & Tracking | ||
| Satellite tracking | Yes (~40 sats) | Yes (90+ sats) |
| Pass predictions | Yes | Yes + Doppler |
| APRS live map | No | Yes (WebSocket) |
| Tools & Extras | ||
| Repeater finder | No | Yes (50K+ FM/DMR) |
| Callsign lookup | No | Yes (FCC/ISED/ACMA) |
| DMR lookup | No | Yes (RadioID) |
| Leaderboard | No | Yes (APRS/RBN/POTA) |
| Tower/antenna map | No | Yes (FCC ASR) |
| Educational guides | No | Yes (7 guides) |
| WSJT-X integration | Yes | No (local SW) |
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose OpenHamClock if...
- - You want the exact HamClock look and feel you're used to
- - You already have a dedicated Pi/computer running HamClock
- - You need WSJT-X integration for live FT8/FT4 decode plotting
- - You prefer a locally-installed application
- - You want modular dockable panel layout
Choose KJ4WLC Dashboard if...
- - You want zero installation — just open a browser
- - You need mobile/tablet access (at POTA activations, field days)
- - You want real-time APRS tracking with WebSocket streaming
- - You need a repeater finder, callsign lookup, or DMR tools
- - You want it always up-to-date with no manual maintenance
- - You want to check conditions from any device, anywhere
Or use both
Many operators run OpenHamClock on a dedicated shack display and use this dashboard on their phone or laptop when portable. They complement each other — OpenHamClock for the immersive shack experience, KJ4WLC Dashboard for quick checks from any device.
Key Differences
Architecture
OpenHamClock is a desktop application running locally on your computer. It renders a fixed-resolution display and manages its own data fetching. The KJ4WLC Dashboard is a web application backed by a Go API server with ClickHouse and Redis — all data processing happens server-side, your browser just displays the results.
Data Freshness
Both pull from similar sources (NOAA, KC2G, CelesTrak, RBN). OpenHamClock fetches data directly from your machine. The KJ4WLC Dashboard uses a centralized data pipeline that ingests 13+ sources every 4 hours, with APRS streaming in real-time.
Scope
OpenHamClock focuses on the classic HamClock features: propagation, solar, satellites, DX spots. The KJ4WLC Dashboard adds repeater search, callsign lookup, DMR tools, POTA/SOTA feeds, contest calendar, tower maps, leaderboards, and educational guides — tools that HamClock never offered.