WHAT FUTURE FOR HAMCLOCK?
- Craig vk3ncr
- Feb 6
- 2 min read
Remembering a Legend: The Legacy of Elwood Downey, WB0OEW S.K
The amateur radio community is mourning the loss of a true innovator. Elwood Downey, WB0OEW, the brilliant mind behind the Clear Sky Institute and the creator of the ubiquitous HamClock, has passed away.
For many of us, HamClock isn't just a piece of software; it’s the heartbeat of our shacks. Whether it was tracking greyline propagation, monitoring solar flux, or simply providing that iconic "tactical" aesthetic to our operating positions, Elwood’s work bridged the gap between complex astronomical data and practical amateur radio utility.
The End of an Era, the Start of a Legacy
With Elwood’s passing, the community faces a significant technical milestone. It has been reported that the original version of HamClock is expected to cease functioning at the end of June 2026.
While this marks the end of an era for the original source code, it also highlights the incredible impact Elwood had. His work was so vital that the community has already rallied to ensure it lives on.
Introducing OpenHamClock
To honor Elwood’s contribution and keep our shacks powered with real-time data, a community-driven initiative has launched OpenHamClock. This project is a dedicated fork designed to:
Maintain Functionality: Ensure the software continues to run past the June 2026 cutoff.
Community Support: Provide a central hub for bug fixes and future updates.
Keep the Spirit Alive: Honor the minimalist, data-rich design that Elwood perfected.
What This Means for You
If you currently run a HamClock on a Raspberry Pi or an ESP32, you will likely need to migrate to the OpenHamClockversion before mid-2026 to avoid service interruptions. It is a testament to Elwood’s influence that the "ham spirit" of collaboration has stepped in so quickly to preserve his vision.
We owe a debt of gratitude to WB0OEW for his years of dedication to the hobby. His code may be transitioning to new hands, but his impact on every ham shack that ever flickered with his "big clock" remains permanent.
73, Elwood. Thank you for the time.
On behalf of Famparc members, we extend our heartfelt thanks and thoughts to Elwood and his family.
Information suppled by: EMDRC, Phillip vk3lro, and Google Gemini AI.
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