HamBuddy v1.0.11 Beta Release
About HamBuddy
I originally developed HamBuddy so I could quickly search for amateur radio country/region prefixes and determine roughly how far away a station was before attempting a contact. Quite often I only heard part of the callsign which made using something like QRZ a bit difficult. For this app I developed a database containing the RSGB and ITU country/region prefixes so should be fairly complete, with just under 1,300 entries.
When I started to use it for FT8 as well I added the 4 digit Maidenhead Grid locator, so I could locate a station more accurately but without having to select it in the FT8 software and mess up my current QSO. Note: in v1.0.7 Beta I added 6 digit Maidenhead Grid functionality too.
I've made this app available to other amateur radio operators because if I found it so useful, I figured other people might too. Feel free to have a play around with it, tap on the map icons to change or drag stuff, the markers for example can be dragged or tapped to show more useful info. The map layer can be changed and so can the clock type (Local or UTC).
Just a quick note about the NEW CW tab that has appeared. I'm currently learning Morse code so I developed this to help me learn. The main feature is being able to increase the gaps between characters and words, for us real slow beginners. If people find it useful, I'll develop it further, if not I'll probably remove it, so please let me know.
Work in Progress
At this stage the software is a beta release so is constantly changing, mostly as a result of suggestions from people who use it. If it suddenly stops working properly, a full F5 or Shift-F5 refresh normally loads all of the recent updates. You could also try a re-install if you've actually installed it as an app.
Install HamBuddy
You can use this app directly from HamBuddy.com or install it as a "Progressive Web App" and use it on ANY phone, tablet or laptop as you would any other app. This includes having a clickable homescreen or desktop icon. Just Google How to install PWA for more details.
Cookie Usage
To store your preferences (search type, map layer, clock type, marker locations, etc) between sessions it uses a few cookies. If you have any errors that a full refresh doesn't fix, you can use the button below to clear all the apps cookies, then refresh the app. Sometimes changes I make to cookies means they're no longer compatible with what you have stored, so clearing them all fixes this.
Please Share Me
In the spirit of amateur radio HamBuddy is free to use. I'm really glad I can use my software skills to give a little back to the community who has helped me so much. Being a UK Foundation license holder up until very recently (I'm now 2E0JKL) I've definitely needed a lot of help.
I'd appreciate it if you'd share this app with anyone you think might find it useful. The easiest ways might be to use the share button, or send them to HamBuddy.com on any device.
Lastly, if you have any comments, suggestions or find any errors feel free to contact me at: Info@TycoonSoftware.co.uk ✉
Thanks and 73,
Jason King - 2E0JKL
