Manuel Kasper (HB9DQM) created the wonderful HamAlert system (https://hamalert.org/ ) which informs you – using various criteria – about new spots.

You can currently be notified via app notification (HamAlert app) via SMS, via Threema and via Telnet (Due to the enormous costs of mailing, Manuel decided some time ago to deactivate mailing – which makes sense). Details see also https://hamalert.org/destinations.

I wrote a small Windows (Win10/11) program for the telnet server that Manuel offers: “HamAlert Cluster Client”.

You can use this to be informed about new spots on your Shack PC (via taskbar notification).

The video embedded below shows a high-level overview of the features.

Many thanks to Manuel for creating and running this excellent system.

For more information about HamAlert see: https://hamalert.org/

The program does not need to be installed in Windows. Simply download, unpack and start. Runs on Windows 10/11.
(The zip-file contains 2 files: Hamalert-Cluster.exe and NewtonSoft.json.dll. Both files should be located in the same directory).

With V 1.0.1 I have added a logfile. Which logs all the magic stuff into a text-file (located in the same directory, where HamAlert-Cluster.exe is started).

Important notice:
Please make sure, that you have activated “Telnet” in the actions of your trigger on hamalert.org

If it does not work, open the program, goto settings and activate create debug log. After a restart a logfile is created in the same directory. Please send me this logfile (Email address is on my page “Contact”).

The software is 100% free of charge, no trialperiod or whatsoever. If you like it, a donation will be much appreciated!

Have fun with it
Ernst, OE3IDE

V 2.0.21

• fixed: autoheight of rows when using large font

• added: columns can be hidden via settings

• added: columns can be reordered by dragging

• changed: ui-reworked

• fixed: some fixes on resizing

• changed: when saving the settings, the telnet connection is only re-established if necessary

V 2.0.20

• some more bug fixes

• added “enter key” into about box (will hide the donation button)

V 2.0.19

• several bug fixes

V 2.0.18

• changed: qrz.com-query handles now also base callsigns without /p /m /mm /am

• Bug fix: 1st cell in 1st row didn’t have the correct background color

• changed: corrected tab-key order in settings dialog

• Bug fix: in some occasions a blank table-header was visible in the datatable

V 2.0.17

• Bug fix: in some cases the flashing was activated even though the spot was ignored by the qrz.com query

• Bug fix: in some cases a new spot was not added to table while using qrz.com-query

• Tweak: tweaked the output for the notification window (text aligning)

V 2.0.16

• added option for descending/ascending sort by time via settings (click on time-column sorts desc/asc and remembers it in the current session)

• added option to change font-size for spot-data

V 2.0.15

• added option QRZ.com-check. Now you can automatically ignore spots, if the callsign is not on qrz.com (see settings)

V 2.0.14

• Bug fix: under certain conditions a spot was written twice into the list

V 2.0.13

• added option to completely disable the alerting. In this mode HACC works like a regular cluster-client

• added option to hide the console output

V 2.0.12

• fixed issue with window-title on connect/reconnect

• added connection-watchdog => auto-reconnect after failed connection

• fixed issue where alert for encrypted password is behind splashscreen

V 2.0.11

• finally fixed the problem with the setting start minimized

V 2.0.10

• fixed a problem with setting start minimized (still not fixed, working on it…. hope to get it fixed in 2.0.11)

• redesign settings window

V 2.0.9

• option for disabling flashing

• option for disabling window fade in/out

• option for back/foreground colors in table

V 2.0.8

• added 180 s delay for the isalive timer on program start

V 2.0.7

• changed behaviour of minimizing the application

• fixed a bug on button-flashing

• fixed text in notification window

• fixed some code to avoid overflow exception

• fixed a bug, where some spots are not displayed if sent in short timeperiods

V 2.0.6

• bugfix on setting/getting autostart with windows

• added version check to about-box

• bugfix on saving/restoring position and size

V 2.0.5

• added option to minimize on closing the main-window (see settings)

• complete rework of window-layout and resizing

• application now 64bit (pls contact me for a 32bit build)

• fixed a bug, where hamalert-cluster is preventing windows from shutdown

• fixed a bug on checking running instances

V 2.0.4

• code refactoring

• exception handler on json-parser

• bugfix on debug-log path, when application is autostarted

V 2.0.3

• added update-info (can be disabled via settings)
  Since 2.0.3 the application checks for a newer version on each program start.

• bug-fix on disconnect/reconnect, sh/dx 100

• added test-button for tray-notification in the settings

• changed qrz.com link to column callsign

• added qrz.com-link to spotter-callsign

• added cancel-button to settings

V 2.0.2

• added more infos to debug-log (in case anything goes wrong)

V 2.0.1

•  bugfix on bringing the main-window in front via tray click

•  bug-fix on button sh/dx 100

•  password is now stored encrypted in ini-file
  (using DataProtectionScope.CurrentUser, so password can only be decrypted with your  windows-user account)

•  added some resizing functionality

•  some layout and design tweaks

•  added about in tray context menu

•  added re-check now in tray context menu

V 2.0.0

• complete rework of the network-core. now 100% ansynchronous (quicker connect, better handling on slow connections)

• rework of the information window

• time in the info-windows can now be displayed in UTC (see settings)

• bug-fixing

V 1.0.10

•  added about-info

•  some tweaks for resizing

•  some small bugs fixed

•  changed some time-constants, in case the connect takes more time

•  added setting Delay (ms)… in case the connect/login via network does take more time

V 1.0.9

• added exception handler for network problems

• code refactoring

• added more details for debug-log

• added context menu ReCheck now

• added check for needed json dll-file

V 1.0.8

• some bug-fixes

• added option to set notification window “always on top”

• added spot utc-time to notification window

• some design tweaks

V 1.0.7

• some bugfixes for the new notification type

V 1.0.6

• now you can disable the tray notification (see settings)

• new notfication type “notification window” available (see settings)

V 1.0.5

• Fixed a bug, where HamAlert-Cluster-Client does not read the ini-file when started via windows-autostart

V 1.0.4

• program can now be automatically started with windows (see settings)

V 1.0.3

• Settings are now stored in an ini-file, which is located in the same directory as the program-file. On first start all settings are migrated to the ini-file

• You can now configure more then one instance (ie. for different calls you own).  Just make a separate directory and place the program-file and the dll into it.

• displaying also the mode in the notification popup

V 1.0.2

• debug log file can now be enabled/disabled via settings

• notify icon has a grey dot, which turns red if a new alert arrives

• main window can now be minimized and automatically restored on a new alert (see settings)

• main windows can be minimized after start (see settings)