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Q: I am trying to install HamCall. The instruction sheet says that the HamCall Main Menu should appear shortly after the HamCall DVD is inserted, but it doesn't.
A: On some installations of Windows the AutoPlay function doesn't work. You can run the Menu directly from the DVD:

For Windows XP: Double-click the My Computer icon in the upper left corner of your desktop.
For Windows Vista, and 7: Click the Start button in the lower left corner, then click Computer.
For Windows 10: Click the Start button in the lower left corner, then click File Explorer, then click This PC on the left-hand list.

At this point you should be looking at a list of drives on your computer, HamCall should be one of them. Double-click on HamCall, and the Menu should appear. If it doesn't, you'll instead see another window that shows a list of files on the HamCall DVD. Find HCMENU on the list and double-click it. From there on just follow the on-screen instructions to install HamCall.

Q: I went through the HamCall setup and I think it's installed on my computer, but now I don't know how to run it.
A: You will find a HamCall icon both on your Windows desktop and in your Start Menu under Programs, HamCall Callsign Lookup. In Windows 10 you should be able to click the Start button and type HamCall to see the HamCall icon.

Q: Where do I download my HamCall Database updates?
A: The HamCall Callsign Lookup software will take care of the downloading for you. First, run the HamCall Callsign Lookup program and read all the start-up messages to see if you need updates. You may need to scroll down to see them all. If updates are needed, pull down the Options menu and pick Download HamCall Updates.

Note for August 2018 and earlier HamCall DVDs. As of September 1, 2018, August 2018 and older HamCall DVDs need an updated HamCall.exe file to download updates. Full details here: https://hamcall.net/hamcallupdates.html.

Q: When I try to download updates I get a "Error #10060" or similar message.
A: Most likely you have a firewall, anti-virus, or some sort of "Internet security" or "system protect" software running. Those programs can prevent HamCall from communicating with the Internet. Some popular ones are Norton Internet Security, McAfee, AVG, and Windows Defender. That sort of software can prevent HamCall from communicating with the Internet or downloading files. To fix the problem, temporarily disable (don't uninstall, just disable) that sort of software until you've downloaded your updates. Or, if you can figure out the rules of the program, set it to allow c:\HamCall\hamcall.exe to access the Internet.

If there were a way for us to work around this problem we would, but by design security software blocks programs from accessing the Internet, and they sometimes don't know what is a "good" program and what is a "bad" one. If HamCall could break through the security software then so could viruses and other malware.

Q: Can HamCall be used with my logging program or other software?
A: Yes, many logging programs can look up callsigns from HamCall and fill in the name and address information into log entries automatically. HamCall and a logging program integrated together is a powerful combination that will save you lots of typing while keeping your logs. You can view a list of logging programs that we know support HamCall here: https://hamcall.net/thirdPartyHamCall.html

All you should need to do is tell the logging program that you have the HamCall database, and the path to it. If your program asks for the path to the HamCall database and it isn't apparent what format they require, try the following paths:

c
c:
c:\ham0
c:\ham0\

If you have followed your logging program instructions and tried all the above paths but your logging program still comes back with "Not Found" or a similar message when looking up callsigns, it may have included an older HAMCAL32.DLL interface that doesn't support the larger HamCall database format included on HamCall DVDs since Oct 2012. HAMCAL32.DLL is a file created by us that is like a "black box" to look up callsigns. The logging program passes the callsign to HAMCAL32.DLL, the DLL looks up the callsign from the HamCall database, then returns the information to the logging program. To ensure your system is running the latest version of HAMCAL32.DLL, follow these steps:

1. Exit your logging program.
2. Search your entire C: drive for HAMCAL32.DLL (Start Menu, Search.) Note there is only 1 "L" in HAMCAL32.
3. Download https://hamcall.net/hamcal32.dll and save it to each location where HAMCAL32.DLL was found. When saving the DLL if you are prompted to overwrite the older version than you are saving it in the right place.
4. Restart your logging program and try looking up a callsign from HamCall again.

For the HAMCAL32.DLL to recognize downloaded monthly update files, you must have installed the HamCall software to its default location, C:\HAMCALL. The main HamCall database installs to C:\HAM0. If you did the default automatic install, then those are the folders HamCall installs to and the DLL should find the monthly updates.

Q: If I buy HamCall now, what happens when the listings are out of date?
A: Each $50 HamCall disc comes with 6 months of free updates via the Internet. A HamCall DVD can download up to 12 months of updates. A HamCall DVD with 12 months of updates is $80, or you can upgrade a $50 6-month disc to a 12-month disc for the $30 difference.

At this point we don't offer more than 12 months of updates for a DVD. There is a limit the efficiency of looking up data from each update file, and periodically you need an updated DVD to get the new photographs, supplemental files, and new software features that we've added to HamCall.

Q: I can look up callsigns from HamCall, but I'm not seeing beam heading and distance.
A: You first need to tell HamCall where you are located, so it can use your location as an origin point for the beam heading/distance calculation. Pull down the Options menu and pick Configuration. On the window that appears, you will see a blank at the top that says "Enter Callsign:" Type your callsign in the the blank and hit the Enter key on your keyboard. You should see your name and latitude/longitude appear. Then press the Close button at the bottom of the window. From then on, every callsign you look up that has a latitude/longitude will also show a beam heading/distance from your station.

Q: After downloading updates, I get a "Runtime Error 424: Object Required."
A: This problem seems to have been introduced in late 2016 by a Windows update. The error itself doesn't hurt anything because it happens after the downloads are finished, but it causes HamCall to abnormally exit and not save any updated settings/password, which can cause problems.

The solution is to download a new HamCall.exe and replace the old one. Here is the download link: https://hamcall.net/hamcall.exe
Save this new HamCall.exe to your c:\hamcall folder. You should be asked if you want to overwrite the existing file, say Yes. From then on HamCall should download without error.

This fix is already included in Feb 2017 and newer HamCalls.

Q: Can I use HamCall on my Mac or Linux?
A: Our DVD does not run directly on Mac or Linux, the software only works with Windows.

However, there is software that will allow you to run Windows programs on a Mac. Crossover is a commercial program that looks easy to use, but we haven't had any HamCall user reports. Also check out Parallels which will allow you to run a complete copy of Windows inside a Mac window. If you are an advanced user try the free programs WineBottler or Wineskin.

If your Mac logging program supports HamCall.net Internet lookups you can use your HamCall Gold password to look up callsigns from the online HamCall database.

On Linux look for a program called Wine to run Windows programs. HamCall has been reported to work well with Wine. A tutorial to install HamCall on Linux using Wine appeared on page 68 of the May 2015 QST magazine.

Q: My USA callsign address is incorrect, how can I change it?
A: The FCC issues all USA amateur radio licenses/callsigns, they are the official source for USA callsign data. As a condition of your amateur radio license the FCC requires you keep your address current with them. So, we strive at all times to keep our HamCall database in sync with the official FCC data. If you update your address with the FCC then HamCall and most other callsign databases will get the changes automatically.

You can update your amateur radio license address by visiting the FCC at https://www.fcc.gov/common-amateur-filing-tasks or using our HamCall/W4VEC service at https://BuckmasterInternational.com/vec.

Q: My non-USA callsign address, email address, or some other data is missing or incorrect, how can I change it?
A: Look up the callsign at HamCall.net/call then click the Update link in the yellow box.

Q: How do you get the latitude and longitude for my station?
A: When your callsign or address first enters our database your lat/long is automatically calculated on-the-fly from your 5-digit ZIP code. Grid squares are calculated directly from lat/long. A couple times a year we do special database processing that calculates a very precise lat/long/grid square from your actual street address. Assuming your FCC address is where you operate from, these values are usually within a few hundred feet of your actual location. Some other databases seem to use the center of your 5-digit ZIP code to calculate your lat/long/grid, which is much less precise.

Q: My latitude/longitude and map location is wrong, can it be corrected?
A: Usually if your FCC address exactly matches the address your post office has for you, and you haven't moved recently, we'll have a very accurate lat/long for you. However, addresses with PO boxes or "rural routes" often can't yield an accurate lat/long. Other than your published street address we don't have any special way to know where you live, but if you wish to obtain a more accurate lat/long with a GPS receiver, Google Maps, or other means, feel free to enter it into our updater form at https://hamcall.net/updater

For stations outside the US, the lat/long is based on your city name. You may determine your exact lat/long yourself with a GPS or some other method, and then enter the values into our updater form at https://hamcall.net/updates

Q: How can I add or update my biography?
A: You need to be logged in to edit your biography. First go to https://hamcall.net/call. Look in the upper right corner, to see if you're logged in, if not Log In or Register.

Once you're "Logged in as (your callsign)" click the link that says "[Member Options]", then click the "Update Biography for (your callsign)" link.

Everyone that looks up your callsign can view your biography, whether they are a HamCall.net member or not.

Q: Is there a way to link directly to my callsign information page?
A: Yes, structure the URL like this (replace W1AW with your callsign:)

https://hamcall.net/call/W1AW

Q: Why don't you have my original license date from 1963?
A: We would like to have that information, but there is no source for it that we know of. The FCC started keeping track of licenses on computers in the early 1980s, but they only store the issue date and expiration date of your current 10-year license.

Q: Where are all the birthdates?
A: The FCC no longer publishes birthdates, but the old FCC ones are still in our database. That means new callsigns or ones that are upgraded will not have a birthdate. Birthdates are often useful to distinguish between many people with the same first and last name, such as John Smith (over 180 in our database) or Robert Jones (over 150 in our database). If you know about how old the person is, you can narrow down your search quite a bit. Many hams choose to enter their birthdate through our Internet updater. These birthdates are then available as part of our database.

Q: You've got my birthdate or other data listed, and I would like it taken off.
A: You can send us a letter or e-mail us at the addresses at the bottom of this page to have data removed. For birthdates, please specify whether you would like the entire birthdate or just the month and year deleted, we can do either. For US hams, we don't delete or alter FCC information, but we can delete your entire record to show nothing at all for your callsign. Keep in mind that HamCall has been a trusted source of callsign data since 1989 and many top hams check HamCall for QSL information.

For callsigns issued from countries other than the US we can selectively edit/delete name or address if you wish, but for a callsign to be listed in HamCall we do require at least one of the following: 1) Name and complete mailing address 2) Email address or 3) QSL information.

Some people are concerned that having their e-mail address listed in HamCall will lead to spam (unwanted commercial e-mail). After having the HamCall database online for 30+ years, we don't believe that to be the case. Firstly, we will never sell or give your e-mail address to anyone else. We have had legitimate ham radio clubs contact us many times asking for e-mail addresses to recruit members and we would like to help but we always politely refuse because we never share HamCall email addresses with anyone.

Secondly, we don't show e-mail addresses to anyone but registered HamCall members. If you're not logged in, you can't see any e-mail addresses at all. Basic (free) members can only view 30 records a day, this is far short of the millions of e-mail addresses spammers need to send get just a few orders.

E-mail address is only in HamCall to facilitate QSLing and communication between ham radio operators and will not be used for any other purpose.

Q: Why don't you have my new FCC update? Their ULS lookup shows the correct information but HamCall does not.
A: If FCC daily updates are running properly it takes from 1 to 23 hours for an update to appear. The FCC makes two types of database files available, daily and weekly. The daily files contain the transactions that were processed in the last day, and are normally processed around 10:00 EST each day.

A small number of transactions don't appear in the FCC daily updates files. The weekly FCC file, released each Sunday, contains all 700,000+ US amateur records. Typically we process the complete weekly file each Monday night with the updated database going live Tuesday. The weekly file always gets HamCall 100% in sync with FCC data.

Q: Why don't you have any information for (callsign)?
A: All valid FCC amateur radio callsigns should appear in HamCall. As for non-US callsigns, to obtain data for the HamCall database we research or contact the licensing authority for each country (over 230 of them), by mail, fax, e-mail or even phone. Many times we do not hear back from them, or they are unwilling to release the list for various reasons (such as Germany and the UK.) It is something we work on all the time, and even though HamCall is the largest callsign database we will probably never be finished since callsigns are being added/updated all the time in every country.

However, there are things you can do to help. First, if you know any reliable information about the callsign, you can enter it into our HamCall Instant Updater at: https://hamcall.net/updater. Hundreds or thousands of other hams will likely benefit from your update. If you have access to an official, non-copyrighted list for the country, please send it to us. A plain-text computer file is best and can be added the quickest. If you wish we will give you a free HamCall DVD with your data on it for significant contributions.

Q: How do I get my photograph and/or QSL card onto HamCall?
A: Email it to us at the "general information" email address listed at the bottom of this page. Be sure to include your callsign! If possible, use your callsign as the file name, and put a dash (-) after the callsign for a QSL card.

Example: "N1BIC.JPG" for a small photo and "N1BIC-.JPG" for a QSL card.

We will not publish photos that are inappropriate or are copyrighted material. There is no charge for including your photograph, and it will remain on the HamCall DVD, USB, download, and website during all future updates. If you change your callsign please tell us to move your photo from the old call to your new one.

Please include a short note giving Buckmaster permission to use your photo(s) in their products. The signed permission can be just a short note saying something like:

"I give Buckmaster International permission to use my photograph or QSL card in their products".

If you don't have your photograph in digital form, you can mail it through regular post office mail. However, it will usually take longer to get your picture online if we have to scan it.