|
|
 |
HamRing
Selective Calling App |
Introducing
HamRing, the new app for HF Selective Calling
(Selcall). Use it to call your ham friends, and it
quietly monitors your radio frequency for an incoming call.
It works with any HF SSB transceiver or VHF-UHF FM
transceiver.

HamRing
enables operators to call each other on the air. Add your
favorite callsigns and selcall numbers to the directory.
Send a test beacon or a selcall. HamRing sends a beep
response and alerts the other operator of the incoming call.
A HamRing selcall doesn't use the internet; it uses your
radio transceiver on a frequency you select.

How Can I Get HamRing?
HamRing is currently under development. It is not yet
available for download. A beta version of HamRing is planned
for release in mid to late 2019. |
An experimental
version of HamRing was tested in November 2018, with good
success.
|
Features in The Experimental Demo Version
- Visual Alert for incoming calls
- Transmit Selcall or Beacon Call (test call)
- Contact list
- Shows incoming calls
- Auto-add for selcall contacts heard on the air
- Convenient keypad for quick dialing
- CW ID of ham callsign for transmissions
- Interoperable with embedded Selcall radios
- CCIR493-4 Compatibility
- Info reference lists of Common
Selcall Freqs
|
HamRing
Technical Information
- HamRing uses incidental tones for Selective Calling
and Alerting.
- HamRing complies with radio laws and
rules.
- Compatible with the existing Open Selcall standard
"CCIR493-4" and "United Nations" Selcall.
- This type of selcall
CCIR493-4 is often built into Codan, Barrett,
Icom, Vertex, QMAC, and other HF Land Mobile radios.
- This type of selcall is widely utilized by
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) around the world
and the Australian-New Zealand 4WD networks.
- The incidental tones for selective calling are
about 1785 Hertz audio frequency.
- On the phone bands, be sure to announce your own
callsign on voice for station ID purposes whenever you
transmit incidental tones for selective calling.
- List
of Common Selcall Frequencies
|

The HamRing User Group is a forum for users of the app to
exchange information and help each other.
New users are welcome.
Read
HamRing User Group
Join
HamRing User Group |
|
Future Features for HamRing
HamRing will have many interesting features that are not yet
implemented in the Experimental Demo Version.
- Texting and messaging
- AlphaNumeric Callsign instead of Number
- 6 digit UN selcalls
- Auto logging
- Emergency Call
- HF Chat
- Log reporting to HFLINK network map
- ALE Interoperability
- Geo Position reports
- Texting Relay
- Scanning
- Alarm Bells, Whistles, Lights
- Group and Net calling
- Compatibility and Interoperability
- Additional modes
- Many other features
|
HamRing Connection to Transceiver
HamRing can be utilized with acoustic coupling. Just hold
the microphone up to the speaker. It works!
For best results, use a common computer soundcard interface
with either VOX or RTS PTT.
|
Features in the HamRing v0.42 demo:
Added activity page
displays all inbound,
outbound, and heard selective, test, and page calls (and
group calls)
new call info page that
can be launched from the activity log page
Added support for sending and receiving group calls
Added settings for long and short SELCALL preambles
Improved s-meter calibration
System notifications for received calls
Support for assigning avatar images to contacts
Added optional ring/alert tones via default
sound device
Keyboard navigation
contacts page:
up/down: navigate
through contacts list
enter: contact info
f: frequency info
a: activity log
c: call the selected
contact
k: keypad
s: settings
Frequency Info page
backspace/delete: go back
back to previous page
activity page
up/down: navigate
through activity log
enter: call
information
backspace/delete: go back
back to previous page
call page
c: place call, or
abort call
enter: place call or
abort call
t: test channel, or
abort test
h: hangup call
backspace/delete: go back
back to previous page
inbound call page
a: answer call
enter: answer call
d: decline call
h: hangup call
keypad page
c: place call, or
abort call
enter: place call or
abort call
t: test channel, or
abort test
h: hangup call
0-9: enter digit
x: erase digit
space: clear all
digits
backspace/delete: go back
back to previous page
settings page
backspace/delete: go back
back to previous page
|
HamRing Quick Start Guide
Installation for Mac OS:
- Download HamRing for Mac OS.
- Double Click on the downloaded program.
- Wait for it to load, and you should see the start up
screen.
- You will be prompted for the software license.
- Find the software license file HamRing.lic which
should be located in the folder:
- hamring>hamring.app>Contents>Resources
Installation for Windows 10:
- Make a new folder on your computer main drive C:\
- Download HamRing into the new folder you made.
- Navigate to the folder you made, and find the HamRing
zip file and unzip it into that same folder.
- Run the HamRing program application in the new folder
you created.
- Wait for it to load, and you should see the start up
screen.
|
1.
Start Up Screen:
HamRing is looking for a valid software License file.
Your download includes the free Demo software license.
Click OK.

|
2. Click: Select License

|
3.
Windows: Navigate to the folder where you installed
HamRing.
Select the Hamring.lic file.
Click Open.
Mac OS: Find the software license file HamRing.lic
which should be located in the folder:
hamring>hamring.app>Contents>Resources

|
4. Scroll up.

|
5. Notice that your callsign
will need to be added. Put your cursor after the last
L in the NOCALL Callsign.

|
6. Put your cursor at the end
of the NOCALL Call Sign and Backspace until NOCALL is
erased.
Enter your own Callsign.
Select either 3998 or 3999 as your own Selcall Number.

|
7. Scroll down.
Select your sound device or microphone input.
Select your sound device or speaker output.
- You can set these audio levels later, after you send a
Test Call.
- The Input Level should be set while watching the RX
green bars. The correct level is with background noise
and static about halfway, or about 3 green bars.
- The Output Level should be set for about 75% power
output while watching the Power Out meter of your SSB
transmitter.

More Settings, scroll down.
If you are using a serial port interface:
- Use GENERIC Radio selection.
- Set the COM Port number for your interface.
- Select VOX or DTR or RTS as required by your PTT
interface.

|
8. Click Back.

|
9. Click on the figure+ on
the upper right to add a new contact.

|
10. Edit the New Contact.
Their Callsign.
Their Selcall Number.

|
11. Click Save.

|
12. This is the normal view of
HamRing, showing the Contacts List.
You are ready to receive calls or send calls.
Click on a contact first, to send a Selcall to them.

|
13. Select a Contact.
Click on Call.

|
14. Ready to call the Contact.
Be sure you are on the desired radio frequency and your
transceiver is set up and ready to transmit.
Try the Test Call first.
Then you can try the Selcall after that.
 |
15. HamRing transmits the Test
Call.
Check your transmitter to be sure it is transmitting and
putting out audio and power, and is on a good
frequency.
 |
16. If you pressed the Selcall,
it should be Transmitting. Check your transmitter to
be sure it is transmitting and putting out audio and power.
 |
17. The Test call has been
sent.
 |
18. The Selcall call has been
sent.
You can send the call again if you didn't get through on the
first call.
Or you can end the call by clicking Back.
CW ID of your callsign in Morse Code will be sent whenever
ending the call.
 |
19. You can also use the Keypad
to call any selcall number, without using the Contact entry.
 |
20. Input the Selcall Number
with the keypad.
Send a Test Call or a Selcall.
 |
When you receive an incoming Selcall.
Incoming call notification appears in the tray.
 |
Selcall Common Frequencies
Selective Calling for Voice SSB
North America
(incidental tones for Selective Calling)
1991.0 kHz USB North America
3845.0 kHz USB North America*
5403.5 kHz USB North America*
7195.0 kHz USB International*
14342.5 kHz USB International*
18157.5 kHz USB International*
21427.5 kHz USB International
28327.5 kHz USB International
50161.0 kHz USB International
144161.0 kHz USB International
*popular Selcall frequencies |
Selcall Common Frequencies
Selective Calling for Voice SSB
Europe-Africa-Asia-Australia-NZ
(incidental tones for Selective Calling)
1846.0 kHz USB International
3795.0 kHz USB International*
5355.0 kHz USB International
7195.0 kHz USB International*
10144.0 kHz USB International*
14342.5 kHz USB International*
18157.5 kHz USB International*
21427.5 kHz USB International
24977.5 kHz USB International
28327.5 kHz USB International
50161.0 kHz USB International
144161.0 kHz USB International
*popular Selcall frequencies |
Selective Calling for Texting/ Data/ CW
International and North America
1835.0 kHz USB International
3585.0 kHz USB International
5346.5 kHz USB North America
5355.0 kHz USB International (no USA)
7040.5 kHz USB International
7100.0 kHz USB North America
10144.0 kHz USB International
14094.0 kHz USB International
18104.0 kHz USB International
21094.0 kHz USB International
28144.0 kHz USB International
50161.0 kHz USB International
144161.0 kHz USB International
(Dial or Window Frequency Upper Sideband) |
|
Notes for USA Operators
It is legal for USA hams to use Selective Calling and
Alerting features in the phone subbands to engage in voice
SSB QSOs.
Selective Calling is in compliance with FCC rules
Selective calling can also be used to start a QSO for
texting and data in the data subbands.
Baud rules.
- Does Selcall signal comply with the FCC 300 baud
rule?
- Yes. The CCIR493-4 incidental tones for selective
calling are transmitted at 100 symbols per second (100
baud).
Bandwidth rules.
- Does the Selcall signal bandwidth comply with FCC
rules?
- Yes. The bandwidth is normal and narrowband. It is not
excessive. (It also complies with the 2.8 kHz bandwidth
limitation for 5 MHz)
Selcall use in the USA Phone Bands
Currently, USA Amateur Radio Service operators have been
utilizing Selective Calling (Selcall) in the USA Amateur
Radio HF phone bands for at least 20 years without problems.
Selcall transmissions in the phone bands comply with FCC
rule:
- "Incidental tones for the purpose of selective
calling or alerting or to control the level of a
demodulated signal may also be considered phone."
FCC Rules for Selective Calling in the Phone Bands
Here are some excerpts of Amateur Radio Service FCC rules
allowing the use of SELCALL for Selective Calling and
Alerting in the PHONE sub-bands. Please note the last
sentence in §97.3(c)(5) which is the definition of Phone
mode. §2.201 of FCC Rules define emission type designators.
FCC §97.3 Definitions.
(c) The following terms are used in this Part to indicate
emission types.
Refer to §2.201 of the FCC Rules, Emission, modulation and
transmission characteristics, for information on emission
type designators.
FCC §2.201
5) Phone. Speech and other sound emissions having
designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first
symbol; 1, 2 or 3 as the second symbol; E as the third
symbol. Also speech emissions having B as the first
symbol; 7, 8 or 9 as the second symbol; E as the third
symbol. MCW for the purpose of performing the station
identification procedure, or for providing telegraphy
practice interspersed with speech. Incidental tones for
the purpose of selective calling or alerting or to control
the level of a demodulated signal may also be considered
phone."
|
 |

|