iPhones and iPads are very good at the reference, study, logging and planning side, and awkward at anything requiring a wired connection to a radio — Apple's USB and Bluetooth restrictions mean most rig control happens over the network instead.
Study and licensing
- HamStudy — the same practice pools as the web and Android versions.
- Ham Radio Prep, Amateur Radio Exam — alternatives.
- Morse-It, Ham Morse — CW practice with Koch and Farnsworth
timing.
Operating and reference
- HAMRS — cross-platform POTA/SOTA logging; an iPad with HAMRS is a common activation setup.
- Ham2K PoLo — fast portable logging, iOS and Android.
- RepeaterBook, RFinder — repeater directories.
- Callbook / QRZ Assistant — call sign lookup.
- EasySat, ISS Detector, GoSatWatch — satellite passes.
- Ham Radio Solar Info, Propagation — solar and geomagnetic conditions.
- HF Weather Fax and SSTV apps decode through the microphone with no cable at all.
Remote and networked control
This is where iOS is strong, because everything goes over Wi-Fi:
- SmartSDR for iOS (FlexRadio), RS-BA1 (Icom), Wfview on a laptop with an iPad front
- iGate/aprs.fi web and APRS.fi-based apps for
- RepeaterPhone, Echolink, DroidStar-equivalents for internet-linked voice.
- A Raspberry Pi at the radio running rigctld or a web front end turns any iPad into a control head.
end — full remote control of a station at home.
APRS over the internet.
What you cannot do
- No CHIRP. Handheld programming needs a computer.
- No native FT8 over a cable. There is no iOS equivalent of FT8CN driving a radio over USB;
- Limited SDR. A few apps talk to networked SDRs (SDR receivers over
rtl_tcp, KiwiSDR and
decode-only through the microphone is possible, but transmit control is not.
WebSDR in the browser), but USB dongles are essentially out.
Practical notes
- The realistic iOS station is: iPad for logging and reference, a Raspberry Pi or PC doing the
- For field logging, put the iPad in airplane mode with Wi-Fi off and confirm the app works fully
- Export ADIF and mail it to yourself at the end of every activation; app sandboxing makes recovery
radio-facing work, and Wi-Fi in between.
offline before you rely on it at a park.
from a deleted app painful.