HamAntCal+ vs QRV
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HamAntCal+
This app helps amateur radio enthusiasts calculate the precise starting lengths for various antenna types. It supports multiple units of measurement and allows for adjustments based on antenna diameter and configuration.
- Calculate antenna lengths in feet/inches or metric
- Supports Dipole, Inverted Vee, and Vertical antennas
- Adjust calculations for antenna element diameter
- Save up to 6 antenna calculations
- Calculate for free space or centered frequency
- Inverted Vee calculator with angle adjustment
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HamAntCalplus Version 1.5.5 (Ham Antenna Calculator Plus) will simply and intuitively calculate for you the starting length needed for constructing your antennas in feet/inches or in metric. It will calculate the starting length for "Dipole's", "Inverted Vee's", "Vertical's" and has a page for calculating 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 5/8 and "Full Wave" length. HamAntCalplus is designed to work on the iPad as well as the iPhone. In this update: ▪Updated for iPhone X. ▪Updated “Inverted Vee” with slider for height of the ends above ground. ▪This update requires iOS 8.2 and above. ------------------------------------- ▪ Will calculate to feet/inches, feet with a decimal point or inches only below 10 ft if desired as well as metric. ▪ Just swipe to the left to access up to 6 saved antenna calculations for each antenna type. ▪ You can calculate for the length of an antenna in free space. ▪ Enter a high and a low frequency in a band and calculate for a frequency centered between the 2 frequencies entered. ▪ A diameter slider lets you enter antenna element diameters up to 1” to adjust for antenna element length based on the diameter of the element. ▪ I have come across a lot of different and conflicting information for calculating the length of an "Inverted Vee" antenna. Some say subtract 2 to 5 percent based on the angle of the wires. Others say to add a percentage based on the angle of the wires down from horizontal. I decided to test this before releasing this app. First I calculated for a "Dipole" using the "Dipole" calculator. Then I put together a "Dipole" with a support for the center insulator as well as the ends. I measured the resonant frequency with an antenna analyzer. Then I brought the ends down towards 45 degrees from horizontal. As the ends were lowered the resonant frequency increased. This means that the length of the "Inverted Vee" would need to be increased to stay resonant at the same frequency as the dipole. The "Inverted Vee" calculator has a slider that starts up with an angle of 45 degrees and can be adjusted down to 20 degrees continuously re-calculating as it is moved. This corresponds to about 4.5 to 2 percent added to the length of the "Inverted Vee". ▪ No antenna calculator can give exact results in every case. Much will depend on the wire used, the height above ground, the ground itself, nearby objects, etc…. It's always a good practice to add a little extra wire and then trim up to the desired frequency. ▪ This calculator will calculate from 30 Khz to 500Mhz for the "Dipole", "Vertical" and "Length" calculators. The maximum for the "Inverted Vee" calculator is 60MHz. ▪ This calculator does not give exact measurements and the results will need to be trimmed using an antenna analyzer or SWR meter to the exact frequency after installation. Leave some extra wire on each section for trimming and wrapping around the insulators. ▪ Keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that can affect the resonant frequency of an antenna. At VHF and above even a small change in the length or diameter of an element can make a large change in the resonant frequency of an antenna even more so than at lower frequencies. This calculator just provides the starting length for building an antenna and proper matching methods will need to be used. ▪ Please be safe while building your antennas. Always use the proper safety equipment. Never build your antenna where it can come in contact with power lines, this includes the supports as well as the antenna itself and feed lines. BE SAFE! ▪ Although I have had good results using this calculator the results are not guaranteed. Always add some extra length and trim the antenna to frequency (it's easier to trim than it is to add wire to the antenna). Please feel free to contact me with suggestions, problems, compliments, ideas for improvements or additions to HamAntCalplus. Your ratings are appreciated.
QRV
This app consolidates essential ham radio tools for efficient operation and DX success. It provides real-time band conditions, call sign lookups, DXpedition tracking, and built-in calculators. Premium features offer live spots and customized notifications.
- Real-time band conditions
- Call sign lookup (QRZ/HamQTH)
- DXpedition calendar and alerts
- POTA spot viewing
- Band plans
- Built-in calculators
- Glanceable Apple Watch data
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QRV (I am ready) is your essential ham radio multitool built for DX success and maximum operating efficiency. Stop juggling apps! QRV aggregates critical tools and reliable, fast-updated data into one single, clean platform. Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. --- QRV is designed to get you the information you need quickly, whether you are in the field or at the shack: - Real-time Band Conditions: Access live propagation data from HamQSL to find the optimal frequency. - Universal Search: Look up a callsign, jump to a DXCC entity by name or prefix, or check your band plan for a frequency — all from one place. - Cross-Device Sync: Favorites, frequency memories, settings and alerts follow you — through iCloud, or with a free sign-in wherever you use QRV. - My Frequencies: Save important frequencies (weekly nets, calling channels, and more) with name, mode, and notes. - Comprehensive Call Sign Lookup: Search easily via QRZ and/or HamQTH. - QRZ QSO Confirmation: See at a glance which bands you've worked a station on, across every QRZ logbook you own. - DXpedition Calendar: Track active and upcoming DXpeditions worldwide — see local spots and worldwide on-air activity side by side. - POTA Spots: Browse live Parks on the Air activations with band, mode, and search filters. - Band Plans: Detailed frequency allocations for 22 countries across North America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania — available in English and a native language - Glanceable data on the Apple Watch. See spots, the top bands, POTA stats, and solar conditions on your wrist. - Built-in Calculators: Antenna lengths (dipole, Slim Jim, J-Pole), coax & feedline loss, battery runtime, and power calculations. - Beginner-Friendly Reference: Q-codes, CW (Morse code) with audio, Prosigns, RST, APRS commands, Maidenhead grids, and more. - Full VoiceOver support and colorblind-friendly design. Note: Full QRZ data requires an XML and/or API subscription. Note: The Apple Watch app requires watchOS 11 (Apple Watch Series 6 or later, SE 2nd generation, or Ultra). Earlier watches aren't supported. --- PREMIUM FEATURES - Live Spots: Get reliable, high-speed spot delivery from PSK Reporter. - Rover Mode: Temporarily view live spots and band activity for any grid square without moving — widgets, Apple Watch, and alerts all follow the grid you choose, then revert automatically. - Lightning Proximity Alerts: Get warned when lightning is detected near your station so you can disconnect in time — fixed location or GPS-following, with an adjustable radius. - Customized Notifications: Set alerts for bands, DXCCs, DXpeditions, and individual callsigns with configurable thresholds. - Home Screen Widgets: Check band conditions at a glance without opening the app. - DXpedition Alerts: Get notified when your tracked DXpeditions are spotted. - Callsign Alerts: Get notified when a specific callsign is spotted from your location. - Logbook-Aware Alerts: DXCC and Callsign alerts auto-manage based on your QSO/QSL history from Wavelog or QRZ Logbook. Why Premium? These features require robust infrastructure: - I run dedicated servers to aggregate PSK Reporter data, process notifications, serve band conditions, and provide DXpedition info. - This delivers faster, more reliable data than direct API polling while being a good steward to upstream services like N1DQ's PSK Reporter. - Premium subscriptions help cover ongoing server and infrastructure costs. Your subscription is shared between all versions of the app. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: QRV at Free against HamAntCal+'s $1.99. QRV also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 55 months). HamAntCal+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (100% vs 82%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
QRV is free to download; HamAntCal+ costs $1.99 up front. QRV sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. HamAntCal+ asks for nothing beyond the download.
QRV holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: QRV has 80 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of HamAntCal+'s written reviews are positive against 82% of QRV's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
HamAntCal+ ships an update every 55 months, QRV every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | HamAntCal+ | QRV |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (8 ratings) | 4.9 (80 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 81.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 80 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 55 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Best chart rank | #199 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | State Road 41 Apps LLC | Joseph Iannazzone |
Customer experience
HamAntCal+
QRV
In-app purchases
HamAntCal+
No in-app purchases
QRV
- QRV Premium - Monthly$2.991 Month
- QRV Premium - Annual$9.991 Year
- QRV Premium - Lifetime$24.99









