Socorro Central vs HamBand
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Socorro Central
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Socorro Central is your citizens' source for information and reporting about your city! This app provides a direct pipeline between you and the agencies that make our city work. Report problems, get news, and be notified of important issues, quickly and easily. Download Socorro Central to help make YOUR Socorro a better place, today!
HamBand
This app provides amateur radio operators with real-time HF band condition assessments using live solar weather data. It offers band ratings, a greyline visualizer, and trend charts to help predict propagation. An Apple Watch companion app is also available for quick access to information.
- Real-time HF band condition ratings
- Greyline visualizer for propagation
- 7-day trend charts for solar data
- Live Solar Flux Index and K-Index
- Apple Watch companion app and complication
- No subscriptions, accounts, or ads
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HamBand - HF Band Conditions HamBand gives amateur radio operators instant, real-time HF band condition assessments based on live solar weather data from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. Whether you're heading out for a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation, setting up for Field Day, or just checking conditions from the shack, HamBand tells you what the bands are doing right now - no account, no setup, no clutter. Band Conditions Get instant Good, Fair, or Poor ratings for the five primary HF bands - 10m, 15m, 20m, 40m, and 80m - based on real solar physics. Ratings are calculated from the Solar Flux Index (SFI) and K-Index using band-specific propagation thresholds. Greyline Visualizer Watch the day/night terminator move across a live world map in real time. When your QTH sits on the greyline, low-band DX on 160m, 80m, and 40m lights up — so instead of guessing when that sweet spot rolls through, you can see it coming. 7-Day Trend Charts Track how solar conditions have evolved over the past week with interactive K-Index and SFI trend charts. Spot incoming geomagnetic storms before they kill your signal. Live Solar Data See the current Solar Flux Index, K-Index, and last updated time at a glance. Tap either metric for a plain-English explanation of what it means for your operating. Apple Watch Companion Check band conditions right from your wrist. The Apple Watch app and complication keep key solar indices and band ratings accessible without touching your phone - perfect when both hands are on the antenna. Pull to Refresh Always fetching fresh data directly from NOAA. No subscriptions, no accounts, no ads. HamBand is built by KD3CLW, a licensed amateur radio operator in western Pennsylvania. 73 de KD3CLW
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: HamBand at every 10 days against Socorro Central's every 38 months. Socorro Central's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Socorro Central ships an update every 38 months, HamBand every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Socorro Central | HamBand |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | City of Socorro Texas | TAYLOR JOHN TRANSUE |
In-app purchases
Socorro Central
No in-app purchases
HamBand
No in-app purchases
