NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer vs PhantomGram
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer
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XL-500 portable BLE spectrometer device is required. Please visit https://nanolambda.myshopify.com/ for more details. XL-500 is an ultra compact Bluetooth Spectroradiometer based on disruptive digital-nano convergence technology. While its size is compact, the features and performance is comparable to conventional industry popular equipment. It is easy and convenient to use as a portable device with smartphone app, as a spectrum recorder with internal memory and rechargeable battery. XL-500 is individually calibrated and provides device-to-device repeatability. This app supports: 1) Emission measurement (SPD, PPFD, LUX, CRI, CCT, CIEXYZ, CIExy, CIEuv ) 2) Periodic measurement (as spectrum recorder) 3) Reflection measurement (relative-SPD, CIEXYZ, CIELab, CIExy, CIEuv) Start the nanoLambda's latest BLE spectrometer adventure now.
PhantomGram
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PhantomGram โ Paint the Airwaves Spectrum painting for amateur radio. Encode any image as audio and transmit it through your radio โ the picture appears directly on the receiver's SDR waterfall display. No special decoder needed at the other end. The image IS the spectrum. HOW IT WORKS Spectrum painting exploits the way SDR waterfall displays work. A waterfall shows radio frequency on one axis and time on the other, with colour representing signal strength. PhantomGram converts each row of your image into a carefully crafted audio signal where pixel brightness maps to tone amplitude and pixel position maps to frequency. When transmitted via SSB radio, the receiver's waterfall reassembles the picture automatically. TRANSMIT Select an image from your photo library or camera, or use the built-in test patterns (bars, gradient, checkerboard, concentric circles). Choose a resolution preset โ from QUICK (80ร64, under 4 seconds) to SLOW (640ร256, maximum detail). Adjust the frequency range with the dual-knob slider. The image is encoded automatically, a TX preview shows the picture as the receiver's waterfall will draw it, and the status line shows the send time. Tap SEND to transmit, and watch the cursor and timer follow the image down. RECEIVE Tap START and point your iPhone's microphone at a radio speaker or connect via audio cable. The live FFT spectrum shows incoming signal energy across the frequency band. Below it, a continuous waterfall display reconstructs the image in real time as it arrives. When the sender's header tone is heard, the status line says so. Adjust gain to brighten weak signals. Save decoded images to the built-in log for later viewing and sharing. FEATURES โข Encode images as spectrum painting audio via inverse FFT with random phase โข Adjustable frequency range (0โ10,000 Hz) with sensible defaults for SSB radio (200โ2,800 Hz) โข Four resolution presets: QUICK, STANDARD, DETAIL, SLOW โข Real-time receive decode with live FFT spectrum display โข SDR-style waterfall colourmap (black โ blue โ cyan โ green โ yellow โ orange โ red) โข Optional header tone, sent before the image and detected on receive โข Status lines for encoding, sending and receiving โข Received image log with save and share โข Phosphor CRT aesthetic โ green or amber display themes โข Zero external dependencies โ pure Swift and Accelerate framework DSP โข iPhone speaker and microphone โ no additional hardware required TYPICAL USE Connect your iPhone's headphone output to your radio's microphone input (or simply hold the phone near the mic). Tune your radio to an appropriate frequency, key the transmitter, and tap SEND. Anyone monitoring that frequency with an SDR receiver will see your image appear on their waterfall display. For receiving, tune your radio to the transmission frequency, connect the radio's speaker output to your iPhone (or use acoustic coupling), and tap START. FREQUENCY GUIDANCE โข STANDARD (200โ2,800 Hz) โ fits within normal SSB audio passband โข NARROW (500โ2,500 Hz) โ safe for most radio mic inputs โข WIDE (200โ3,500 Hz) โ only if your radio passes full audio bandwidth โข SSTV-FIT (1,500โ2,300 Hz) โ coexists with SSTV activity Part of the Phosphor suite, sister app to PhosphorRTTY and PhosphorCW, amongst others. REMEMBER: TRANSMIT ON LICENSED FREQUENCIES ONLY.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer at Free against PhantomGram's $0.99. NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.2). On update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer is free to download; PhantomGram costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer ships an update every 2 months, PhantomGram every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer | PhantomGram |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free โ better | $0.99 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months โ better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 โ better | 26.2 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | nanoLambda | Stuart Woolley |
In-app purchases
NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer
No in-app purchases
PhantomGram
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer free?
Is PhantomGram free?
Do NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer or PhantomGram have ads?
Which is updated more often, NSP32 nanoLambda Spectrometer or PhantomGram?
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