Comparison

RST 599TK vs SatNOGS

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RST 599TK

This application simulates Morse code communication for amateur radio operators. It supports various QSO styles, Morse code input via a touch keyer, and includes a CW decoder. Features allow for speed control, status display, and shortcut keys for common phrases.

Highlights
  • CW QSO simulation
  • Electric Touch Keyer input
  • Contest style QSO support
  • CW Speed Control
  • Min-in CW Decoder
  • Shortcut keys for CQ and TU
Read full description

This app is a real CW QSO simulator for Amateur Radio.  "599BK & AADX Contest type QSO" is supported.  Input of Morse Codes are by using Electric Touch Keyer.  Changing of TX/RX is by SEND button. Supported Min-in CW Decoder too. 【Characteristic】 1. "599BK" and "Contest" style support. 2.Support the CW Speed Control, Reverse of Dot/Dash pad. 3.Status display showing TX / RX operation. 4.Support the space insertion operation both automatic and manual. 5.Support the Min-in CW Decoder function. 6.Support the shortcut-key of CQ and TU. CQ Button function can be set by setting menu. 7.Support the repeat-call function. It works only when the TU button is pressed at the end of the QSO. 8.Support input function by key button 【How to use】 1.The case of CQ Calling Press SEND button Input "CQ CQ DX DE (YOUR CALLSIGN) PSE K" by Touch Keyer. Press SEND button again 2.The case of CQ Answering Press SEND button Input "QRZ DX" by Touch Keyer or Straight Key. Press SEND button again --- Examples of QSO --- [CQ Calling] "CQ CQ DX DE xxnxx xxnxx PSE K" >>> xxnxx DE **n** K "**n** DE xxnxx UR RST 559 BK" >>> R MY RPT 559 UR RST 599 BK "QSL TU" >>> R 73 TU "E E" >>> E E [CQ Ansewing] "QRZ DX" >>> "CQ CQ DE **n** **n** PSE K" "**n** DE xxnxx K" >>> "xxnxx DE **n** UR RST 579 BK" "R **n** DE xxnxx UR RST 599 TU" >>> "R TU" "E E" >>> E E --- DETEC WORDS --- [CQ Calling] CQ CQ DX CQ NA CQ JA [CQ Ansewing] QRZ QRZ DX QRZ NA QRZ JA [BOTH] DE K BK UR RST 73 TU E E etc... 【Example usage video】 - Touch Keyer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuSEaJtD3KQ - Microphone IN Mode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goN9hVDEGnM

About

SatNOGS

Access a global network of satellite ground stations to communicate with satellites and observe their data. The platform is open to all, with public observation results freely distributed. Resources are available for building your own ground station.

Highlights
  • Global ground station network access
  • Remote ground station operation
  • Satellite communication
  • Public observation data access
  • Ground station building resources
Read full description

SatNOGS Network is a global management interface to facilitate multiple ground station operations remotely. An observer is able to take advantage of the full network of SatNOGS ground stations around the world. The network is open to anyone. Any observer is able to utilize all available Ground Stations and communicate with Satellites. All observations results are public and all data are distributed freely under the Creative Commons Atribution-Share Alike license. Whether you own satellite ground station equipment or you want to build one you can head to SatNOGS Project site to get up to date documentation and info on how to build a SatNOGS ground station. App functionality is currently limited by SatNOGS API and will be significantly improved in next major release.

Screenshots

RST 599TK4 screens
SatNOGS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SatNOGS at 5.0 against RST 599TK's 4.1. SatNOGS also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). RST 599TK's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SatNOGS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RST 599TK ships an update every 6 weeks, SatNOGS every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on August 22, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
RST 599TK versus SatNOGS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRST 599TKSatNOGS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (9 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerkoji kamogawaVictor Belov

Customer experience

RST 599TK

All ratings9 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SatNOGS

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

RST 599TK

No in-app purchases

None

SatNOGS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RST 599TK free?
RST 599TK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SatNOGS free?
SatNOGS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RST 599TK or SatNOGS?
SatNOGS is rated higher. RST 599TK averages 4.1 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while SatNOGS averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do RST 599TK or SatNOGS have ads?
RST 599TK shows ads; SatNOGS does not.
Which is updated more often, RST 599TK or SatNOGS?
RST 599TK ships an update every 6 weeks, and SatNOGS every 5 months. Most recently, RST 599TK was updated on August 22, 2026 and SatNOGS on June 3, 2026.

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