Comparison

Lineman's Reference vs Graylight

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

Head to head
About

Lineman's Reference

This interactive simulator allows users to study and learn transformer connections. Test your wiring with various meters, and experience consequences of improper connections. Includes reference diagrams, informational material, and a quiz mode to test knowledge.

Highlights
  • Transformer connection simulation
  • Volt, ohm, and rotation meters
  • Abnormal voltage and fuse explosion simulation
  • Transformer nameplate and coil inspection
  • Quick reference diagrams
  • Informational reading material
  • Quiz and advanced quiz modes
Features
Read full description

Learn it. Wire it. Energize it. Check your work. Built by a working journeyman lineman for linemen and their apprentices. The XFMR Lab simulates distribution transformer banks driven by your own wiring — the metering, fusing, and faulting all behave the way you'd expect in the field. NEW IN 2.0 — BUILT-IN TRANSFORMER TRAINING (Replacing XFMR INFO) Six guided lessons take you from "what's a transformer?" to wiring a 3-pot bank: • Start Here — What is a Transformer? • Dual H Bushings — The Two Wirings & the Nameplate • The Tap Changer — One Pot, Multiple System Voltages • Three-Phase — The Three Phases and How They're Related • Bank Identification — Delta or Wye, Open or Closed • Your First Bank: Delta-Wye Closed (120/208) • More lessons on the way! Work the lessons in order, or jump straight to the labs. ALSO NEW IN 2.0 • The Sandbox (Beta) — wire anything from scratch in a COMPLETELY-customizable lab, with live, vector-based voltage and fault logic baked in. • Death Traps — scenario-based transformer traps linemen run into — and how to navigate them safely. • A brand-new look across every lab — new graphics, sharper, faster, & easier to read in the field. • Voltmeter you can now drag with two fingers; readings update as the leads move. • Parallel the secondary coils by hand in wye secondary labs • Stats that track lab completions, quiz scoring and for-fun stuff like the number of fuses you've blown. • User Customizations - the user can now alter the spec of their labs; from grounding to parallel coil cutover-direction, requiring the 4th cutout, tap changer implementation and more. • 2.0 is FREE for everyone who already owns XFMR Lab — thank you for years of feedback and encouragement. WHAT YOU GET Single Phase — Single Bushing · Dual Bushing Three Phase (closed) — Delta-Delta · Delta-Wye · Wye-Delta · Wye-Wye Three Phase (open) — Open Delta-Delta · Open Wye-Delta Misc — Paralleling · 4th Cutout · Death Traps (6 Scenarios) Advanced — Straight 480 · 240/480 · 277/480 · Corner-Grounded 240/480 · Wye-Wye 5-Wire (120/240 + 120/208) - all now able to be wired up Wye AND Delta on the topside The Sandbox (Beta) EVERY FUTURE UPDATE IS FREE - THE APP IS A ONE-TIME PURCHASE. I'm always working on new updates. TOOLS & REFERENCE • Volt, ohm and rotation meters with real behavior • Nameplate, secondary coil and tap changer animations • Reference diagrams for every standard bank Learning Mode walks apprentices through every wrong-connection check. Journeymen and experienced users can keep this turned off if they'd like. QUIZZES • Classic Quiz — Select each lab you want in your quiz - with graded scoring across each lab. • Advanced Quiz — You're provided with the job-site info and need to pick the right nameplate and coil setup, then wire it. • Bank ID - A beginner's quiz tied into the new XFMR Training lesson plan. The user is provided with different primary and secondary wirings and must correctly identify them. Used by 30,000+ linemen since 2021. Questions? Suggestions? Reach me at info@digitalapprentice.net

About

Graylight

This educational app offers comprehensive courses and field-tested techniques for bowhunting mule deer. Learn habitat, scouting, stalking, and bow tuning strategies directly from an experienced hunter. Connect with a community of users and access exclusive content to improve your hunting success.

Highlights
  • Mule deer bowhunting courses
  • Habitat and scouting strategies
  • Glassing and stalking techniques
  • Bow tuning lessons
  • Field-recorded insights
  • Community sharing and Q&A
Features
Read full description

The Gray Light App is the very first educational outdoors, woodsman based bowhunting app made mindfully for Mule Deer hunters! With consistent and fresh content designed to drive results across the many different aspects of the hunt in order to become a knowledgeable and successful bowhunter. Each course will build proficiencies in their respective categories by drilling down on specific habitat and species related subject matter through repetition. FASTRACK. Your learning experience with The Gray Light App and its many different courses pertaining to the hunt: Habitat, Scouting, Glassing, Stalking, Bow Tuning, Terrain as well as many others. All content is recorded straight from the field to give users a raw learning experience of useful incites and techniques proven to be successful and relevant to today’s hard-working woodsman. LEARN. Techniques and tactics mindfully created into course lessons, broken down based upon terrain type and sub species. Directly related to understanding the interworking’s of connecting the dots during any hunt out West relating to Mule Deer. COMMUNITY. Share and celebrate your success stories with other users. You will find updates on new and exclusive courses available. Ask the questions on your mind and Marlon hand picks your FAQ for new content lessons. WINNING. With the Pro Hunter Subscription as Marlon Holden, a renown DIY Western, Spot and Stalk Bowhunter shows you the Realtime ins and outs of in field hunting tactics. With a proven track record of success spanning beyond the last fifteen years, Marlon has the skillset and the credit to apply his knowledge in a way like no other can. With well over sixty Mule Deer bow kills to his credit over many different varied terrain types, Marlon can help shorten your learning curve to becoming a better and more successful woodsman! While Marlon cannot gift you with instinct, he can absolutely provide you the essential knowledge necessary for a credible roadmap which leads to successful hunts no matter where you hunt. With this App you will have the ultimate tool to aide you in your quest to become the ultimate bowhunter, filling more tags and creating lasting memories afield! Readout full Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy: https://passion.io/terms-of-service https://passion.io/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Lineman's Reference4 screens
Graylight4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Graylight at Free against Lineman's Reference's $19.99. Graylight also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 62%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Lineman's Reference's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement 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

Graylight is free to download; Lineman's Reference costs $19.99 up front. Graylight sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Lineman's Reference asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Graylight holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lineman's Reference has 307 ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Lineman's Reference's written reviews are positive against 89% of Graylight's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lineman's Reference ships an update every 4 weeks, Graylight every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Lineman's Reference versus Graylight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLineman's ReferenceGraylight
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (307 ratings)4.8 (33 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.2% of reviews89.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings307 — better33
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#8 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB91 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDigital Apprentice LLCMarlon Holden

Customer experience

Lineman's Reference

All ratings307 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral4.2%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive62.2%
Neutral22.2%
Negative15.6%

Graylight

All ratings33 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive89.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.5%

Bugs and requests

Lineman's Reference

Reported bugs

33 issues
  • Tutorial loop
  • Lines not connecting
  • Cannot wire up all banks
  • WYE Delta is wrong
  • Cannot bus secondary x2 to x2 bushing for delta secondaries
Show 28 more
  • Cannot select subtractive transformers
  • Wiring on X bushings not to exact phase
  • H2 to neutral connection issues
  • WYE Delta bank gives wrong voltage read
  • Fuse blows when attaching case grounds in delta secondary
  • Wrong wiring in diagram for 277/480 Wye/Wye bank
  • HV on transformer name plate is wrong
  • Shows wrong connection with right hook up
  • Paralleling cans connection issue
  • Voltmeter does not work
  • Cannot drop leads to voltmeter on bottom two phases
  • No option to select transformers
  • No option for primary voltage
  • No 277/480 option
  • No additive/subtractive options
  • Cannot pick secondary and primary side voltages
  • App tells user bank is wrong when it's correct
  • App incorrectly identifies bank type
  • Cannot put voltmeter on C phase secondary leads in horizontal screen
  • Cannot create 277/480 and straight 480 banks
  • Cannot manually parallel secondary windings
  • Lines too close to bottom of screen
  • Cannot look back at bank during quiz
  • High side H2 tied to ground in WYE delta
  • Only allows 120/240 or 120/208 hookups
  • Voltmeter not reading correctly when paralleling
  • App says something is wrong but doesn't specify correction
  • App keeps blowing doors on a correct connection

Requested features

23 requests
  • Ability to build own banks
  • Add tap changer settings
  • Add vector charts
  • Add more labs with different scenarios
  • Create your own bank option
Show 18 more
  • Add a WYE bank that stays in series
  • Add hints button
  • Add power banks
  • Add single bushing pots
  • Add 480 banks
  • Include transformers of different polarities
  • Add 4th cutout to WYE delta banks
  • Add additive and subtractive transformers
  • Select transformers from a list
  • Tie three phase secondary legs on open secondary lines
  • Add lighter bank category
  • Expand into metering
  • Add open delta WYE bank
  • Practice drawing vectors
  • See vectors for transformers
  • Ability to cut over pots
  • Add 240/480/277 and 277/480 options
  • More in-depth internals

Graylight

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Lineman's Reference

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Graylight

Subscriptions1
  • Subscription2 variants$9.991 Month

Questions

Is Lineman's Reference free?
Lineman's Reference costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Graylight free?
Graylight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lineman's Reference or Graylight?
Graylight is rated higher. Lineman's Reference averages 4.6 out of 5 from 307 ratings, while Graylight averages 4.8 from 33 ratings.
Do Lineman's Reference or Graylight have ads?
Graylight shows ads; Lineman's Reference does not.
Which is updated more often, Lineman's Reference or Graylight?
Lineman's Reference ships an update every 4 weeks, and Graylight every 7 months. Most recently, Lineman's Reference was updated on October 14, 2026 and Graylight on October 11, 2026.

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