Arlektra Mini vs QSO Central
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Arlektra Mini
Learn electronics and circuits through interactive augmented reality. Visualize complex theories, build circuits with step-by-step instructions, and explore electrical components in 3D.
- Augmented reality 3D instructions
- Real-time visualizations
- Step-by-step circuit building
- Detailed 3D component views
- Digital multimeter basics
- Interactive learning
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Arlektra Mini™ teaches electronics and circuits hands-on, while using real-time Augmented Reality 3D instructions and animations through your phone or tablet. Now you easily learn, build and see the world of electronics and circuits like never before! When using the complete Arlektra Mini learning kit, or the demo Arlektra Mini image target, learners will: SEE THEORY Arlektra Mini will allow you to easily visualize and comprehend the most difficult electrical concepts and theories, as they come alive right before your very eyes. You'll finally understand the unseen complexities of electrical theory, with vision and insight beyond your imagination. BUILD CIRCUITS Using step-by-step Visual (3D), Audio and Text instructions, Arlektra Mini will teach you to build electrical circuits, with ease. You’ll learn to build various types of circuits, while using different electrical parts to do so - all without any assistance. EXPLORE PARTS Arlektra Mini will allow you to see real electrical parts in detailed 3D exploded and 360 views - while you look through your mobile device. You'll learn about their inner workings and operation, and how they connect and work together in electrical circuits. LEARN TOOLS Arlektra Mini will teach you the basics of a Digital Multimeter. You'll learn a multimeters functions, and how tests and basic electrical troubleshooting procedures are performed. Arlektra Mini comes with everything you want and need. No other app in the universe can teach you electronics and circuits like Arlektra Mini. It will inspire and prepare you for the future, beyond your imagination! Requirements: *Camera Permissions: Needed by the Arlektra Mini app to produce the Augmented Reality experience through your rear camera *Guest Menu Lessons: To use these lessons, you must first download and print the required Arlektra Mini Image Target from: https://arstemlabs.com/pages/arlektra-mini-demo
QSO Central
Prepare for amateur radio licensing exams with comprehensive study tools, including flashcards and practice tests. Access offline station utilities for band plans, antenna calculations, and Morse code training. Optional features provide live data for satellite tracking and callsign lookups.
- Offline license exam preparation
- Satellite tracking and pass prediction
- U.S. Band Plan and privilege display
- Antenna and electrical calculators
- Morse code trainer
- Offline logbook with ADIF/CSV export
- FCC rules and plain-language summaries
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QSO Central is the all-in-one companion for amateur radio operators and anyone studying for their license. No sign-in, no ads, no tracking. The study and station tools work completely offline: perfect for the field, a contest site, or a basement shack with no signal. Optional Live Data features add real-time information when you're connected. LICENSE EXAM PREP (offline) • Full official NCVEC question pools: Technician, General, and Amateur Extra • Flashcards, browsable and searchable questions, and a realistic timed practice exam with instant grading • Missed-question review and progress for each named subelement, saved on your device • Diagrams included for the questions that need them SATELLITES • Track amateur satellites and see upcoming passes from your location, with times, direction and elevation • AR sky view: point your phone at the sky to find a satellite as it passes overhead • Search by name or NORAD ID, and star your favorites STATION TOOLKIT (offline) • U.S. Band Plan: slide across any band to see mode, common use, and exactly what your license class may transmit, color-coded by privilege • Antenna calculators: dipole, vertical, wavelength, plus SWR, coax loss, feedline impedance, and balun • Electrical calculators: Ohm's Law and battery runtime & capacity • Grid Square tools: your Maidenhead grid from GPS, saved as your home grid in one tap, plus distance and bearing between grids on a map • Morse Code trainer: characters, random groups, callsign practice, and head-copy with adjustable speed and Farnsworth timing • Logbook: log contacts in UTC and export standard ADIF and CSV files • Contest clock: a live UTC clock over a reference of major recurring contests • Emergency Comms: ICS forms reference, your own frequency plans, local repeaters, and contacts REFERENCE LIBRARY (offline) • The full text of 47 CFR Part 97 (the FCC amateur rules), plus plain-language summaries of common topics: Q-codes, phonetics, repeaters, operating procedures, and more • Built-in Help & Guides • Everything searchable, everything offline LIVE DATA (optional, needs internet) • Callsign Lookup: U.S. lookups via the FCC database, no account required; optionally add your own QRZ.com or HamQTH account for worldwide results • Propagation: current solar indices and day/night band conditions • Repeater Directory: find and sort nearby repeaters with offset, tone, mode, and a map • On the Air: a live feed of current POTA (Parks on the Air) activations Each Live Data screen credits its public source and caches its last result so you can still see it offline. QSO CENTRAL DX+ (optional subscription) DX+ adds Logbook Upload: send your contacts straight to your own QRZ.com, eQSL, and ARRL Logbook of The World (LoTW) accounts. Everything else in QSO Central is free, including logging and ADIF/CSV export. DX+ is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm your purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless you turn it off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and you can manage or cancel it anytime in your App Store account settings. PRIVACY BY DESIGN QSO Central runs no servers and has no ads, trackers, or analytics. Your data stays on your device. Your location is used only on your device and is never transmitted; you can skip it and type your grid by hand. The camera is used only for the AR sky view, and the image never leaves your phone. Live Data and Logbook Upload send only what's needed directly to the service you chose. Set your license class and home grid once in Settings, and the whole app tailors itself to you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: QSO Central at 5.0 against Arlektra Mini's 4.3. QSO Central also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 17 months). Arlektra Mini's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. QSO Central sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Arlektra Mini asks for nothing beyond the download.
QSO Central holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arlektra Mini has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Arlektra Mini ships an update every 17 months, QSO Central every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Arlektra Mini | QSO Central |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (6 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 274 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AR STEM LABS | Brickhouse Technologies LLC |
Customer experience
Arlektra Mini
QSO Central
In-app purchases
Arlektra Mini
No in-app purchases
QSO Central
- DX+ Log Upload Monthly$2.991 Month
- DX+ Log Upload Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
Questions
Is Arlektra Mini free?
Is QSO Central free?
Which has better reviews, Arlektra Mini or QSO Central?
Do Arlektra Mini or QSO Central have ads?
Which is updated more often, Arlektra Mini or QSO Central?
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