Comparison

Kern River Propane vs OrbitDeck

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

Head to head
About

Kern River Propane

Features
Read full description

Information at your fingertips! This app gives you direct access to your account balance, location and contract information. It also gives you the ability to store and process payment and request service work and deliveries directly through the app.

About

OrbitDeck

Features
Read full description

OrbitDeck is a complete amateur-radio satellite station for iPhone and iPad. Track the birds, predict passes, tune your radio for Doppler, decode images, and log your contacts — all from live orbital elements. TRACK & PREDICT • Live look angles, range, range-rate, sub-point, and footprint • Next-pass predictions with quality scoring and elevation profiles • Daily schedule of every favorite's passes, ordered by AOS • Ground-track map, multi-day pass progression, and an all-sky radar • Animated 3D globe and a polar sky plot with AOS/LOS and direction-of-travel arrows WORK THE BIRDS • Four-dial Doppler for DX plus a single-station playbook • Per-satellite calibration shared across every Doppler screen • Link budgets, SatNOGS transponder data, AO-7 mode timer, and mutual-visibility windows RIG CONTROL (CAT) • Doppler-tune your transceiver over a Bluetooth serial adapter or an Icom network (Wi-Fi) radio • Icom CI-V, Yaesu, Kenwood (including TS-2000/790 satellite mode), and any Hamlib radio via rigctld • One full-duplex radio, a separate uplink/downlink pair, or two radios; follows your dial as you tune ROTATOR CONTROL • Azimuth/elevation control via GS-232, Easycomm, SPID, rotctld, PstRotator, SAEBRTrack, and OZ9AAR URC DIGITAL MODES & AUDIO • Over a USB audio interface or Icom network audio: record a pass, decode SSTV (Doppler-aware, with a post-pass re-decode and image fix-up), and work full-duplex FT4 on a linear transponder LOGGING • On-device QSO log with ADIF export and LoTW and Cloudlog/Wavelog upload Plus orbital analysis, live space weather, MUF/propagation, and classic OSCARLOCATOR overlays. OrbitDeck works fully as a tracker with no radio and no account. Rig control, rotator control, SSTV, and FT4 require your own amateur-radio equipment and a valid license; transmit only within your privileges. Orbital elements from AMSAT and CelesTrak; transponder data from SatNOGS; space weather from NOAA SWPC. FT4/FT8 use the MIT-licensed ft8_lib.

Screenshots

Kern River Propane3 screens
OrbitDeck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Kern River Propane at 12.2 against OrbitDeck's 17.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

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

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
Kern River Propane versus OrbitDeck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKern River PropaneOrbitDeck
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.2 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRural Computer Consultants, Inc.Paul Stoetzer

In-app purchases

None

Kern River Propane

No in-app purchases

None

OrbitDeck

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kern River Propane free?
Kern River Propane is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OrbitDeck free?
OrbitDeck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Kern River Propane or OrbitDeck have ads?
Neither Kern River Propane nor OrbitDeck shows ads.

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