Comparison

FT Ham vs PhosphorRTTY

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

Head to head
About

FT Ham

Decode and transmit FT8/FT4 amateur radio signals directly from your mobile device. Features real-time decoding, automatic QSO sequencing, and an integrated logbook with ADIF export. All processing is done offline and locally on your device.

Highlights
  • Real-time FT8/FT4 decoding
  • Offline audio transmission
  • Automatic QSO sequencing
  • Live waterfall display
  • Integrated logbook with ADIF export
  • Customizable message composer
Features
Read full description

FT Ham – FT8/FT4 Decoder & Audio Transmitter for Amateur Radio FT Ham puts a complete FT8/FT4 decoder and audio encoder/transmitter in your pocket. Decode, reply, and log QSOs directly from your iPhone — all in real time, fully offline. What the app does for you: - Live Waterfall: frequency vs time spectrogram with color intensity and vertical labels for each decoded signal. - Real-time Decoding: receive FT8 and FT4 audio via microphone or connected audio interface and see callsigns, reports, and SNR instantly. - Transmit (Encode & Play): generate FT8/FT4 audio for CQ, reports, RRR, and 73, aligned to correct UTC slots and played through speaker or radio interface. - Auto QSO Sequencing: detects CQ, prepares replies, respects UTC timing and even/odd cycles, retries if needed, and can complete QSOs automatically. - Manual Control Always Available: full manual message selection and intervention at any point. - Predefined Messages & Composer: CQ, DX→ME, reports, RRR, and 73 — automatically filled with your callsign and locator, fully customizable. - Logbook & ADIF Export: automatically log completed QSOs and export to standard ADIF for external logging software. - Contact Map: visualize logged QSOs and geographic coverage in a single view. Privacy & Safety: - All decoding and signal processing runs entirely on your device. No internet connection required. - FT Ham does not collect or share personal data. All settings and logs remain local on your device. - Audio output may be connected to external radios; always comply with local amateur radio regulations. - Payments are handled by Apple or third-party services; FT Ham never receives payment details. Legal & Licenses: - FT Ham code is released under the MIT License. - Third-party library licenses are included in-app.

About

PhosphorRTTY

Decode Radio Teletype (RTTY) signals in real time using your iPhone's microphone. Listen to shortwave radio transmissions and see the text appear on an authentic phosphor CRT display. No internet or external hardware needed.

Highlights
  • Real-time RTTY signal decoding
  • Authentic phosphor CRT display
  • Automatic signal detection (AFC, baud, shift)
  • Manual tuning options
  • Live signal analysis (FFT, waterfall)
  • Session logging and sharing
  • Customizable display themes
Features
Read full description

PhosphorRTTY decodes Radio Teletype (RTTY) signals in real time using your iPhone's microphone. Hold your phone near a shortwave radio tuned to an RTTY signal and watch the text appear on screen, character by character, on an authentic phosphor CRT display. No internet connection required. No external hardware. No account. Just your iPhone and a radio. WHAT IT DECODES RTTY is the oldest digital mode in amateur radio — two audio tones representing mark and space, encoding text via the 5-bit ITA2 (Baudot) alphabet or 7-bit ASCII. PhosphorRTTY handles all standard configurations: Baud rates: 45.45, 50, 75, 100 Bd (auto-detected or manual) Shifts: 85, 170, 450, 850 Hz (auto-detected or manual) ITA2 (Baudot) and ASCII modes USB and LSB conventions AUTOMATIC SIGNAL DETECTION The app automatically finds and locks onto RTTY signals: AFC (Automatic Frequency Control) acquires and tracks drifting signals Auto-baud detection identifies the transmission speed Auto-shift detection determines the frequency separation Squelch suppresses noise when no signal is present Or disable any of these and tune manually for full control. FOUR TABS DECODE — The main teleprinter display. Decoded text appears character by character with an authentic mechanical delay. Status bar shows baud rate, shift, mark/space frequencies, and signal lock state. Clear, pause, and session controls. SIGNAL — Live signal analysis. FFT spectrum display (0–4 kHz), scrolling waterfall, mark/space tone indicators, bit period histogram with baud rate markers, and a paper punch tape visualisation of the decoded data stream. LOG — Session history. Every decode session is saved with timestamp, duration, character count, and the full decoded text. Copy, share, or delete individual sessions. CONFIG — All parameters. Audio input gain, decode mode (auto/manual for baud, frequency, and shift), display theme, font size, bell character handling, and RYRY sequence display options. THE DISPLAY Two authentic phosphor CRT themes: Amber (classic teleprinter terminal) Green (military/commercial terminal) Both feature horizontal scanlines, edge vignette, and phosphor glow effects. Monospaced font throughout. RYRY test sequences can be dimmed or hidden to keep the display clean. DSP ENGINE The signal processing is done entirely on-device using a per-sample I/Q quadrature demodulation pipeline: Biquad low-pass filtered I/Q channels for each tone W7AY Automatic Threshold Correction for bit decisions Digital Phase-Locked Loop (DPLL) with per-transition phase correction for timing recovery 512-point FFT for frequency analysis and AFC Asymmetric envelope detection for robust tone tracking through fading Tested against real over-the-air recordings from 20m and 40m amateur bands. Under 1% error rate on clean signals, 4–5% on moderate HF conditions with fixed tuning. WHERE TO FIND RTTY Amateur radio: 14.080–14.099 MHz (20m band), 7.080–7.100 MHz (40m band), 21.080–21.100 MHz (15m band). RTTY contests run throughout the year — during a contest, these frequencies are packed with signals. Maritime and commercial RTTY transmissions can be found across the HF spectrum. A shortwave receiver or SDR with audio output is all you need. REQUIREMENTS iPhone with microphone iOS 17 or later A radio receiver tuned to an RTTY signal (shortwave radio, SDR, or WebSDR audio played through a speaker) No in-app purchases. No subscriptions. No tracking. No network access.

Screenshots

FT Ham4 screens
PhosphorRTTY4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: FT Ham at Free against PhosphorRTTY's $0.99. FT Ham also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.2). PhosphorRTTY's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On review sentiment, ads 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

FT Ham is free to download; PhosphorRTTY costs $0.99 up front. FT Ham sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. PhosphorRTTY asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FT Ham ships an update every 5 days, PhosphorRTTY every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
FT Ham versus PhosphorRTTY: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFT HamPhosphorRTTY
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.6 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPABLO TURRION SAN PEDROStuart Woolley

Customer experience

FT Ham

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PhosphorRTTY

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

FT Ham

One-time4
  • Donation of 0.99 €$0.99
  • FT Ham premium access$1.99
  • Donation of 2,99 €$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Donation of 4,99 €$3.99
None

PhosphorRTTY

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FT Ham free?
FT Ham is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PhosphorRTTY free?
PhosphorRTTY costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do FT Ham or PhosphorRTTY have ads?
Neither FT Ham nor PhosphorRTTY shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FT Ham or PhosphorRTTY?
FT Ham ships an update every 5 days, and PhosphorRTTY every 7 months. Most recently, FT Ham was updated on October 3, 2026 and PhosphorRTTY on October 14, 2026.

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