FT Ham vs PhosphorCW
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Real-time FT8/FT4 decoding
- Offline audio transmission
- Automatic QSO sequencing
- Live waterfall display
- Integrated logbook with ADIF export
- Customizable message composer
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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.
PhosphorCW
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PhosphorCW — Morse Code Decoder Decode CW (Morse code) signals in real time using your iPhone or iPad's microphone. PhosphorCW listens to radio audio and prints decoded text on screen with the warm glow of a vintage phosphor terminal. REAL-TIME DECODING Point your device at a radio speaker or feed audio via a line-in adapter. PhosphorCW's DSP engine continuously processes the audio stream, detecting CW tones and decoding them into readable text as they arrive. Characters appear on a teleprinter-style display that scrolls automatically, just like the machines that once clattered in radio rooms and newsrooms worldwide. AUTOMATIC SIGNAL TRACKING • Auto Frequency (AFC) — Automatically finds and locks onto the CW sidetone using FFT peak detection. No need to know the exact tone frequency. The tracker adapts as conditions change. • Auto Speed — Measures dit and dah timing to determine sending speed in words per minute. Adapts continuously from around 5 to 60 WPM as the operator's speed varies. Both can be switched to manual mode for fixed-frequency or fixed-speed operation. ON-DEVICE DSP ENGINE All signal processing happens locally on your device. Nothing is recorded, transmitted, or stored externally. The decoding pipeline includes: Bandpass filtering centred on the detected tone frequency Goertzel-based tone detection with adaptive noise floor tracking Envelope extraction with slow-decay peak tracking for reliable squelch Adaptive timing estimation for dit/dah discrimination and character/word gap detection Full ITU Morse code table including prosigns SIGNAL ANALYSIS A dedicated signal view provides: Live FFT spectrum display showing the audio frequency content Scrolling waterfall display for visualising signal activity over time Tone level indicator Real-time WPM, tone frequency, and SNR readout Lock status indicator showing when AFC has acquired a signal DISPLAY Choose from multiple phosphor colour themes — green, amber, white, and blue — inspired by the CRT terminals of the Cold War era. Adjustable decoder font size. Text selection enabled for copying decoded output. SESSION LOG Each decoding session is automatically logged with timestamp, duration, character count, WPM, and tone frequency. Review past sessions and their decoded text at any time. CONFIGURATION Input gain control (0.1x to 20x) Auto/manual frequency detection (300–1500 Hz range) Auto/manual speed tracking (5–60 WPM) Colour theme selection Font size adjustment USE CASES Monitor amateur radio CW transmissions Practice copying Morse code from on-air signals Decode CW practice recordings and training files Analyse CW signal characteristics Learn Morse code by watching the decoder work ABOUT CW Continuous Wave — the original digital mode. Samuel Morse's code has been the universal language of radio since the 1840s. From clipper ships to Cold War submarines, from Bletchley Park to amateur radio contests, CW remains the most efficient and reliable communications mode ever devised. This app decodes it from your microphone or line input. Requires microphone access for audio input. iOS 18.0 or later.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: FT Ham at Free against PhosphorCW'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). PhosphorCW's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On 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
FT Ham is free to download; PhosphorCW costs $0.99 up front. FT Ham sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. PhosphorCW asks for nothing beyond the download.
FT Ham ships an update every 5 days, PhosphorCW every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FT Ham | PhosphorCW |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PABLO TURRION SAN PEDRO | Stuart Woolley |
In-app purchases
FT Ham
- Donation of 0.99 €$0.99
- FT Ham premium access$1.99
- Donation of 2,99 €$2.99
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- Donation of 4,99 €$3.99
PhosphorCW
No in-app purchases








