MeshCoreScanner vs HamSat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MeshCoreScanner
This app maps LoRa mesh network coverage in real-time by connecting to compatible BLE radio devices. It plots scan points and discovered repeaters on a map, cataloging signal quality and discovery history. Organize scans into sessions and export data for external analysis.
- Live coverage mapping on OpenStreetMap
- Repeater database with discovery history
- Coverage visualization per repeater
- Organized scan sessions
- Background scanning with GPS/BLE
- GeoJSON data export
- Fully offline functionality
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MeshCoreScanner is a companion app for MeshCore BLE radio devices that maps LoRa mesh network coverage in real time. Connect to your MeshCore companion radio via Bluetooth Low Energy and start scanning for nearby repeaters as you move. The app automatically triggers discovery scans based on distance traveled or time intervals, logging every repeater response with signal strength, SNR, and GPS coordinates. KEY FEATURES • Live Coverage Mapping — Scan points and discovered repeaters are plotted on an OpenStreetMap-based map as you travel • Repeater Database — All discovered repeaters are cataloged with signal quality, node type, coordinates, and discovery history • Coverage Visualization — View per-repeater coverage areas based on aggregated scan data • Scan Sessions — Organize your scanning activity into sessions for easy comparison and management • Scan-to-Repeater Lines — Tap any scan point to see connections to all repeaters heard at that location • Background Scanning — Continues scanning while the app is in the background using GPS and BLE • Distance or Time Trigger — Configure scans to trigger every X meters or every X seconds • Data Management — Delete repeaters by age or distance, filter imports, manage sessions • GeoJSON Export — Share your coverage data for analysis in external tools • Fully Offline — All data is stored locally on your device, no account or internet connection required REQUIREMENTS • A MeshCore-compatible BLE companion radio device • iPhone with Bluetooth Low Energy support • Location permission for GPS-based scan mapping MeshCoreScanner is built for the MeshCore LoRa mesh networking community. Whether you're planning repeater placement, verifying coverage, or exploring network reach — this app gives you the data you need.
HamSat
Track satellite passes with real-time azimuth, elevation, and Doppler-corrected frequencies. Features an Apple Watch companion for wrist-based aiming and pass tracking, and allows users to stamp photos with operational data.
- Apple Watch companion for pass tracking and antenna aiming
- Live sky dome with real-time satellite arcs
- Aim mode with phone compass and haptic feedback
- Doppler-corrected frequencies for operating during passes
- Photo stamping with callsign, grid, satellite, and UTC time
- Offline satellite tracking and propagation
- Geostationary satellite tracking
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HamSat is the satellite tracker built for amateur radio operators — with an Apple Watch companion on your wrist and, new in 2.1, a sked planner that finds the passes you and another operator can work together. NEW — SKED PLANNER (Pro) • Plan a contact, not just a pass: enter another operator's grid square and find every window where a satellite sees you both • Set a minimum elevation for each end of the link — a window only counts if it's workable at both stations • One tap adds the sked to your calendar with the overlap times, a 10-minute reminder, and the radio setup PLAN AHEAD • Pass predictions up to 7 days out • Add any pass to Apple Calendar — times, reminder, and frequencies in the notes. HamSat never reads your calendar. • Choose your pass-alert tone — including a CW "HI" in Morse APPLE WATCH (Pro) • Your next favorite pass on your wrist: live azimuth, elevation, Doppler-corrected frequencies, and a countdown to AOS • Guided wrist-aim — follow an arrow straight to the satellite and feel a haptic tap the instant you're locked on. Aim your antenna without looking at a screen, hands free for the radio. • Propagated on the watch itself, so it keeps tracking even when your phone is out of range PASS TRACKING • Live sky dome with the satellite's arc and a glyph riding it in real time • Fullscreen Live tracker — big AZ/EL, Doppler-corrected frequencies, landscape split-pane • Aim mode uses your phone's compass to show where you're pointing — no forced figure-8 calibration, just point and go • Apple Maps ground track with horizon footprint OPERATING DURING A PASS • Doppler-corrected RX (and TX for SSB/linear) dial frequencies, updated every second • 10-minute and AOS notifications that deep-link straight to the pass • Live Activity + Dynamic Island on the lock screen, elevation and azimuth ticking live • Bell badge on any pass you've set an alert for ROVER PROOF PHOTOS • Stamp a photo at your site with your callsign, grid, satellite, and UTC time — proof of where you were on the air • Fresh photo or one from your library; share to X, Messages, AirDrop — or submit for the AMSAT Rover Award ALWAYS OVERHEAD (free) • Lists any geostationary satellite in your sky — QO-100 (Es'hail 2) for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East • "Find it in the sky" — point your phone and check your line-of-sight to the bird is clear • No Pro required for geostationary satellites SATELLITE CATALOG • Friendly designations everywhere — SO-50, AO-91, RS-44, JO-97 — with launch names as subtitles • Search by name or NORAD ID • Curated radio data for the most-worked birds, plus live SatNOGS for the long tail — kept fresh by HamSat's catalog service • Filter by mode (FM, linear, beacon, data, telemetry) ACCURATE & OFFLINE • Full SGP4 propagation on-device — the model the pros use, so times and positions match apps like ISS Detector • Works completely offline — every pass, sky dome, ground track, and Doppler computed locally. No API keys, no rate limits. • Always-fresh orbital data via HamSat's catalog service, with direct CelesTrak/AMSAT fallback — or pin a source • Settings shows how fresh your orbital data is PRIVACY-FIRST • Your location stays on-device — nothing about you is sent to any server • Orbital data from public sources (CelesTrak, AMSAT, SatNOGS) • No accounts, no tracking, no ads HamSat Pro — the field operator's toolkit • Sked planner — mutual passes with any partner grid • Apple Watch tracking & guided wrist-aim • Fullscreen Live tracker with second-by-second Doppler (landscape split-pane) • Live in-pass Doppler — corrected RX/TX at AOS, max, and LOS • Overhead-now live tracker for your favorites • Unlimited scheduled alerts — not just three • Shareable Rover proof photos One-time purchase, no subscription. 73 — and good DX!
Screenshots
Verdict
MeshCoreScanner and HamSat both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of MeshCoreScanner's written reviews are positive against 50% of HamSat's. MeshCoreScanner also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). HamSat's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. HamSat sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MeshCoreScanner asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for MeshCoreScanner against 4.4 for HamSat. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of MeshCoreScanner's written reviews are positive against 50% of HamSat's.
MeshCoreScanner ships an update every 6 weeks, HamSat every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.
| Parameter | MeshCoreScanner | HamSat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better | 4.4 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 — better | 26.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jaroslaw Karas | Vasco Barreiros |
Customer experience
MeshCoreScanner
HamSat
In-app purchases
MeshCoreScanner
No in-app purchases
HamSat
- HamSat Pro$9.99









