HamBand vs Radio GridFix
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HamBand
This app provides amateur radio operators with real-time HF band condition assessments using live solar weather data. It offers band ratings, a greyline visualizer, and trend charts to help predict propagation. An Apple Watch companion app is also available for quick access to information.
- Real-time HF band condition ratings
- Greyline visualizer for propagation
- 7-day trend charts for solar data
- Live Solar Flux Index and K-Index
- Apple Watch companion app and complication
- No subscriptions, accounts, or ads
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HamBand - HF Band Conditions HamBand gives amateur radio operators instant, real-time HF band condition assessments based on live solar weather data from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. Whether you're heading out for a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation, setting up for Field Day, or just checking conditions from the shack, HamBand tells you what the bands are doing right now - no account, no setup, no clutter. Band Conditions Get instant Good, Fair, or Poor ratings for the five primary HF bands - 10m, 15m, 20m, 40m, and 80m - based on real solar physics. Ratings are calculated from the Solar Flux Index (SFI) and K-Index using band-specific propagation thresholds. Greyline Visualizer Watch the day/night terminator move across a live world map in real time. When your QTH sits on the greyline, low-band DX on 160m, 80m, and 40m lights up — so instead of guessing when that sweet spot rolls through, you can see it coming. 7-Day Trend Charts Track how solar conditions have evolved over the past week with interactive K-Index and SFI trend charts. Spot incoming geomagnetic storms before they kill your signal. Live Solar Data See the current Solar Flux Index, K-Index, and last updated time at a glance. Tap either metric for a plain-English explanation of what it means for your operating. Apple Watch Companion Check band conditions right from your wrist. The Apple Watch app and complication keep key solar indices and band ratings accessible without touching your phone - perfect when both hands are on the antenna. Pull to Refresh Always fetching fresh data directly from NOAA. No subscriptions, no accounts, no ads. HamBand is built by KD3CLW, a licensed amateur radio operator in western Pennsylvania. 73 de KD3CLW
Radio GridFix
Instantly capture and convert your GPS location into various formats like Maidenhead Grid, Decimal Degrees, Geohash, and Plus Code. Ideal for amateur radio operators, emergency communications, and land navigation needs.
- Accurate GPS position locking
- Convert to Maidenhead Grid
- Convert to Decimal Degrees
- Convert to DMS
- Convert to Geohash
- Convert to Plus Code
- Copy location instantly
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Lock an accurate GPS position once and instantly copy it as Maidenhead Grid, Decimal Degrees, DMS, Geohash, or Plus Code. Built for amateur radio operators, POTA, SOTA, emergency communications, and land navigation. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HamBand at none against Radio GridFix's 1. Radio GridFix's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 10 days) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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. Radio GridFix sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. HamBand asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HamBand against 5.0 for Radio GridFix. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.
HamBand ships an update every 10 days, Radio GridFix daily. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | HamBand | Radio GridFix |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | TAYLOR JOHN TRANSUE | Ken Webster |
Customer experience
HamBand
Radio GridFix
In-app purchases
HamBand
No in-app purchases
Radio GridFix
- Radio GridFix Pro$9.991 Year
