HAM Radio Apps

Philippe (F4IQP) successfully received an SSTV (Slow Scan Television) image transmitted by the International Space Station (ISS) using the SDR-Control app and its newly added SSTV decoding feature. Remarkably, the image was captured overnight while the station passed overhead — without any manual intervention. Philippe commented:
“SDR-Control rocks, I was sleeping! 😜”

My personal attempt during the day resulted in partial reception — only the header was captured. The ISS had already passed over my location by several thousand kilometers by the time the transmission began, making full reception impossible as it moved beyond range.

For radio enthusiasts interested in decoding SSTV transmissions from the ISS, a simple setup is all that’s needed. A standard ground plane (GP) antenna suffices — no need for specialized equipment. To know when the ISS will be within range, the ISS Detector app is highly recommended:
👉 ISS Detector on the App Store

Once the ISS is overhead, tune your radio to 145.800 MHz, launch the SSTV decoder in SDR-Control (available for Mac, iPad, and iPhone), and listen in. Set it to run automatically and you might wake up to an image from space — just like Philippe did.

Apple has just released all three new updates for SDR-Control across macOS, iPadOS, and iOS platforms. These latest versions bring several minor enhancements, along with a major new feature: SSTV (Slow Scan Television) reception is now fully supported.

With SSTV now integrated, users can receive and decode SSTV transmissions directly on their Mac, iPad, or iPhone — making it easier than ever to capture images transmitted via amateur radio, including those from the International Space Station (ISS).

The app manuals have also been revised to reflect the new functionality and improvements, ensuring users have up-to-date guidance.

Work is now underway to bring SSTV to the other ham radio apps in the lineup. Looking further ahead, plans include support for SSTV image transmission, expanding the capabilities even further.

Radio enthusiasts who successfully receive SSTV images, particularly from the ISS, are encouraged to share their captures. Selected submissions may be featured on this site.

Slow Scan Television (SSTV) is making its way to the HAM-Radio-Apps. SSTV reception will first be introduced in the SDR-Control app for macOS and both iOS apps. Support for other platforms, including FlexRadio, YAESU, Kenwood, and Elecraft, will follow shortly thereafter. In a future update, SSTV transmission capabilities will also be added across all supported platforms.

SSTV remains an active and engaging mode in the amateur radio community, especially on 14.230 MHz. Additionally, through July 20, the International Space Station (ISS) is transmitting SSTV images on 145.800 MHz FM. These space-originated SSTV images are part of an ongoing initiative by ARISS. More details can be found at ARISS SSTV Events.

Stay tuned as HAM-Radio-Apps expands its feature set to include this popular and visually captivating mode.

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A significant wave of updates is on the way for the ham radio apps. Following a holiday break, development has resumed at full pace, resulting in 11 app updates currently pending release by Apple.

These updates primarily focus on user-requested improvements and fixes received via the app included Contact Support button while on holidays. Among the enhancements are continued refinements to FT8 functionality and upgrades to the POTA Tool, ensuring smoother and more accurate operation.

For macOS users, improvements have been made to RigCtr/HamLib integration and Cabrillo log export, offering greater compatibility and ease of use. In addition, all apps have received general performance optimizations and minor bug fixes to enhance overall reliability.

Stay tuned — once Apple completes its review, the updates will be available for download.

Meanwhile, additional features are already under development.

FlexRadio has joined other leading amateur radio manufacturers in integrating digital signal enhancement techniques to reduce unwanted intermodulation distortion (IMD). Following the innovations of Apache Labs (ANAN) with their adaptive PureSignal technology, and Icom’s static Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) feature for the IC-7610 and IC-7760, FlexRadio now introduces Adaptive Pre-Distortion (APD), also branded as SmartSignal, for their 8000 Series and the upcoming Aurora radios.

While the 6000 Series is not currently supported, FlexRadio has hinted at the possibility of a future hardware add-on that could extend APD capabilities to these earlier models.

Comparing Signal Enhancement Technologies

Three major signal improvement technologies are now available across top-tier radios:

• PureSignal (ANAN) and SmartSignal/APD (FlexRadio) are adaptive systems, constantly recalibrating based on real-time TX conditions.
• DPD (Icom) is a static system, calibrated once either during manufacturing or manually by the operator.

Adaptive systems offer broader flexibility, especially in dynamic operating environments, as they adjust automatically when changing frequencies or external conditions. Static systems, while simpler, do not adapt after initial calibration. Notably, adaptive systems such as ANAN’s PureSignal also support feedback from external power amplifiers, a capability not currently available with FlexRadio’s APD.

How to Enable and Use APD or DPD

• Icom Radios (IC-7610, IC-7760): With firmware version 1.4x and the latest SDR-Control app, users can activate DPD via a simple toggle in the Radio Settings menu. The IC-7760 is factory-calibrated, while IC-7610 users may need to run a manual calibration if not previously completed.
• FlexRadio (8000 Series): APD requires firmware version 3.9.x and SDR-Control app version 7.0.70 (iOS) or 2.9.70 (macOS). If available, an APD button appears in the TX panel of the Radio Control screen. A blue button indicates that APD is active; gray means it is off. Tapping toggles the feature.

Looking Ahead

FlexRadio’s move toward adaptive signal correction with APD marks a significant step in improving transmission quality. Future enhancements may include broader support and external PA feedback capabilities, aligning with the flexibility currently seen in ANAN’s PureSignal.

In any case, rest assured that the ham-radio-apps will continue to follow and support the latest technologies and features introduced by FlexRadio, Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood and Elecraft.

Dayton (Xenia) Hamvention is under way and the show floor has already delivered a series of notable transceiver launches.

FlexRadio: Aurora™ Series & Adaptive Predistortion

FlexRadio has unveiled new Aurora™ Series – HF/6 m radios offering 500 W output and up to 90 % efficiency. At the same time, Adaptive Predistortion (ADP) is slated for release on the Flex-8000 line soon. FlexRadio kept me informed well in advance, so both Aurora and ADP compatibility are already in the works for SmartSDR. Exact availability will be announced; please refrain from requesting specific dates.

Icom IC-7760 enters the lineup

Icom’s recently revealed IC-7760 adds another flagship to its HF portfolio and is already supported by all SDR-Control variants.

Yaesu debuts the FTX-1 Field & Optima

The brand-new FTX-1 arrives in two flavours – QRP portable and 100 W full-power – covering HF/50/144/430 MHz in all modes. Initial reactions point to robust on-air performance but also highlight a premium price tag, feature parity gaps versus the IC-705, and the absence of an integrated LAN server. Remote-operation prospects remain uncertain pending clarification on support for the optional (and separately priced) SCU-LAN interface. As long as Yaesu doesn’t enable SCU-LAN support on the FTX-1, the transceiver cannot be integrated into my FT-Control apps.

Quiet boards at Kenwood & Elecraft

Apart from Kenwood’s TM-D750, no major product disclosures have surfaced from Kenwood or Elecraft so far.

Introduction

Correct timing is essential for weak-signal digital modes such as FT8 and FT4, yet misunderstandings about how that timing is achieved persist. Wrong assumptions can lead operators to purchase unnecessary hardware or install superfluous software. The following clarifies the most common myths and explains why modern devices—particularly macOS and iOS—already provide all that is required.

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Myth 1 — The transceiver’s clock must be GPS-synchronized

Reality: FT8 and FT4 depend on the clock of the client device (computer, smartphone, or tablet), not the radio. The transceiver simply follows the audio stream provided by the software.

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Myth 2 — A computer must use an external GPS to stay accurate

Reality: For Apple operating systems, built-in Network Time Protocol (NTP) services keep the system clock well within the tolerance that FT8 decoding requires. Apple devices poll Apple’s NTP servers continuously and adjust for network latency automatically.

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Myth 3 — Third-party “clock fixer” utilities improve FT8 reliability

Reality: Additional software rarely improves upon the accuracy already achieved by the native NTP service. Extra background apps can, however, consume resources and complicate troubleshooting. On macOS and iOS, keeping “Set date and time automatically” enabled is sufficient.

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Myth 4 — Deviations of a few milliseconds break FT8

Reality: Modern FT8 implementations like in all of my apps decode in several phases, accepting offsets of ±1 s—and often more—without issues. Timing precision remains more critical for secure network authentication than for FT8 signal exchange.

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Practical Checks and Best Practices

Task	How to Verify	Action Needed
Confirm system time	Visit time.is in Safari	Expect “Your time is exact” or minimal offset
Enable automatic time	System Settings → General → Date & Time	Ensure “Set Automatically” is turned on
Diagnose large offsets	Check firewall/DNS restrictions	Allow access to time.apple.com NTP servers
Temporary offline use	Rely on the device’s crystal oscillator	Apple hardware remains accurate for several days

The manuals for all Ham Radio Apps have recently been updated to include information about the newly introduced UltraBeam Tool and Command Bar feature. These additions provide users with detailed guidance on setup, configuration, and best practices for getting the most out of these powerful tools.

In addition, the Common Issues section has been revised and expanded. It now includes solutions to the most frequently asked questions and common support inquiries received in recent months. Users encountering problems are encouraged to check this section first—many issues can be resolved immediately without waiting for a support response.

A reminder to all users: the in-app “Contact Support” feature is the recommended way to request assistance. This tool is found:

• On iOS Apps: under the Settings screen
• On Mac Apps: under the Help menu

Using this feature offers several benefits:

• A new support ticket is automatically created, simplifying follow-ups
• It sends essential information such as the app version, OS version, and device platform
• This context helps streamline troubleshooting and avoids unnecessary delays

Sometimes, the Contact Support feature may not function. This is typically due to email not being properly set up on the device. This scenario—and how to resolve it—is also addressed in the updated Common Issues section of the manual.

For full details and the latest documentation, visit the Ham Radio Apps Manuals.

The new Command Bar feature has now been rolled out across all macOS and iPad versions of the Ham Radio Apps. Designed with power users in mind, the Command Bar provides a customizable interface to enhance and streamline radio operations.

This feature allows users to create buttons displayed on the Main Panadapter Screen, which can be configured to:

• Launch external applications
• Open websites
• Send CAT commands directly to the radio

Each of these actions can also be triggered using keyboard shortcuts or controller buttons, offering fast and flexible control.

On macOS, this means a single tap can launch favorite external software tools. While iOS limits direct app launching, the Command Bar supports Apple Shortcuts. By entering commands such as shortcut://run-shortcut?name=test, users can run custom Shortcuts that execute a variety of tasks—even scripts.

More on Apple Shortcuts can be found in Apple’s official Shortcuts User Guide.

The Send CAT Commands feature adds even greater versatility. Depending on the specific CAT protocol used by the radio, various operations can be triggered:

• FlexRadio: profile global load test loads a global profile named “test”
• Elecraft: SW153; activates the function assigned to PF1
• Icom: 060302 switches the mode to CW (hexadecimal format)

This powerful functionality allows advanced users to fine-tune their radio environment and automate tasks, improving overall workflow and responsiveness.

For full documentation visit the Ham Radio Apps Manuals.

Support for the Ultra Beam antenna system has now been added across all Ham Radio Apps—excluding iPhone apps due to screen size limitations.

The Ultra Beam is widely seen as a dependable and durable European counterpart to the Stepp-IR antenna system. For more on its specifications and model options, visit WiMo’s UltraBeam product page.

The system includes the RCU-06 Control Unit, designed to adjust the antenna for a given frequency.

However, the RCU-06 only includes physical CAT and USB interfaces, lacking native LAN support for remote access.

To overcome this, WiMo has introduced Ultra Beam Remote Controller software, designed to run on an affordable Raspberry Pi. This software bridges the gap by adding LAN connectivity and offering a web-based interface for managing the RCU-06 over the network.

It also includes an API, which is now fully supported by the Ham Radio Apps.

With this integration, the Ultra Beam can automatically tune to the current frequency in the app—no physical connection required between the controller and the radio. Users with multiple radios can easily switch between them within the app. Supported brands include Icom, FlexRadio, Yaesu, Kenwood, and Elecraft.

This setup even supports remote operation over the internet.

For implementation details and setup instructions, refer to the app manuals at ham-radio-apps.com/manuals.