There are a few notable arrivals into the Apple stable for amateur radio in late July. This is my second bulletin for July, the first in July 2026 is here.
This appears to be the FT8 app for iPad and iPhone ‘we have been waiting for’. Certainly, it’s been possible to do FT8 on both devices via a networked radio, like the Icom IC-7300 Mk2. But doing it directly connected a radio has proven difficult with underperforming software and confusing interface cabling. My use case is having an IC-7300 (original) in the field for POTA with my iPad and iPhone rather than with my MacBook or ThinkPad. The developer, Jon Schulman KB0RB, has been very responsive in answering questions and helping me order the right interface (A DigiRig Lite and an Icom IC-706 Digirig Cable Set for the IC-7300). According to the website, Greyline FT8 “provides a real-time waterfall, automated QSO modes, live spot maps, QRZ log integration, callsign lookups, and seamless audio interface support.” He’s also done a page on radio connections. After setting up, I’ll do another post on use and performance and the gear arrives from DigiRig.
Georges, WH6AZ, in Hawaii has announced that Radio Messenger is now available on the App Store. “Radio Messenger came from a simple idea: messaging over amateur radio works, but it has never felt like modern messaging. (It is) A full-featured messaging app with radio support built in, an integrated modem for audio adapters, and conversations that sync across your devices. No jargon. No complicated setup. Just radio messaging that works.” Read more.
DX-Zone reports: “EiBi-Tuner-v2 is an open-source macOS application designed to control amateur radio transceivers via the FLRIG interface, leveraging the EiBi-list for frequency management. This software provides a graphical user interface that emulates an older radio, allowing operators to tune their rigs based on the extensive EiBi database of broadcast stations and utility frequencies. The application is specifically compiled for macOS, offering a native experience for users of Apple’s desktop operating system”. Read more.
Thats it for July 2026!
73’s from, Andrew, VK2AWN in Bellingen, Australia.