SWLtools

Utilities

$3.99

Point it at a signal and read it. CW, RTTY, weather fax and ACARS, decoded live from your receiver, with every callsign heard collected for you. SWLtools: The Companion for Shortwave Listening Enthusiasts SWLtools is an app designed specifically for Shortwave Listening (SWL) enthusiasts who want to enhance their listening experience. It records what you hear, shows you the band, and reads the digital modes that carry text on the air. Whether you are a hobbyist or a dedicated DXer, SWLtools supports your activity from the antenna to the logbook. DECODING THE ON-AIR TEXT MODES Point the app at a signal and it turns it into readable text. - Morse (CW). The app follows the tone by itself and measures the sending speed from the signal, so it keeps up with hand-sent Morse as well as machine-sent. A side panel collects the callsigns it has heard, and each transmission starts on its own line when the operator hands over. - RTTY, in both ITA2 and SITOR-B. - Weather fax (WEFAX). The chart builds up line by line as it arrives, and can be saved straight to your photo library. - ACARS aircraft messages, with the ones carrying a position shown on a map. Decoded text can be saved, reopened later and shared. All times, on screen and in the saved files, are UTC — the way radio logs are kept. SPECTRUM AND WATERFALL If your receiver provides an IQ output, SWLtools displays the real-time spectrum and spectrogram. Visually explore the bands and gain deeper insight into the signals you are receiving. Where the two channels of a USB adapter do not arrive perfectly in step — a common trait of audio codecs — a sample-delay correction removes the mirror image that would otherwise appear beside every signal. AUDIO RECORDING AND STORAGE Easily record and store audio directly from your receiver. Capture signals from around the world and listen to them again whenever you want, or turn a recording into a video to share. OPTIMIZED FOR THE BELKA RECEIVER SWLtools was designed to work seamlessly with the Belka receiver. It is the perfect companion for outdoor listening sessions, letting you record your DX, explore frequencies with the spectrum view, or read a weather fax from the field. The app is optimized for low power consumption when displaying the spectrum and waterfall, making it ideal for portable use. REQUIREMENTS To use SWLtools you need an inexpensive USB audio adapter (ADC/DAC) connected to your iOS device. These affordable dongles typically provide a microphone input and a headphone output, which is enough to record, to decode, and to show a single-channel spectrum. A two-channel audio interface does more: it carries a true I/Q pair, so the spectrum shows the full band above and below the tuned frequency, and it is the only kind that can play the receiver's audio through the iPhone speaker while you listen. The app tells you which class of device you have connected and what it allows, and an audio diagnostics panel shows exactly what iOS is doing with the signal if something does not sound right. Note: please make sure your receiver is compatible with the app's features and that you have the required accessories for optimal performance.

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NEW: THE DECODE TAB SWLtools no longer just records and displays signals — it reads them. • Morse (CW). The app locks onto the tone by itself and measures the sending speed from the signal, so it follows hand-sent Morse as well as machine-sent. Each transmission starts on a new line when the operator hands over, and a side panel collects the callsigns heard, leaving out the ones that were only a misread of another. • RTTY, in both ITA2 and SITOR-B. • Weather fax (WEFAX). The chart builds up line by line as it arrives and can be saved straight to the photo library. • ACARS aircraft messages, with the ones carrying a position shown on a map. Decoded text can be saved, reopened later and shared. AUDIO CHAIN • I/Q sample-delay correction. USB audio adapters do not sample their two channels at the same instant, and that small gap puts a mirror image of every signal on the wrong side of the spectrum, growing worse away from centre. The delay can now be corrected, and the mirror drops out of sight. • The app tells you what your adapter can and cannot do — full I/Q spectrum, speaker monitoring — instead of letting you find out by trial. • A new audio diagnostics panel shows what iOS is actually doing with the signal: route, format, buffers, and whether the monitor has quietly taken the dongle away. • If microphone access is denied, the app now says so and explains why nothing can be received: iOS routes USB audio adapters through that same permission. • The screen no longer goes dark while a decoder is running. ELSEWHERE • All times, on screen and in saved files, are now UTC — the way radio logs are kept. • Recordings can be turned into a video to share. • Corrected instructions: listening through the phone while recording needs a two-channel interface, which the old text did not say.

The developer, Stefano Rampazzo, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

  • Data Not Collected

    The developer does not collect any data from this app.

    Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

    The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More

    Seller
    • Stefano Rampazzo
    Size
    • 5.2 MB
    Category
    • Utilities
    Compatibility
    Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
    • iPhone
      Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
    • iPad
      Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later.
    Languages
    • English
    Age Rating
    4+
    Copyright
    • © 2026 Stefano Rampazzo