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Archives

Here’s a list of useful apps for amateur radio, emergency preparedness, and other applications. A thank you goes to Roger, KK4UDU for compiling the list to get us started. Please be aware, these links all lead to an off-site page. As such, we cannot control or be responsible for their content, and we provide no warranty.  Please be sure to run up-to-date PC security/antivirus software for best results.
Amateur Radio Apps
App Name Cost App Description iPhone Android Other
RepeaterBook Free User-collaborated repeater directory for US, Canada and more. Highly comprehensive list. App Store Google Play Chirp
EchoLink Free Software for amateur radio operators worldwide. Allows for operating radio via the internet, with or without a transceiver, through nodes, direct with users, repeaters, smartphones, and PC’s. An example of an Echolink-enabled repeater in the Central Alabama area would be KK4BSK-R. *Registration required, as well as verification of address/cross checks. Please check the EchoLink site for more info on initial setup. App Store Google Play PC*
General Purpose Apps
App Name Cost App Description iPhone Android Other
Adobe Reader Free Allows for storage, recall, reading, and markup of PDF files on a device. With iTunes, it can move PDF files to and from the PC. A must have for any platform. App Store Google Play Mac Windows
Smart Office 2 $9.99  Can allow iPhone to create and modify Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. Use iTunes to move documents between PC and phone. App Store Google Play
Sketch Pad 3 Free Used to create sketches on iPhone and can be exported to PC. App Store Google Play
iTalk Recorder Free Voice recording app. Used to record notes and then have the program transcribe them into a Word document, then use iTunes to copy to a PC. App Store Google Play Search
Angle Meter Free App to get an angle of an object on the screen. (Can be used to get the takeoff angle of an antenna.) App Store Google Play Search
Weather Apps
App Name Cost App Description iPhone Android Other
GRLevel3/GR2Analyst Varies Radar for PC users, Analyst edition for more advanced users/high resolution N/A N/A PC
Radarscope $10 Considered the gold standard for mobile radar App Store Google Play
My Radar Free Quick, easy weather radar data on iPhone, based on current location. Can zoom/pan the data. App Store Google Play
WunderMap Free Weather Underground’s app. App Store
Link to NWS BMX Free It’s useful to drop a link to the NWS site on your phone as an icon. 🙂 Most phones have this capability.
Preparedness/Disaster Education/Assist Apps
App Name Cost App Description iPhone Android Other
Red Cross – First Aid Free This is a ‘dual purpose’ app. It functions as a step by step guide in a first aid emergency and it is a training guide when there is not an emergency.
Red Cross – Tornado Free App to have weather warnings reported to your iPhone. Uses current location as well as allows you to monitor any other county. (Does not work on polygon data.)
Red Cross – Hurricane Free App to have hurricane warnings reported to your iPhone. Uses current location as well as allows you to monitor any other county. (Does not work on polygon data.)
Red Cross – Earthquake Free App to have earthquake warnings reported to your iPhone. Uses current location as well as allows you to monitor any other county. (Does not work on polygon data.)
Red Cross – Wildfire Free App to have wildfire warnings reported to your iPhone. Uses current location as well as allows you to monitor any other county. (Does not work on polygon data.)
Red Cross – Flood Free App to have flood warnings reported to your iPhone. Uses current location as well as allows you to monitor any other county. (Does not work on polygon data.)
VisionLink (Previously Red Cross – Shelters) Free This started out as a Red Cross shelter app.
iTriage Free Very similar to a Physician’s Desk Reference. Also has locations of nearest hospital, clinic, etc. to your current location.
What Knot Free Handbook of what knots to use and how to tie them.
SAS Survival Guide Free The British SAS Survival Handbook by John “Lofty” Wiseman.
Take Ten Free Colombia Sports’ checklist for various outdoor activities.
Misc Communication
App Name Cost App Description iPhone Android Other
Zello Free Single or Multi-Person Push-to-talk app. Use your phone as a walkie talkie.
GPS/Navigation/GIS Apps
App Name Cost App Description iPhone Android Other
Waze Free Navigation program which uses “social media” approaches to warn of traffic issues.
Google Earth Free Access maps, aerial imagery, etc, with 3D rendering from Google Maps Engine
  Flight Aware Free Track private and commercial flights and airport information by the FAA airport abbreviations
 Friend Finder Free “Big Brother” tracking app. Lets you share your location with other people.

ALERT / National Weather Service Birmingham Coverage Area

  • ALERT covers the BMX county warning area. Presently, this includes: Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Marion, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston