Configure Radio Setup¶
The Radio Setup dialog (Settings > Radio Setup...) provides master per-radio configuration with tabbed sections for radio information, network, GPS, TX, Phone/CW, RX, audio, filters, transverters, USB cables, peripherals, adaptive pre-distortion, themes, SmartLink pinned certificates, and serial port settings.
Before you start¶
- The radio must be connected before most tabs show live information.
- Some tabs (APD, Themes, SmartLink, Serial) are built lazily and only appear when first clicked.
- AetherSDR uses a
PersistentDialogbase class that saves and restores window geometry automatically.
Steps to open¶
- Click Settings > Radio Setup... in the main menu.
- The dialog opens showing the Radio tab by default.
- Click any tab to access its settings.
Radio tab¶
The Radio tab shows radio identification, license information, and firmware update controls.
Reading radio information¶
- Radio SN — Chassis serial number (read-only). Shows the chassis serial if available, otherwise the radio serial. Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
- Region — Radio regulatory region (read-only).
- HW Version — Hardware version string (read-only). Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
- Model — Radio model (read-only). Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
- Options — Licensed radio options (read-only). Shows the radio's options list, or a default like "GPS, PGXL" if an amplifier is detected. Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
- FlexControl — Detected state of FlexControl hardware (read-only).
- multiFLEX — multiFLEX enabled state (read-only).
- License Info — Displays subscription, expiration, Radio ID, and licensed version (read-only). Each field includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
Copying radio information¶
Each read-only value has a small copy button next to it. Click the copy button to copy the value to your clipboard. A brief "Copied!" popup appears near the button. The copy button is disabled when the value is empty or shows "—".
Setting identification¶
| Control | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname | User-friendly radio nickname (editable). | — |
| Callsign | Station callsign (editable). | — |
| Station Name | Identifies this AetherSDR client to other multiFLEX stations. Stored in AppSettings. | Defaults to the OS hostname if empty. Sent to radio as 'client station |
Firmware update¶
- Click Check for Update to query for available firmware updates. The result appears in the status label. If an update is available, the label directs you to download the SmartSDR installer from flexradio.com.
- Click Select Installer... to open a file picker. Select one of:
.msi— WiX-based SmartSDR installer for firmware 4.2+..exe— Older self-extracting SmartSDR installer..ssdr— Pre-extracted firmware file.- The firmware stager detects the file format automatically and extracts the
.ssdrpayload. A progress bar and status label show extraction progress. - Once extraction completes, click Upload Firmware to start the upload. A progress bar and status label show upload progress.
| Control | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Check for Update | Queries for available firmware updates. | When an update is found, the label directs you to download the installer from flexradio.com. |
| Select Installer... | Opens a file picker for .msi, .exe, or .ssdr files. |
Renamed from Browse .ssdr... in v26.5.3. |
| Upload Firmware | Starts firmware upload with progress bar and status. | Enabled only after extraction completes. |
Remote On¶
Click Remote On to enable remote wake / remote-on functionality on the radio.
Reboot Radio¶
Click Reboot Radio to reboot the connected radio. A confirmation dialog appears: - LAN connection: AetherSDR disconnects and automatically reconnects once the radio finishes booting. - SmartLink/WAN connection: AetherSDR disconnects and does not auto-reconnect. You must reconnect manually once the radio finishes booting.
The button is disabled when the radio is disconnected. It re-enables automatically when the radio reconnects.
Network tab¶
The Network tab shows radio network information and advanced network options.
Reading network info¶
- IP Address / Mask / MAC Address — Read-only network addresses. Each includes a clipboard copy button.
Network configuration¶
| Control | What it does | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enforce Private IP Connections: | Toggle to reject non-RFC1918 peers. | Enabled | — |
| Network MTU: | Sets maximum outgoing VITA-49 UDP packet size in bytes. | 1450 | Range 576–9000 bytes. Default 1450 is safe for most VPN/SD-WAN tunnels. Stored in AppSettings. |
| DHCP / Static | Toggle between DHCP and Static IP modes. | — | — |
| IP Address: / Mask: / Gateway: | Static IP configuration fields. | — | Enabled when Static mode is selected. |
| Apply | Pushes the network config to the radio. | — | — |
GPS tab¶
The GPS tab shows GPS presence and live position/satellite information when a GPS receiver is active.
- Latitude, longitude, altitude, time, and satellite count (read-only).
- GPS lock status indicator.
TX tab¶
The TX tab configures transmit timings, interlocks, max power, tune mode, waterfall display, slice/TX follow, and TX Band Settings.
TX Band Settings¶
Click TX Band Settings to open the dedicated per-band power/tune dialog.
Timings¶
Use the spinboxes in the Timings (in ms) section to set TX hang and delay timings.
Interlocks¶
Toggle TX REQ: RCA and TX REQ: Accessory to enable RCA and accessory interlock inputs.
Max Power¶
Set the radio-level TX power cap using the Max Power: spinbox (0–100%).
Tune Mode¶
Select the tune button behavior from the Tune Mode: combo box.
Waterfall¶
Toggle Show TX in Waterfall: to draw the TX signal in the waterfall.
Slice/TX follow¶
| Control | What it does | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX Follows Active Slice | TX follows the active slice. | False | Mutually exclusive with Active Slice Follows TX. Disabled automatically during Split operation. |
| Active Slice Follows TX | Switches the active slice when TX moves externally (e.g. WSJT-X or CAT). | False | Mutually exclusive with TX Follows Active Slice. |
Phone/CW tab¶
The Phone/CW tab configures microphone, CW keyer, and RTTY defaults.
Level Meter¶
Toggle Enable/Disable the Level Meter During Receive to show the mic level meter even during receive.
CW Keyer¶
| Control | What it does | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iambic: | Enables or disables the iambic keyer on the radio. | — | In v0.9.1, Mode A and Mode B buttons were added beside the Enabled toggle. Mode A = Curtis A; Mode B = Curtis B. |
| Iambic Mode: A / B | Selects Curtis iambic mode A or B for both the radio and the local software keyer. | A | Mutually exclusive pair added in v0.9.1. |
| Swap: | Swaps dit/dah. | — | — |
| Sideband: | Selects CW pitch sideband. | — | Options: LSB / USB. |
| CWX: | Enables CWX macro keying. | — | — |
| Decode: | Enables the CW decode overlay on the panadapter. | True | Stored as CwDecodeOverlay. |
RTTY¶
Set the RTTY Mark Default: spinbox to the default RTTY mark frequency.
RX tab¶
The RX tab provides GPSDO frequency offset calibration and 10 MHz reference source selection.
Frequency calibration¶
The calibration section is always visible, regardless of whether a GPSDO is installed.
- GPSDO installed — shown in green: GPSDO installed. Manual frequency offset calibration available.
- No GPSDO — shown in amber: Manual frequency offset calibration available.
| Control | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cal Frequency (MHz): | Frequency used for manual calibration. | Always shown. |
| Start | Starts the frequency calibration sweep. | Disabled and labelled Busy while active. Validates that a cal frequency has been entered. Resets stored frequency error to zero before starting. |
| Freq Offset (ppb): | Manual frequency offset in parts per billion. | Reset to 0 when Start is clicked. |
10 MHz Reference Source¶
The 10 MHz Reference Source: combo box populates dynamically based on detected hardware and live oscillator state.
| Control | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 MHz Reference Source: | Selects the oscillator reference source. Sends radio oscillator <value> to the radio when changed. |
Auto always present. Additional entries: TCXO, GPSDO, External 10 MHz. Options depend on hardware detected and live oscillator state. |
| Lock status label | Shows the active source, resolution of Auto, and lock state. Updates live. | Green = Locked; Red = Unlocked; Grey-blue = waiting for status. Appends (not detected) when External 10 MHz is active but no external reference signal is present. |
The lock status label shows:
- Waiting for oscillator status when status has not yet been received.
- Auto -> \<resolved source> when Auto is selected and the radio has resolved to a specific source.
- \
The lock state (Locked or Unlocked) is always appended.
Audio tab¶
The Audio tab configures radio audio outputs, compression, PC devices, boost, buffer, recording, and NVIDIA BNR container.
Radio audio outputs¶
| Control | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Line Out: | Line-out gain slider. | — |
| Mute (Line Out) | Mutes line-out. | — |
| Headphone: | Headphone gain slider. | — |
| Mute (Headphone) | Mutes headphone. | — |
| Front Speaker: / Mute | Mutes front speaker (model-specific). | — |
Audio Compression¶
Select the audio codec for SmartLink/LAN using the Audio Compression (SmartLink): buttons: Auto, Uncompressed, or Opus (default: Auto). Stored as AudioCompression.
System sleep¶
Check Prevent system sleep while connected to keep the OS awake while the radio is connected (default: False). Stored as InhibitSleepWhileConnected.
PC Audio Devices¶
Select host audio input and output devices using the Input: and Output: combo boxes.
Audio Boost¶
Toggle Audio Boost: to enable extra gain on the client audio path. Stored as AudioBoost.
Audio Buffer¶
Set the Audio Buffer: text field to increase audio buffer in milliseconds for VPN/SmartLink jitter. Default: 200, range 50–1000 ms. Stored as AudioBufferMs.
Recording¶
| Control | What it does | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recording: Radio Side / Client Side | Picks radio-side or client-side recording. | Radio Side | Stored as RecordingMode. |
| Save to: | Folder for saved recordings (client-side only). | Documents/AetherSDR/Recordings | Stored as QsoRecordingDir. |
| ... | Browses for recording folder. | — | — |
| Auto-record on TX | Automatically records while transmitting. | False | Stored as QsoRecordingAutoRecord. |
| Idle timeout: | Seconds of silence before recording stops. | 120 | Range 10–3600 sec. Stored as QsoRecordingIdleTimeout. |
NVIDIA BNR¶
Use the NVIDIA BNR controls to manage the NVIDIA Broadcast noise-removal container: - Autostart Container — Enables automatic startup. - Start / Stop — Manually starts or stops the container. - Check Status — Shows the container status (Running/Stopped/Unknown) with a colored dot indicator.
Filters tab¶
The Filters tab configures low-latency or sharp filter options per bandwidth.
Filter sharpness¶
For Voice, CW, and Digital modes, use the Voice / CW / Digital filter sharpness sliders to set filter sharpness (0 = lowest latency to 3 = sharpest). The slider is disabled when Auto is enabled for that mode.
Auto filter selection¶
Toggle Auto (Voice / CW / Digital) to enable automatic filter-level selection for that mode. When enabled, the manual sharpness slider is disabled.
Low latency for digital modes¶
Check Use Low Latency Filters for Digital Modes to force low-lat