The Radio Setup dialog is the master configuration window for per-radio settings including radio information, network, GPS, TX, Phone/CW, RX, audio, filters, antennas, transverters, USB cables, peripherals, APD, themes, serial port, and SmartLink pinned certificate management.
APD - External Adaptive Pre-Distortion sample port selection (FLEX-8x00 only)
Themes - UI appearance settings including per-slice color overrides
SmartLink - Pinned TLS certificate management
Serial - FlexControl serial port configuration
The dialog remembers its size and position between sessions using RadioSetupDialogGeometry in AppSettings.
Tabs whose content may exceed the dialog's visible height (Radio, Themes, Audio, Filters, Peripherals on small or high-DPI displays) are wrapped in a scroll area so the dialog does not grow past the screen edge. The scrollbar appears only when needed; on wide screens there is no visual change.
The Radio tab displays radio identification and license information, provides firmware update controls, and includes a Reboot Radio button. Each read-only value has a copy button (clipboard icon) that appears on hover or focus — click to copy the value.
Identifies this AetherSDR client to other multiFLEX stations. Defaults to the OS hostname if empty. Stored in AppSettings as StationName. Sent to radio as client station <name>.
Reboots the connected radio. A confirmation dialog appears before rebooting. On LAN connections, AetherSDR automatically reconnects once the radio finishes booting. On SmartLink/WAN connections, you must reconnect manually after the radio boots. The dialog closes after reboot. The button is disabled when the radio is disconnected.
Opens a file picker that accepts .msi (FlexRadio v4.2+ WiX installer), .exe (older self-extracting installer), or a pre-extracted .ssdr firmware file. The firmware stager auto-detects format from the first 8 bytes and extracts the .ssdr without external tools.
Upload Firmware
Push button
Starts firmware upload with progress bar and status.
Firmware status
Indicator
Empty until a firmware upload begins, then progress and result text.
When Check for Update finds a newer version, the status area instructs you to download the SmartSDR installer from flexradio.com yourself. Use Select Installer... to point AetherSDR at the file you downloaded.
Supported installer formats
File type
Description
.msi
FlexRadio WiX installer (SmartSDR v4.2 and later). Recommended.
Click Check for Update. If an update is available, the status area displays the version number and instructs you to download the installer from flexradio.com.
Download the SmartSDR installer from flexradio.com.
Click Select Installer... and locate the downloaded .msi, .exe, or .ssdr file. AetherSDR stages the firmware and reports progress in the status area.
When staging completes, click Upload Firmware to transfer the firmware to the radio.
Sets maximum outgoing VITA-49 UDP packet size in bytes. Range 576-9000 bytes. Default 1450 is safe for most VPN/SD-WAN tunnels. Stored in AppSettings as NetworkMtu.
TX follows the active slice. Mutually exclusive with Active Slice Follows TX. Disabled automatically during Split operation. Stored as TxFollowsActiveSlice. Default: False.
Active Slice Follows TX
Push button
Switches the active slice when TX moves externally (e.g., WSJT-X or CAT). Mutually exclusive with TX Follows Active Slice. Stored as ActiveFollowsTxSlice. Default: False.
Resets the frequency error to 0 ppb, applies the calibration frequency, and starts the PLL calibration sweep. Disabled and labelled "Busy" while a calibration is in progress.
Enter a known-accurate reference frequency in Cal Frequency (MHz).
Click Start. AetherSDR resets the frequency error to 0 ppb, sets the calibration frequency, and starts the PLL calibration sweep. The status field beside the Start button updates as the calibration progresses.
While calibration is running, the Start button is disabled and shows "Busy". It re-enables when calibration completes or fails.
Adjust Freq Offset (ppb) manually if needed after calibration completes.