The Radio Setup dialog is the master configuration window for per-radio settings including radio information, network, GPS, TX, Phone/CW, RX, calibration, audio, filters, antennas, transverters, USB cables, peripherals, APD, themes, serial port, SmartLink pinned certificate management, and KiwiSDR receiver integration.
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
KiwiSDR - KiwiSDR public receiver configuration and connection
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 dialog is a persistent singleton: it is built once and shown/raised on demand. Pages are built lazily when first selected, and any stored calibration values are re-read whenever the dialog is shown or the connection state changes.
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.
Chassis serial number (read-only). If chassis serial is empty, falls back to radio serial number. Displays "—" if unavailable. Includes a clipboard copy button (tray icon) next to the value.
Region
Indicator
Radio regulatory region. Default: USA.
HW Version
Indicator
Hardware version string. Prefixed with "v" if not already present. Displays "—" if unavailable. Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
Model
Indicator
Radio model. Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
Options
Indicator
Shows licensed radio options. If empty, shows a guess based on amplifier presence ("GPS, PGXL" or "GPS"). Displays "—" if unavailable. Includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
FlexControl
Indicator
Detected state of FlexControl hardware.
multiFLEX
Indicator
multiFLEX enabled state.
License Info
Indicator
Displays subscription, expiration, radio ID, and licensed version from the radio. Each field includes a clipboard copy button next to the value.
Reboot Radio
Reboots the connected radio with a confirmation dialog. AetherSDR disconnects and (on LAN) auto-reconnects once booting finishes.
New in v26.8.4 (#4448). Only enabled when connected and the backend supports a client reboot (e.g. HL2 is RX-only so the button is disabled). On SmartLink/WAN the operator must reconnect manually after the reboot.
Agent Automation (MCP):
Enables the in-app automation bridge so an AI coding assistant (via the MCP server) can introspect and drive the running app. Off by default; the operator opts in.
New in v26.8.4 (#3646). Persisted via AutomationBridgeSettings. The AETHER_AUTOMATION launch environment variable force-enables the bridge regardless of this toggle and disables the control in the UI. Transmit-keying stays blocked unless AETHER_AUTOMATION_ALLOW_TX is set.
Access Token:
Read-only display of the MCP access token; paste it into the assistant's AETHER_MCP_TOKEN environment variable. Stored in the OS secret store.
New in v26.8.4. Auto-mints a 128-bit hex token when the bridge is enabled without one. Placeholder '(loading…)' until the keychain read lands.
Copy (Access Token)
Copies the access token to the clipboard.
New in v26.8.4.
Rotate (Access Token)
Generates a new token and applies it immediately, locking out any client still using the old one.
New in v26.8.4.
Allow TX via MCP: Enable transmit control
Lets an MCP client key the transmitter (MOX/PTT/TUNE/ATU/CWX). Off by default; first enable raises an operator-responsibility confirmation.
New in v26.8.4. Enforced in the bridge; no client can flip it. Overridden by AETHER_AUTOMATION_ALLOW_TX (force on) and AETHER_AUTOMATION_NO_TX (pinned off). A force-unkey watchdog limits bridge-originated TX.
Observe only: Read-only (block all driving)
Makes the bridge observe-only: MCP clients can read state but every mutating verb (set/invoke/connect/tune/capture) is refused.
New in v26.8.4 (#4188). Enforced in the app, so a client cannot bypass it. AETHER_AUTOMATION_READONLY launch variable pins it on for headless/CI runs.
VITA-49 RX buffer:
Snap-to-preset slider setting the kernel receive buffer (SO_RCVBUF) for the VITA-49 stream socket; larger absorbs panadapter/waterfall bursts so packets aren't dropped.
New in v26.8.4 (#3810). Presets 256 KB to 4 MB. The system caps the grant at net.core.rmem_max; a live 'granted: ' label shows what the kernel actually granted.
granted: (VITA-49 RX buffer)
Shows the buffer size the kernel actually granted (vs the requested preset).
New in v26.8.4. Shows '(applies on connect)' when no connection is active.
### Radio identification
Control
Kind
Behavior
Nickname
Text field
User-friendly radio nickname.
Callsign
Text field
Station callsign.
Station Name
Text field
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
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