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Radio Setup Dialog

The Radio Setup dialog is the master per-radio configuration window. It provides tabs for radio information, network settings, GPS, transmit configuration, Phone/CW settings, receive calibration, antenna names, filters, transverters, USB cables, peripherals, Adaptive Pre-Distortion (APD), themes, SmartLink certificate management, and serial port configuration for FlexControl.

Before you start

  • AetherSDR must be connected to the radio to access tabs that communicate with the radio.
  • Some tabs (APD, Themes, Calibration, SmartLink, Serial) are built lazily when first clicked.
  • The APD tab is only visible on FLEX-8x00 series radios with SmartSDR 4.2.18 or later firmware.
  • The Calibration tab is only visible when the connected radio cannot calibrate its own oscillator (e.g. HL2). Flex radios handle calibration on the RX tab.

Opening the dialog

  1. Click Settings > Radio Setup... to open the Radio Setup dialog.

General dialog behavior

  • The dialog remembers its size and position between sessions.
  • Tab order from left to right: Radio, Network, GPS, TX, Phone/CW, RX, Calibration, Antennas, Audio, Filters, XVTR, USB Cables, Peripherals, APD, Themes, SmartLink, Serial.
  • Tabs whose content may exceed the dialog height (Themes, Audio, Filters, Peripherals on small or high-DPI displays) are wrapped in a scroll area so the dialog never grows past the screen edge.
  • Click Close to dismiss the dialog.

Radio tab

Displays radio identification, license information, and firmware update controls. Includes a Reboot Radio button.

Steps

  1. Click the Radio tab.
  2. View the read-only indicators for Radio SN, Region, HW Version, Model, Options, FlexControl, multiFLEX, and License Info (Subscription, Expiration, Radio ID, Licensed version). Each read-only indicator includes a clipboard copy button next to the label — click to copy the value to the clipboard.
  3. Optionally set a Nickname, Callsign, or Station Name in the text fields. The Station Name identifies this AetherSDR client to other multiFLEX stations; it defaults to the OS hostname if empty. Stored in AppSettings as StationName.
  4. Click Remote On to enable remote wake/remote-on.
  5. To reboot the radio:
  6. Click Reboot Radio. A confirmation dialog appears.
  7. On LAN connections, AetherSDR automatically reconnects once the radio finishes booting.
  8. On SmartLink/WAN connections, you must manually reconnect after the radio boots.
  9. The button is disabled when the radio is disconnected or when the backend does not support a client reboot (e.g. HL2 is RX-only so the button is disabled). It re-enables automatically when the radio reconnects.
  10. To update firmware:
  11. Click Check for Update to query the FlexRadio update server.
  12. Download the SmartSDR installer from flexradio.com (.msi for v4.2+, .exe for older releases).
  13. Click Select Installer... to open a file picker. Select the installer or a pre-extracted .ssdr file.
  14. When staging is complete, click Upload Firmware to transfer the firmware to the radio.

Firmware update notes

  • The Select Installer... button label changed from Browse .ssdr... in v26.5.3.
  • The button accepts .msi, .exe, and .ssdr files.
  • The stager auto-detects the file format from the first 8 bytes (OLE/MSI magic vs PE/COFF MZ) and extracts the .ssdr without external tools.
  • A progress bar and status label track the upload.

Network tab

Configure how the radio obtains its network address and advanced network options.

Steps

  1. Click the Network tab.
  2. Note the read-only IP Address, Mask, and MAC Address. Each includes a clipboard copy button.
  3. Toggle Enforce Private IP Connections: to reject non-RFC1918 peers.
  4. Configure the Agent Automation (MCP) bridge:
  5. Toggle Agent Automation (MCP): to enable 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. Persisted via AutomationBridgeSettings.
  6. The Access Token: field displays the MCP access token (read-only). Paste it into the assistant's AETHER_MCP_TOKEN environment variable. Stored in the OS secret store.
  7. Click Copy to copy the access token to the clipboard.
  8. Click Rotate to generate a new token and apply it immediately, locking out any client still using the old one.
  9. Check Allow TX via MCP: Enable transmit control to let an MCP client key the transmitter (MOX/PTT/TUNE/ATU/CWX). Off by default; first enable raises an operator-responsibility confirmation.
  10. Check Observe only: Read-only (block all driving) to make the bridge observe-only: MCP clients can read state but every mutating verb (set/invoke/connect/tune/capture) is refused. Enforced in the app, so a client cannot bypass it.
  11. Set VITA-49 RX buffer: as a snap-to-preset slider (256 KB to 4 MB, default 4 MB). This sets the kernel receive buffer (SO_RCVBUF) for the VITA-49 stream socket; larger values absorb panadapter/waterfall bursts so packets aren't dropped. The system caps the grant at net.core.rmem_max.
  12. The granted: label shows the buffer size the kernel actually granted (vs the requested preset). Shows "(applies on connect)" when no connection is active.
  13. Set Network MTU: as a spinbox value (576-9000 bytes, default 1450). This sets maximum outgoing VITA-49 UDP packet size. The default 1450 is safe for most VPN/SD-WAN tunnels. Stored in AppSettings as NetworkMtu.
  14. Click the DHCP / Static toggle button to switch modes.
  15. If you selected static mode, fill in the IP Address:, Mask:, and Gateway: text fields.
  16. Click Apply to push the network configuration to the radio.
  17. Reconnect to the radio at its new address using Settings > Connect to Radio....

Agent Automation (MCP) notes

  • The AETHER_AUTOMATION launch environment variable force-enables the bridge regardless of the toggle and disables the control in the UI.
  • Transmit-keying stays blocked unless AETHER_AUTOMATION_ALLOW_TX is set.
  • AETHER_AUTOMATION_ALLOW_TX force-enables TX; AETHER_AUTOMATION_NO_TX pins it off.
  • AETHER_AUTOMATION_READONLY pins the observe-only mode on for headless/CI runs.
  • A force-unkey watchdog limits bridge-originated TX.
  • The Access Token field auto-mints a 128-bit hex token when the bridge is enabled without one. Placeholder shows "(loading…)" until the keychain read lands.

GPS tab

Displays GPS information from the radio.

  • Shows GPS presence status.
  • Displays live latitude, longitude, altitude, time, and satellite count.
  • Read-only indicators.

TX tab

Configure transmit timing, interlocks, power limits, and behavior.

Steps

  1. Click the TX tab.
  2. Adjust Timings spinboxes for ACC TX, TX Delay, RCA TX1, Timeout, and TX2 delays in milliseconds.
  3. Timeout (sec): Displays in whole seconds; the radio stores this in milliseconds internally.
  4. Toggle Interlocks - TX REQ: RCA / Accessory to enable interlock inputs.
  5. Set Max Power: as a percentage (0-100%).
  6. Select Tune Mode: from the combo box.
  7. Toggle Show TX in Waterfall: to display the TX signal in the waterfall.
  8. Configure slice following:
  9. TX Follows Active Slice: Push button (default False). Stored as TxFollowsActiveSlice. Mutually exclusive with Active Slice Follows TX. Disabled automatically during Split operation.
  10. Active Slice Follows TX: Push button (default False). Stored as ActiveFollowsTxSlice. Switches the active slice when TX moves externally (e.g. WSJT-X or CAT).
  11. Click TX Band Settings to open the dedicated per-band power/tune dialog.

Phone/CW tab

Configure microphone, CW keyer, and RTTY defaults.

Steps

  1. Click the Phone/CW tab.
  2. Toggle Enable/Disable the Level Meter During Receive to show the mic level meter even in RX.
  3. Configure CW settings:
  4. Iambic: Toggle to enable or disable the iambic keyer on the radio. Mutually exclusive with the radio-side iambic keyer; also drives the local software iambic keyer for sub-5 ms sidetone.
  5. Iambic Mode: A / B: Select Curtis iambic mode A or B. Applies to both the radio and the local software keyer.
  6. Swap: Toggle to swap dit/dah.
  7. Sideband: Select LSB or USB for CW pitch.
  8. CWX: Toggle to enable CWX macro keying.
  9. Decode: RX: Toggle (default True) to enable the CW decode overlay on the panadapter for received CW. Stored as a nested JSON blob under CwDecoder with an rx field.
  10. Decode: TX: Toggle (default False) to decode the operator's own CW keying via client-side sidetone, useful as a self-training tool for paddle/bug timing. Stored as a nested JSON blob under CwDecoder with a tx field.
  11. Set RTTY Mark Default: spinbox for default RTTY mark frequency.

CW decode notes

  • The RX and TX decode toggles were split from a single CwDecodeOverlay toggle in v26.5.3.
  • The legacy CwDecodeOverlay key is auto-migrated on first read.

RX tab

Configure GPSDO frequency offset calibration and 10 MHz reference source.

Steps

  1. Click the RX tab.
  2. Set Cal Frequency (MHz): for manual calibration.
  3. Click Start to begin the frequency calibration sweep.
  4. Adjust Freq Offset (ppb): manually.
  5. Select 10 MHz Reference Source: from the combo box (Auto, TCXO, GPSDO, External). Options depend on hardware installed. Lock status (Locked/Unlocked) is shown alongside the combo and updates live.

Calibration tab

Configure host-side frequency calibration for radios that cannot calibrate their own oscillator (e.g. HL2). This tab is hidden for Flex radios, which handle calibration on the RX tab.

Steps

  1. Click the Calibration tab (only visible when the connected radio requires host-side frequency calibration).
  2. Configure the frequency calibration settings as appropriate for the connected radio.
  3. Click Trim or the equivalent action to apply the calibration to the radio.

Calibration notes

  • The tab is gated on the capability hostFrequencyCalibration, not on the family name.
  • The calibration value is re-read whenever the dialog is shown or the connection state changes, so a Trim press cannot commit a previous radio's number.

Antennas tab

Configure antenna port display names.

Steps

  1. Click the Antennas tab.
  2. For each antenna port row (e.g. ANT1, ANT2, XVTA, XVTB):
  3. View the read-only port label.
  4. Enter a custom name (max 16 characters) in the editable text field.
  5. Preview the final display name in the Preview column.
  6. Click Clear to reset the custom name to empty.
  7. When a port's custom name is empty, the raw port token is used as the display name.
  8. Rows auto-update when slice antenna assignments change.

Audio tab

Configure radio audio outputs, PC audio devices, recording, and NVIDIA BNR container.

Steps

  1. Click the Audio tab.
  2. Adjust Line Out: and Headphone: sliders. Click the corresponding Mute buttons to mute.
  3. Click Front Speaker: / Mute to mute the front speaker (model-specific).
  4. Select Audio Compression (SmartLink): as Auto, Uncompressed, or Opus. Stored as AudioCompression.
  5. Toggle Prevent system sleep while connected to keep the OS awake. Stored as InhibitSleepWhileConnected.
  6. Select PC Audio Devices: Input: and Output: from combo boxes.
  7. Toggle Audio Boost: for extra gain on the client audio path. Stored as AudioBoost.
  8. Set Audio Buffer: (50-1000 ms, default 200) for VPN/SmartLink jitter. Stored as AudioBufferMs.
  9. Configure recording:
  10. Recording: Radio Side / Client Side: Select the recording mode. Stored as RecordingMode.
  11. Save to: Text field for folder (client-side only). Defaults to Documents/AetherSDR/Recordings. Stored as `Q
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