Networked Icom¶

Experimental / early

Networked Icom support is early-stage — it is not a supported radio family yet. Only the IC-705 and IC-7300MK2 are verified against their own CI-V guides. An unrecognised model connects with no scope and no transmit rather than optimistic defaults.

AetherSDR talks to networked Icom radios (IC-705, IC-7300MK2, IC-9700) over the RS-BA1 UDP transport, carrying CI-V commands. The radio runs Icom's RS-BA1 software; AetherSDR is the client.

Connecting¶

Start RS-BA1 on the network and confirm the radio is reachable.
Open Connect to Radio and choose the manual radio type Icom (network).
Enter the host, user and ports, plus the password (stored in your OS keychain, never in the settings file).
The connect path asks the radio for its own CI-V address instead of assuming one — so the correct address is auto-detected.

What works¶

IC-705 — receive, scope, transmit, and FT8.
IC-7300MK2 — controls, meters, ATU, WSPR transmit, PC Audio routing, and the CW decoder (completed against live hardware).
IC-9700 — partial (CI-V recovery, FM-D mode, band power limits).
A CI-V command scheduler — every meter read, control write and PTT transition runs through one ordered command plane with paced 25 ms slots.
Evidence-backed capability profiles — the IC-705, IC-7300MK2 and IC-9700 behaviour is described by typed profiles that fail closed for unknown radios.
FM repeater tone, duplex, offset and momentary XFC.
Real RX filters — the radio's actual IF width, twin PBT and TX cuts.
CI-V CW text keying (CWK).
WSPR transmit from the radio (confirmed on air).
DATA modes (DIGU/DIGL/FM-D) reach the radio correctly.
PC Audio routing — switches only the model-specific DATA OFF modulation input, and only on an operator click.
Radio Health — the health/status registers the radio reports are shown in Help ▸ Radio Health….

How it differs from FlexRadio¶

No IQ / no scope on most models: no networked Icom emits samples, so there is no DAX/IQ path and the spectrum is not generated by the radio.
Radio owns the modulator: the radio modulates from the PCM audio your computer ships; the host does not modulate.
Radio owns its state: an Icom remembers its own frequency, mode and filter across power cycles, so AetherSDR never pushes a restored state.

Limitations¶

Early-stage; only IC-705 and IC-7300MK2 are fully verified.
No DAX/IQ streams (no networked Icom produces samples).
RS-BA1 lease renewal must stay healthy — if the media lease fails, the panadapter freezes (this is handled, but keep RS-BA1 running).

See Supported Hardware for the full picture.