IC-7100 from A to Z #12 - USB connection to a PC

[@MrCurtishanner]

I have a new laptop and I couldn't use my 7100 anymore. But this video was my savior, again!

[@curronhill2744]

Thanks so much for doing the 7100 series videos. I have learned so much about my radio via these. It is like having a new high end radio that I did not know I had!

[@murphy15108]

Thank you Tom, I pulled the trigger and bought an IC 7100 yesterday. I was leaning that way and after watching your videos I’m all in!

[@PaperworkNinja]

Thank you for this video! I'm trying to set my IC-7100 up for WSJT-X and fldigi, so this is exactly what I was looking for!

[@fdnyfish]

I just ordered a 7100 and am enjoying your video's very much

[@m1cxf]

Thank you for posting this (and the others). I always struggle to get my rigs to talk to my computer.

[@StanCook]

Tom, great stuff and glad you are back. I was worried that we lost you to that new Icom. So now this old timer has to figure out why we use a computer to what end? Thanks for all you do Tom.

[@kj7element276]

Love these videos, there isn’t much info out there about the IC-7100 or d-star so i am looking forward to future videos about the d-star functionality!

[@melming8751]

Really appreciate the 7100 series.

[@chipandrews2892]

Tom, thank you so much for this video series! I have owned my IC7100 for a couple years (and I also have an IC7300.) I just discovered your channel/videos today....this being the one I saw first. It really wasn't clear to me how easy it is to connect to a PC and that the IC7100 has a built in sound card that I can use it for the digital modes like I do with my IC7300. Anyway, I enjoy your presentation style and so I am currently binge watching your IC7100 A-Z series. I also let my buddy in the L48 (who just purchased an IC7100) know about your channel. Looking forward to your future videos! Cheers and 73 KL7CA

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Hi Chip. Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you’re finding them helpful.

[@mumi009]

Great video. I use an Icom IC-7200, an entry level radio but with a USB/Soundcard interface. it works great! I also have a Yaesu Ft-891 without an audio interface. An external device is necessary. Besides having a cable mess the settings are finicky to get the radio to work with my compluters (Linux box and a Raspi 4b, the latter for portable work). The IC-7100 is heavier than the FT-891, but I then would have to lug less crap around with me vs. the FT-891. One cable to rule them all, and in the ether bind them! I would have bought the IC-7100 but for reasons that no seller wants to reveal, in Europe it is about twice as expensive as the FT-891. In the US they are priced pretty close together. I have given up on the Yaesu FT-891, will sell it and (gritting my teeth only as far as the price is concerned) buy the IC-7100.

[@okieiam7236]

So much to learn on this radio

[@armallya]

A really well presented channel! I love the topics!

[@TwoFeatherChannel]

This one USB Cable is all I need to connect my IC-7100 to a computer to use digital modes? I don't need a Digirig or similar device or xggcomms Digimode-4-Icom cable with built in sound card?

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Hi. That is correct. The 7100 has the equivalent of a USB sound card built into the radio. It also has a serial data interface that works over the USB connection. So when you plug the radio into your computer, you will see a new audio device and a new COM port. Everything you need to operate digital modes and control the radio goes over the USB cable.

[@TwoFeatherChannel]

@@HamRadioA2Z Great, thank you. I've seen other videos and devices for sale saying that is what is needed to do digital modes with the ic-7100. I ordered two different lengths of the cables you have listed in the links below, glad I don't need those other devices to drag around.

[@abtechgroup]

Did you install drivers from icom? My RSBA1 thumb drive has "CP210x" and "Icom USB Serial Port Driver" folders - which driver do I use? Tnx 73

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like there is a single answer that works everywhere. Under Windows 10, I didn't load any drivers. The standard drivers built into Windows seemed to work fine for both serial and sound. Under Windows 11, I have had to load the Icom drivers to get things to work right. Here is a link to the Icom USB driver installation guide: www.icomjapan.com/support/manual/1768/

[@j204ever5]

You have Port 3 and 5. For what is which port? I have Logger32 AND WSJT-X and straggeling to connect both to the serial poerts.

[@bahathir_]

If possible during digital mode, make sure set the data mode for the rig too. In my IC-7300 setup, I will make sure it receive audio only from USB. , so. no sound from hand microphone will be mixed with modulated audio from USB being TX accidentally and may introduces errors. For Starr demo, you an try communication with IC-7100 and your new IC-705. We can use automatic voice keyer for the purpose. Or simply records the QSO using bulit-in recorder. Thank you, and looking forward for your next video. 73.

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Thanks Mohammad. Good points on the audio. I will be covering those settings in an upcoming video. Didn’t want this one to get too long.

[@bahathir_]

@@HamRadioA2Z Tahnk you, Sir. Since you have several transceivers, you can use them as station for demos, and not need to wait or look for any other stations during bad band's propagations.. Can you demo the RF gain (RFG_ effect during digital mode RX? Thank you.

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Showing what RF gain does to a DSTAR signal is a good idea. I’m not really sure how it will behave. I expect the receive audio will become intermittent at some point and then just disappear. It will be an interesting experiment.

[@davidpatrick1813]

Quick question. at around 2 + minutes you said something about connecting to lynx and mac computers... what are the software links for the mac that I can do digital etc. I want to run win link. thanks ka7pat

[@fredshead3956]

Hi Again Tom yes that worked perfect, but its the thin end of the wedge, i am trying the impossible, i have a raspberry pi 4 with windows 11 on at the server end, if i can make it work, and will be having the laptop with windows 10 on, that is what i have just been using to connect to the radio, and i am trying now to connect to the raspberry pie from the laptop, wish me luck, what audio setting should i use on the remote laptop, the default or the icom ones, and should i disable the icom ones or just click on set the original ones as default cheers from Fred in Uk.

[@EricHansenHaiTech]

Hey Tom, thanks for these videos. I have my IC-7100 connected through the AT-180 tuner. Now, whenever I try to transmit in WSJT-X, my laptop makes the USB disconnect sound and the audio device disappears, causing the program to freak out.

[@fredshead3956]

Hi Tom i have set everything up aall working except i can't get any sound out of it...everything else works ok

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Hi Fred. Sorry I didn’t get back to your earlier post. Glad to hear it’s mostly working. With Windows, it sometimes changes the default speaker output when you connect a new audio device. The USB connection to the 7100 will look like a new audio device. Try left clicking on the speaker icon at the lower right corner of your Windows task bar. Just above the volume control bar it will say what device Windows is using for default audio out. Usually “Speakers (..some device name..)”. If it says USB something for the device name, it’s probably sending the sound back to your radio. Click the ^ to the right of the name and it will show you a list of audio devices. You’ll want to pick whatever your laptop normal speaker device is. If you click the volume slider up and down, you should hear a musical chord letting you know the new volume level. If you don’t, you haven’t selected the correct device.

[@rickmaechler7774]

I am looking to buy my first HF rig on a limited budget, want to have the ability to do ft8. Am i seeing that I can use the cable that comes with 7100 to plug into the computer and i dont need any other hardware?

[@researcherextraordinaire8867]

Thank you for this video. I made the mistake of doing a complete reset and lost the repeater list. Can I upload the repeater list with a sd card containing the icf file downloaded from icom's download page without the ic-7100 cloning software?

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Yes. The 7100 can load that .icf file directly. Unfortunately, you can’t customize that list and the file on the Icom website isn’t very recent. On the DStar.info website, you will find information to create a customized repeater list for your area or region. It creates a.CSV file that you can download. Newer DStar radios can read a .CSV file to create the repeater list. Unfortunately, the 7100 cannot. RT Systems makes software to program the 7100 that is less expensive than the Icom software. The RT Systems software will import the .CSV file and program the repeater list in the radio. You can also directly edit the repeater list in a spreadsheet like format with the software and set it up however you like.

[@frostgfx]

Tom: On my radio, The USB settings don't seem to be saved from one power on to the next. Any ideas about this issue?

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Hi Don. Sorry for the delayed reply. I’m afraid I don’t have any ideas. I I don’t know why those settings would not get saved across power cycles.

[@arniep740]

Thank you for posting this. I notice, having followed your steps, that in WSJT-X clicking the TUNE button on the screen (not the one on the radio) does not seem to work. Any idea of how to get that to work? Tnx es 73 de Arnie W8DU

[@arniep740]

Actually, what happens is that the RED transmit led does light up on the radio, but there is no RF coming out.

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Hi Arnie. The good news is that if the RED light is lighting up, we know that WSJT-X is talking to the radio. If you're not hearing a tone or seeing any power, it's probably because the audio isn't getting to the radio. Do you have the mode set to USB-D (-D is data)? Also, do you have the radio set to get audio (modulation) from the USB port? Go into the Settings-Connectors menu. Scroll up or down to find DATA MOD (Data Modulation). Make sure that option is set to USB.

[@jeffreytaffuri2253]

I can't believe how seamless this is for you I have a brand new Dell Win 10 Laptop and a 1 week old 7100 and every time I go to connect to the radio I have to play with the config for the software to get reconnected and always end up with the same settings. Is my new 7100 defective?

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Hi Jeffrey. I’m sorry I missed this comment a couple weeks ago. I’m not sure what might be going on with your setup. I’m running Windows 10 on 2 different laptops that I use with the radios. I also switch between connecting my 7300, 7100 and 705 pretty regularly, along with a USB microphone and other accessories. I sometimes have to re-select the audio device in programs like FL-Digi. However, I suspect that is more because I’m switching back and forth between several audio devices. When you say you have to play with the config, do you mean on the laptop? Or do you have to re-adjust radio settings in the SET menus? If selecting or re-selecting settings on the laptop fixes it, I don’t see how that could be a radio problem.

[@HamRadioA2Z]

One other question. Do you have another laptop or access to a friends laptop you could try to see if the issue follows the laptop?

[@robertskrob9861]

Excellent job, thanks for all you do. KO4KSV

[@mumi009]

Why can't these radio manufacturers use commonly used USB connectors that people have in quantity in their desk drawers, instead of some "exotic" connectors that require a new purchase? Shame on Icom, which otherwise has done a good job of connecting radios to computers.

[@Mr_Meowingtons]

that's what I'm saying there is plenty room for a Type B and the cable they give you is Crap!

[@docpearson]

I feel that one of the major downfalls or problems with this radio is you cannot Cross Band repeat with it. I can get by with an extrernal antenna tuner hidden someplace in my trunk but what is absolutely a horrible failing is the Japanese have absolutely failed by not putting Cross Band repeating capabilities in this radio.

[@Mr_Meowingtons]

the USB cable they give you is JUNK! its so Thin and not a lot of shielding....

[@HamRadioA2Z]

I don’t recall a USB cable coming with my 7100 when I bought it. (>4 years ago now). Maybe you got a package where the dealer through in a USB cable?

[@Daniel-lm5ry]

Thank you for making these videos. They are never helpful. KF0BVH

[@garylanders1470]

Good morning Tom I hope you can shead some light on this question for me? I have seen several videos of the 7100 being controlled via a Panadapter. I want to know if it's possible to operate the 7100 with the head unit completely removed? Replacing the head unit with a wired tablet with Icom RS-BA1 or SDR PLAY would be sweet. Thank you kindly Sir. Gary

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Hi Gary. Yes. You can operate the 7100 without the head. In the Set Mode under Function, there is an option called Power OFF (With No Controller). The default is that the radio turns off if the control head is disconnected. Confusingly, that option is labeled ON. If you set this to OFF, the radio will operate without the control head. The 7100 does support CI-V (CAT) commands to power the radio on and off. So you can completely control it with RS-BA1 or other similar radio control software.

[@fredshead3956]

Hi Tom, very good video again, i am thinking of using my 7100 on remote, i have the Icom software for the 7300 RS BA1? and i think the 7100 is listed on there as an option, i assume this will work with 2mts and 70cms as well...73 Fred g4vvq.