SDR Control for icom & iOS | before you buy | icom 705 | Ham Radio

[@K5YVY]

UPDATES: I was able to get the band plan to update after clicking in settings in logbook view and unchecking and rechecking General. So if you need yours to update after selecting your region you can try that or force close the app and restart it. I was about to do this twice but not consistently. Also when working FT8 , if you don’t want your TX changing with the RX then you tap the 3 dots and unselect TX=RX. Now your TX freq will not change.

[@Toner-N1SWT]

Thank you for that video. I have been trying to figure out how to adjust the ALC with the SDR Control software and could not figure it out until now. 👍

[@K5YVY]

Thanks for the feedback! Glad you figured it out. 🎉

[@thuff3207]

Nice to see someone from New Albany and the app looks interesting.

[@K5YVY]

Hey there👋 the app is neat and now also available on iPhone.

[@HamRadioDX]

Great job on the video JoBrett. Enjoying this app, it works well

[@K5YVY]

Thank you SugaSugaBaby! Your video was excellent as well. I too am enjoying this app, there are a few thoughts I’m collecting as I go with it though, but overall I’m not sad about hope much I spent on this purchase. 🥳

[@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures]

Thanks, Joe, for the breakdown of the App! Looks like an awesome App that will only get better for sure.

[@K5YVY]

Thanks Chuck! Yeah I had to put 705 in the title after I realized that depending on what radio you’re connected with determined what options/functions you may see in the app. 👍

[@somarmd]

I bought the App last week and it’s running great as a direct Access Point from 705 it my Ipad. I haven’t had luck running through my home WiFi Network as of yet. I did send an email to the creator of the program. It has me stumped. The program started up a couple times but with a lot of lag and then turned off after about 30 to 60 seconds. So, I know I’m close but not yet there. Love to hear if anyone else had the same situation. Thanks again Joe for your video’s.

[@K5YVY]

That’s great to hear Dave, hate to hear of the home issue. I feel it must be a latency issue that causes the disconnect, but that’s just my guess. Even with a good connection you may have multiple devices connected not to mention the miles and miles the internet travels to get to your home and nearest hub. Compared to directly connecting to the 705.

[@somarmd]

@@K5YVY Excellent point, thanks Joe.

[@somarmd]

Hi Joe, just wanted to add an update in hopes it might help someone else. You were absolutely correct. I had too many devices on the same WiFi. The software worked great once I cleaned it up, moving devices to a different WiFi. It’s been a lot of fun and this coming from someone who thought I would never spend any time with FT8. It has it’s purpose and is actually fun making so many contacts to places I couldn’t by voice. I plan to operate POTA and just operate while camping when I don’t want to be loud. I’m wondering if anyone knows how to add POTA into the CQ call in this program? Thanks, stay healthy, and happy.

[@K5YVY]

Great news to hear Dave! Thank you for coming back to update. Yeah I’m not big on FT8 personally, but I do use it occasionally, and this app got a LOT of use on a road trip that the wife drove, I played ft8…at the hotel room…I played ft8 , even made a few voice contacts 😎

[@HAMRADIODUDE]

Great job JB.

[@K5YVY]

Thanks Sean dude ✅

[@FEPLabsRadio]

First!! Great breakdown Joe!

[@K5YVY]

Thanks Jim, you did great on your video as well 💯

[@TheSmokinApe]

Nice job BroJett, I’m debating this software 🤔

[@K5YVY]

It’s good, it’s just not great on cellular unless you got at least 5G data connection. On LTE the audio gets weird but still useable. I was using it last night to talk 2m from the job site while Radio was home in the shack.

[@TheSmokinApe]

@@K5YVY I just wanna use it from the couch

[@K5YVY]

Yeah the couch on the porch is a nice place to operate.

[@TheSmokinApe]

@@K5YVY right

[@K5YVY]

@@TheSmokinApe but yeah from the couch on WiFi it works great, and if your out portable you can connect your iPad directly to the 705’s onboard connection and sit back and operate as well.

[@jameski5oeb668]

This is neat information!

[@K5YVY]

Thanks James, I’ll be doing a shorter version in coming days to highlight some of my experiences and what I’ve learned so far about the app.

[@jameski5oeb668]

@@K5YVY IC-705 is on my list of wants, will likely own an FT-891 before I get a -705… that is an awesome interface and application!

[@K5YVY]

705 is a sweet rig, would be the king if it had 100w. My justification was I could use it in the shack with a 2m amp and have all that eye Candy and ssb for 2m s as well as a portable rig easy to pack on trips. Not sure I would have spent that much for portable only use.

[@k6usy]

USB is not supported because Apple refuses to include USB to serial drivers in iOS. Now if the iPad app could talk to the RS-BA1 server software with the rig connected via USB would be awesome.

[@K5YVY]

Apple needs to lighten up a bit lol

[@Hamdalorian]

With a voice like yours, you need to start a series called “JoeBrett reads bedtime stories”

[@K5YVY]

Lol, I wasn’t too happy with the audio in most of this, but I wasn’t going to record it again. When I’m showing the app changing freq’s the background audio is coming through when I talk making it sound rough. Bedtime stores🤣

[@marcr1230]

Some features requiring the internet will not work in access point mode unless the iPad has cell service

[@K5YVY]

Appreciate your info! Maybe that will help someone that comes across it👍

[@CliveDrone]

I don't know why this very cool app doesn't have a proper S meter in it. Scrap the RF meter and replace with a proper S meter.

[@K5YVY]

And a option between digital or analog 😎 that would be great.

[@45auto]

Haven't owned a Mac since my Performa 475 or an iphone since my iPhone 5. But if I get another...

[@K5YVY]

Kinda like current digital voice modes isn’t it, have to have a particular brand Radio to do a particular digital modes.

[@somarmd]

I’m wondering if it would be possible to run this software with a 705 and antenna set up running FT8 at a POTA location? I’m thinking we would need to use a hotspot, maybe through cell phone for Wi-Fi? Curious if thats possible or if anyone has tried it. Nice video Joe!

[@K5YVY]

Dave, thank you, and Yes ! Many people have been using the WiFi on the 705 and directly connecting to the 705 WiFi with their device (tablet or Mac laptop) out in the field.

[@shanehale3221]

I guess I need to go buy a 9700.. darn lol

[@K5YVY]

Right, Geesh.

[@mhowardweasel]

HAve not been able to get it to work at all. It keeps telling me I have the wrong user name and password. I’m using what I put into the 705. I’m trying to use as a field application. HAve not gotten any feedback from the their website.

[@K5YVY]

Make sure your using the 705 in Access Point mode - Josh at Ham Radio crash course has a video that might help ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6PRaXt4bNZ_nKM ), although he isn’t using it for sdr control app the setup and basics should be the same. Let me know if you need more help 👍

[@marcr1230]

Make sure you're phone isn't connected to the 705 and grabbing the user connection

[@marcr1230]

Joe - is the a way to call CQ POTA in FT8?

[@K5YVY]

It has been awhile since I have used the app, I can remember if there is a free text option in the software. Sorry.

[@carstennielsen6593]

No way to use split in FT8 - TX on the RX frq is normally a bad operating technique

[@K5YVY]

You can absolutely set different transmit and rx hz freq. I found this out after my video, but you would tap the 3 dots next to the TX RX fields, then unselect TX=RX. Now, wherever your TX is you select, it will not change but RX will as you double tap on different stations to work. 👍

[@pixabilly]

How is the battery life for iPad with SDR Control? Thinking that if i use iPad in the field operation, how long i could use it. And doest charging (powerbank) cause qrm?

[@K5YVY]

I personally have not tested the battery life comparing use with sdr control running vs not, but I personally did not notice any dramatic difference from normal use of my iPad. On the charging I have used a EcoFlow river battery bank and not had any qrm, unless I had the unit plugged into AC power.

[@pixabilly]

@@K5YVY Ok, thank you for the reply :) 73 de OG3E

[@K5YVY]

You’re welcome, thanks for the comment, 73 Marko -JoeBrett

[@coldwater5707]

Does anyone know if the Mac OS version can interact with my RadioSpectral panadapter and SDR Uno?

[@K5YVY]

The app in the video is designed specifically for supported Icom radios. The developer does have apps that support other radios and operating systems, give a look to see if anything over there might work for ya 👍 roskosch.de/sdr-control/

[@terryb3511]

How is the logbook for pota? can it be customized at all?

[@K5YVY]

Terry sorry thought I hit the reply button, the log book for me works fine for working Pota stations, there is the callsign field and next to it is a comment field you can put their park number for reference. I’m not sure how fluid it would be for a activation.

[@terryb3511]

@@K5YVY Thanks for the reply. I may spring for the software. It looks quite interesting. I'm not into FT8 all that much but the software looks like it does quite a lot..

[@K5YVY]

I’m not big on FT8 myself, except for the FT8off sprint every Thursday night , I enjoy that and I enjoy it when working remote and multi tasking. But phone is where my heart is. I feel like, but just a hope and guess, that there will be more added soon. He’s responsive to updates it seems👍

[@barrymurray1190]

That was a great video. I’m seriously thinking of buying an ic-705. It is rather daunting though as I am totally blind and I think the touchscreen and menus would be a real problem. This app might be a solution if it works with VoiceOver. I don’t imagine it would be easy to find someone who would know the answer to that. VK6SP705

[@K5YVY]

That’s a good question. I will try that out for you soon as I get back to my tablet.

[@K5YVY]

Bill, I just tried voice over on the iPad with SDR Control and it appears to work well. It would not read off the frequency on the VFO, maybe because it’s dynamic? But everything else was read off when touching the buttons. On FT8 it would read out the selected frequency for the selected band. On the main screen it will read off the Band when the band button is selected, such as “20 meters” , but not the VFO frequency, it just says button. Hope this information helps you a bit. 73

[@barrymurray1190]

@@K5YVY Thanks very much for this. I know that some ICOM radios like the ID-51 have an inbuilt voice which will read out the frequency. I don’t know whether the IC-705 has that function. That would solve the problem.

[@K5YVY]

Barry, the 705 does have the same speech Function, when pressed tells you the mode and frequency.

[@barrymurray1190]

@@K5YVY thanks for this. A local shop is getting one of these radios into stock and when they do I’ll go and have a look at it and see what I think.