- Page 171 To distinguish equipment, each CI-V transceiver has its own Icom standard address in hexadecimal code. The IC-7700’s address is 74h. The IC-7700’s address is 74h. When 2 or more IC-7700’s are connected to an op- tional CT-17, rotate the main dial V LEVEL CONVERTER to select a different address for each IC-7700.
- There are two distinct interfaces to deal with: CI-V Radio Data information, and Radio Control signaling to the Accessory socket. CI-V is the data interface. It is Icom’s proprietary Computer Interface – Revision V (5) software. It is a bi-directional, digital interface that communicates the status of controllable features of.
- The Icom IC-7700 was designed from the start to be the ultimate contest transceiver. It employs the latest technology to give you the competitive edge. Two independent DSP units (of the same type used in the famous IC-7800) are built in: one for the transmitter & receiver and one for the spectrum display.
N4PY ICOM Control Program Current Version 3.39
The built-in RTTY/PSK31 modem allows use of the IC-7700 as a complete digimode terminal, requiring only a keyboard. This is great for semi-portable operation (e.g. Field Day) or when shack space is at a premium. IF-DSP notch filter with adjustable parameters. The software also allows the seamless use of transverters for the VHF/UHF bands with the display showing the transverter frequency. Additionally, there is a save/restore feature for the internal memories of your Icom transceiver.
IC-756PRO, IC-756PROII, IC-756PROIII, IC-706MKIIG, IC-746, IC-746PRO, IC-703, IC-775, IC-756, IC-718, IC-781, IC-7000, IC-7100, IC-7200, IC-7600, IC-7610, IC-9100, IC-7410, IC-7700, IC-7300, IC-7800, IC-7850, and IC-7851.
It also has support for the Microtelecom Perseus receiver both as a standalone receiver and Panadapter to be used with an Icom radio. And an RFSpace SDR-IQ radio can also be used as a Panadapter. Also any panadapter radio that can be controlled by HDSDR such as all the SDRplay models.
It also can control the Tentec Omni VI, Paragon II, N4PY Paragon 1.9, and N4PY Omni V.9
Click Image for full screen image.
Click here for screen shot for IC-7800
This program allows full control of your Icom transceiver from your computer. The software also allows the seamless use of transverters for the VHF/UHF bands with the display showing the transverter frequency. Additionally, there is a save/restore feature for the internal memories of your Icom transceiver. In addition to controlling the program from a computer, you can also control frequency and mode directly from the radio with the program keeping up with the changes. This allows the software to export a Pegasus file interface to any logging program that can work with a Pegasus.
The program also has a spectrum sweep that allows you to see the entire band at a glance and use your mouse to click on signals you wish to listen to.
Full memory file support is now provided to program all 5 memory banks of the IC-7000 including 9 character memory names and split transmit status. This is done very simply with ASCII text files that allow saving all the current memory contents to a file and restoring then from a file back to the IC-7000.
With the new Flex-1500 (or even a used SDR-1000 1 watt version for around
$200) now available from Flex Radio, you can now add the fantastic Flex
Radio real time panadapter to your Icom radio when using N4PY software.
The N4PY Icom Radio Control program will allow you to add any Flex radio
(the brand new Flex-1500 is only $579) to your Icom radio. With this Flex
radio configured along with your Icom radio, you will see 48 khz to 192 khz
of spectrum around the frequency your Icom radio is tuned for.
Additionally, you will be able to mouse click on signals displayed on the
panadapter and your Icom radio will automatically tune exactly to them.
This will give you the benefits of a Flex radio on your Icom radio.
Operation of the pair of radios this way works really well and even adds
dual receive. And the best part is no modifications to your Icom radio are
required.
Click here for screen shot of an Icom 756Pro running with a flex radio.
WD5FUN has found a nice way to add a $130 panadapter.
It also has full Panadapter support for the Microtelecom Perseus receiver or an RFSpace SDR-IQ receiver.
New Remote Mirrored Radio Operation for Icom radios
There is a remote operation for Icom radios that allows two
identical Icom radios to operate in a mirror fashion. In order to
do this, you need a pair of identical Icom radios. You use one
at the server location and another one at the client location to
control the server radio. At the operator client location,
whatever you do to the radio controls is mirrored at the server
radio.
The client radio is continually polled for changes to send to
the server radio. This makes operating remote much simpler and
more fun.
Price:$65 for first time registration, includes both the N4PY Pegasus Plus and N4PY Icom program.
New Version Renewal fee: $30 to get new versions for another year
Just a word here about the renewal policy. When you purchase the program for the first time registration fee, you also get free program updates for all following versions for one year. At the end of the year, if you want to continue to get new versions for another year, you pay the renewal fee. If you decide not to renew, the version you have will still continue to run forever.
Icom Manual
Readme File
CSRemote File
Click here for Download Instructions
Icom RS-BA1 software makes it possible to monitor and control Icom transceivers either locally or remotely. This article is for vision-impaired amateur radio operators who want to use RS-BA1 to display the settings of an Icom HF transceiver on a computer screen for improved visibility.
The basics of rig monitoring are described in a separate article using Ham Radio Deluxe in the examples.
Using RS-BA1 with a screen reader is described in another article.
Software
The RS-BA1 software runs on Windows XP(SP3), Vista, and Windows 7 systems. It consists of two programs—Remote Control and Remote Utility—each with an icon on the Desktop.
When the control computer is connected directly to the radio, only the Remote Control program is required. The Remote Utility handles remote communication over the Internet. In that case, a second computer (server) is located at the transceiver. (A base station server is not required for an IC-7700 with firmware version 2.0 or later.)
The Instruction Manual explains how to set up the serial connections for both programs.
Ci V Icom Software For Use With 7700 Printer
The list of supported radios is as follows: IC-746, 746PRO, 756PROII/III, 7000, 7100, 7200, 7400, 7600, 7700, 7800, and 9100. There are also general sets of controls in the program that might work with older Icom radios.
Icom America loaned the RS-BA1 software for this review.
Connecting the Radio to a Computer
All supported radios have a CI-V remote control jack for the serial connection to a computer. Newer radios in the list also have either an RS-232 jack or a USB connector to use instead of the CI-V jack.
A TTL level converter is required for a CI-V connection. For this article, the level converter (Radio port) in a MicroHam USB Interface III was used to connect the transceiver CI-V jack to a USB port on my computer.
I also tried a less expensive serial-USB adapter with a Prolific Technology chip. The RS-BA1 Remote program worked with the adapter, but the direct CI-V connection to the radio failed intermittently. Serial adapters with FTDI chipsets are reportedly much more reliable.
RS-BA1 User Interface
The graphical user interface for the Remote Control Program is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. RS-BA1 graphical user interface for an Icom 746PRO.
Left/right mouse click on a knob to turn it counter-clockwise or clockwise, respectively.
Ci V Icom Software For Use With 7700 Drivers
The radio panel window is 6.0' H x 7.8' W on a typical 22' display. The size is not adjustable, and it is not affected by the screen dpi setting. Labels on the buttons are 0.1' high.
RS-BA1 works well with the Windows screen magnifier utility.
Radio Menu Settings
Some radio menu items can be set using RS-BA1 menus. For example, the View→Set Mode menu can be used to configure the Notch Filter and Meter Peak Hold settings. Selecting each item in the View→Operating Panels menu opens a small sub-screen with controls, such as the Noise Reduction level, Filter options, and CW Keyer settings. Many of these sub-screens are also accessible by right-clicking buttons in the graphical radio panel.
User-Defined Keyboard Shortcuts
The Operations→Shortcut menu lets you assign hot keys that operate controls on the panel. For example, default shortcut keys enable you to (1) enter the operating frequency using the number pad on the computer keyboard and (2) toggle between VFO A and B using the space-bar.
Programming Memory Channels
The program can also be used to create or edit memory channel data and save it in the computer. These channel memories are accessible only with the program. The Remote Controller can not read from the radio memory or write to it.
Rig Monitoring
The data screen on the control panel (Figure 2) has a lot of useful information besides the operating frequency.
Figure 2. RS-BA1 data screen for an IC-746PRO.
All of the multi-meter readings—S-meter, power, ALC, COMP, and SWR—are shown on the data screen. The Icom graphical multi-meter is compared with the Ham Radio Deluxe and Kenwood ARCP meters in a separate article.
Some buttons have a simulated status light (Figure 3)—an area that turns light blue when the function is on.
Figure 3. RS-BA1 status light shows Noise Reduction is ON.
Ci V Icom Software For Use With 7700 Sewing Machine
A YouTube video by Simon Lewis, ZL4PLM, demonstrates the program.
Ci V Icom Software For Use With 7700 Wireless
Summary
The RS-BA1 Remote Control Program can be used to monitor an Icom HF transceiver using a computer display for improved visibility. All multi-meter readings (power, SWR, etc.) are shown on the screen. Some radio menu items are also accessible. You can create and edit memory channels that are stored in computer memory.
Acknowledgment
Thanks to Diane Morrison, KE7PCS, of Icom America, Inc. for loaning the software, and to Chris Zenchenko, WN9RSQ, for helpful information.
Author Information
Peter DeNeef, AE7PD, is an Extra Class amateur radio operator in the USA. This website has no ads or conflicts of interest.
Email: HamRadioAndVision 'at' gmail 'dot' com.
rev. 3/18/2015
Related Articles: Rig Monitoring Basics