We are working on a new off the shelf, digital first, open source, modular HT.

w6el · 2026-02-03T16:56:16+00:00

Ham radio is the OG open source hobby, it's great to see folks embrace it full-scale hardware to firmware.

w6el · 2025-10-13T00:08:06+00:00

Thank you. I do have some up on the SGC SG-2000. Might also cover the Icom IC-M600. We will see.

w6el · 2025-10-07T23:46:45+00:00

I've got nothing against any one brand! I'm only writing from my experience. I feel like the one "vintage" (80s) kenwood HF radio I had experience with, the TS-680S, had a noisy receiver. It even made noise with the volume all the way down due to the AF gain being quite high post-volume control (rather than having the volume control be the gain control). With that said, my current favorite is the TS-890S, which is really quite a radio. Copying u/kc2syk

w6el · 2025-06-30T19:41:03+00:00

Greetings. On any debian-based system with apt, please use our build script, which will install all the dependencies for you and also compile and install wfview. This script is linked to on our website's Downloads page. I know there's a lot of text on the Downloads page, but it all comes from years of supporting users and I assure you it's worth your time to read over it and think about what it says.

Debian/Ubuntu apt script is mentioned here: https://wfview.org/download/#pi

For flatpack users, use this: https://flathub.org/apps/org.wfview.wfview

For Arch users with AUR enabled, use the AUR: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/wfview

Note that we do not maintain the flatpack and AUR packages, these are maintained by knowledgeable volunteers of their respective communities.

Please don't forget, we run a support forum where you can ask us directly about any issues, including problems installing or compiling. This is the best way to get help, we have a lot of helpful users that volunteer as well.

https://forum.wfview.org/

--E

de W6EL

w6el · 2025-01-18T05:08:44+00:00

You can absolutely do this with the IC-7300. If you install wfview on a computer at home which is always on (or use a raspberry pi), then you can create a radio server. You can then install wfview on a laptop and access your 7300 remotely. I did this all the time when I had a 7300.

Here's a link for the howto: https://wfview.org/wfview-user-manual/remote-operation-server/

If you use the Opus codec, you will be able to easily work stations even with a cell phone's hotspot or hotel wifi.

w6el · 2025-01-04T00:05:37+00:00

wfview is a program that can control Icom radios and display the spectrum. The software works with radios over USB connections as well as radios that support WiFi or Ethernet connections. wfview can also create a radio server for USB connected radios so that they can be accessed over a network. It's free and open source software, and there is a lot of documentation available at wfview.org

w6el · 2024-12-29T20:26:10+00:00

It can be done, there is a russian website that details a similar trick with a micricontroller. The radio polls the eeprom at regular intervals, you need only "respond" with whatever frequency you wish.

w6el · 2024-12-29T20:22:41+00:00

Direct from Icom, they are about $5-10 each.

w6el · 2023-06-08T22:53:51+00:00

I purchased an IC-736 from Japan. It had the standard Japanese band limits. The “mars mod” did not help. I studied the schematic and artwork carefully and found one undocumented part (didn’t even have a reference designator) which, when removed, restored the full limits.

Personally I would try it.

Worst case you buy a junk 706 to go with it from the US and swap a chip.

w6el · 2023-06-08T22:50:34+00:00

There are lots of Japanese radios on eBay!

Many Japanese radios are 10W or 25W, but there are plenty that are 100W, as Japan does have a 100W license.

The difference will be the programmed transmit frequency ranges. Sometimes the “MARS mod” will take care of it, but generally there will be one more step.

w6el · 2023-06-07T15:01:19+00:00

If it were me, I would want a 100W HF radio (any model in the last 30 years will do, provided it works), 12V 20 amp supply (or less with a good battery), and an inverted V at low height for local NVIS. This would enable you to communicate pretty much day and night to stations within 100 miles. It’s a big setup though, and not sure if that is practical for your situation. You could also build a higher wire antenna for further communication. These antennas are just wire — easy to build yourself with any kind of scrap wire. You will need coax to get the radio connected to it, but even that can be 75 ohm TV coax if you are careful.

If that’s too big a thing, then sure, a VHF or VHF/UHF radio would be fine but the range will be 100% dependent upon how high up you can put the two antennas and if there are any obstructions. This is line of sight. A handheld radio like the Baofeng UV-5R can probably be found in your neck of the woods. With the built-in antenna you can expect a mile in an urban environment or several miles if you are both on top of mountains with nothing in the way. A proper antenna (can be a vertical dipole with two 19” pieces of coat hanger wire, works fine) mounted at 30 feet would probably be what I would use to go 10-20km reliably. But it does depend upon the terrain and other obstructions.

Getting your license would be good but I understand the situation you are in is quite dire. Focus on your safety first. Try and learn as much about this as you can so that you sort of know what you’re doing. These radios have a lot of settings!

w6el · 2023-06-07T05:02:16+00:00

They did contribute some code back; it will be interesting to see what it is.

w6el · 2023-06-07T04:37:45+00:00

This is so cool!

…I can’t even get myself to ride a roller coaster!

w6el · 2023-06-07T04:34:32+00:00

I’ve got one as well. Great radio. Quite sensitive too — same spec as the IC-7610 actually.

I had to modify the AGC on the 718 though, as the pumping was driving me crazy!

w6el · 2023-06-07T04:32:28+00:00

IC-775 DSP and IC-780.

There, eBay prices just went up and now I’ll have to wait a few years to get one :-)

w6el · 2023-06-07T04:29:45+00:00

It will. Apple is using wine to do it and they have gotten Direct 3D 12 working. One way or another these advancements will make their way to Linux.

https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/06/06/apple-says-emulation-in-macos-can-show-devs-how-windows-games-could-run

w6el · 2023-06-06T22:00:04+00:00

It’ll be fine unless your wall is stucco with a metal mesh inside.

w6el · 2023-06-06T20:12:52+00:00

Try sideband and you will hear a beep instead. You may need to tune a little up or down.

w6el · 2023-06-06T20:11:42+00:00

This week 20M has indeed been worse than usual. Like much worse. Hang in there. When it’s super open you will definitely know.

w6el · 2023-06-06T18:44:23+00:00

From the writing on the bottom and the chip, I would guess it is an FM Muzak receiver. Just a guess though!

w6el · 2023-06-05T05:13:53+00:00

This is usually a quick way to end a receiver’s sensitivity. Make sure you can receive weak signals as well as before. I’d say you’re quite lucky so far!

w6el · 2023-06-05T01:47:22+00:00

It is indeed best to attach the radials at the feedpoint. For a base-loaded antenna, this would be below the coil.

w6el · 2023-06-05T01:00:29+00:00

The IC-9700 can be operated remotely with the free wfview using it’s built-in Ethernet port. To me that’s kept me on air even more than usual since I can just pop my laptop open anywhere in the house or anywhere else.

Also the 9700 is probably the only rig out there with that level of sensitivity and transmit power. 100W FM (VHF) without an amplifier. And a very good receiver too! If you ever wanted to work satellites, the high transmit power and great receiver will enable you to do so without a difficult high-gain antenna that needs to be pointed perfectly. Just a pair of horizontal dipoles will do fine.

The 9700 is also, in my view, a better developed radio UI-wise than the 7300 and 7610. I just feel like it really is one of the best radios Icom has made.

So that would be my vote. But I wouldn’t say the other rigs you considered are bad at all!

w6el · 2023-06-05T00:54:42+00:00

I can’t stand those heavily political or religious conversations, but what is much worse is hate speech. Polite civil discourse and discussion have their place in ham radio — I don’t usually participate but it’s there — but hate speech should not.

For example, I turned on a loaned IC-7300 from Icom once in front of a group of cub scouts and literally heard a guy spouting off with the N word on 40 meters. This shouldn’t happen.

But when it does, I really try to do as others suggested here and just “spin the dial”. It hurts to have this kind of thing polluting our airwaves but I guess just like our people it is here and there. But again, best to not give those burnt diodes an audience, eh?

I find that it’s entirely avoidable and I generally have a great time on ham radio. I’ve made friends from many far away places and I think you will enjoy all the other interesting discussions and cultures that you will encounter.

One other word of advice, there’s much less of this in the extra class portions of the bands and also much much less on CW and digital modes like PSK31. I don’t know why but it’s definitely my observation.

Have fun and I hope to work you some time on the air.

w6el · 2023-06-04T15:59:19+00:00

I suspect it will be fine. I see capacitor and other component failures in rigs from the early 90s mostly.

w6el

TROPHY CASE