HF Home Station

My home station is the Icom IC-7300. The transceiver has no modification. Besides the common clock battery issue (aka loosing of time) the transceiver is great.

To deal with clock issue I've greated the IcomClockOmniRig Windows executable to set the Icom IC-7300 clock via OmniRig. That works out quite well and I can set the IC-7300's clock to UTC as well. Check IcomClockOmniRig program out if you have an IC-7300. For non-windows computers you may want to check out the IC-7300-time-sync Python script. The only drawback here is that the COM port can't be shared like with OmniRig.

I'm using a Dell Latitude E6540 laptop with the Dell Dell E-Port Plus port replicator (aka dock) running windows. The computer is connected to the IC-7300 via the USB A-to-B cable and the USB to CI-V cable. This allows two programs to communicate with the IC-7300 concurrently via different COM ports. I run OmniRig on the CI-V port and whatever digital mode I use on the USB port.

To enable this in the IC-7300 the following settings are used:

• Set -> Connections -> CI-V -> CI-V Baud Rate: 19200 (fastest speed)
• Set -> Connections -> CI-V -> CI-V Address: 94h (default)
• Set -> Connections -> CI-V -> CI-V Transceive: OFF)
• Set -> Connections -> CI-V -> CI-V Output (for ANT): OFF)
• Set -> Connections -> CI-V -> CI-V USB Port: Unlink from [REMOTE] (This separates the CI-V and USB ports from each other so they can utelize different speeds.)
• Set -> Connections -> CI-V -> CI-V USB Baud Rate: 115200 (fastest speed)
• Set -> Connections -> CI-V -> CI-V USB Echo Back: ON

OmniRig Rig Control

OmniRig allows multiple programs to communicate via a single COM port with the transceiver. The awsomeness of this is that you don't need to shut down an app while using another app concurrently. OmniRig is free and the source code is availiable. The code is very mature and works great. The only downside is that it works only with Windows due to the technology used.

My OmniRig configuration is as follows:

• Rig type: IC-7300
• Port: COM 20
• Baud Rate: 19200
• Data bits: 8
• Parity: None
• Stop bits: 1
• RTS: Low
• DTR: Low
• Poll int., ms: 300
• Timeout, ms: 4000

Log4OM Logging Software

For logging I primarely use Log4OM, a free but not open source Windows logging software that utelizes OmniRig for rig control.

I use OmniRig for cat control with the following settings:

• CAT Engine: Omnirig
• Auto start CAT: checked

To allow WSJT-X automatically add log entries I added the following settings under "Software Integration" -> "Connections" -> "UDP INBOUND":

• Port: 2333
• Connection name: WSJT-X ADIF
• Service type: ADIF_MESSAGE

Similarely to allow logging with my POTA Logger software I added the following settings under "Software Integration" -> "Connections" -> "UDP INBOUND":

• Port: 8899
• Connection name: POTA LOGGER
• Service type: ADIF_MESSAGE

WSJT-X

An introduction to WSJT-X isn't needed with FT8 being so popular. The WSJT-X software is free and open source. Occasionally I do run other modes like FT4 or JT65.

My WSJT-X rig control settings are:

• Rig: IC-7300
• Poll Interval: 1s
• Serial Port: COM4
• Baud Rate: 115200
• Data Bits: Eight
• Stop Bits: Two
• Handshake: None
• DTR: Low
• RTS: Low
• PTT Method: Cat
• Mode: Data/Pkt
• Split Operation: Fake It

I have ADIF broadcasting enabled as this allows for automated loggin into Log4OM. The required settings on the WSJT-X side are under the "Reporting" -> "Secondary UDP Server (depreciated)":

• Enable logged contact ADIF broadcast: checked
• Server name or IP address: 127.0.0.1
• Server port number: 2333

Fldigi

Fldigi is the allround tool for digital communication. The Fldigi software is free and open source. Some of my used modes are PSK, RTTY and Hell.

I use RigCat with the following settings:

• Rig description file: IC-7300.xml
• Device: COM4
• Retries: 5
• Retry interval (ms): 50
• Write delay (ms): 0
• Init delay (ms)
• Baud rate: 115200
• Stopbits: 1
• Commands are echoed: checked
• CAT command for PTT: checked
• Toggle RTS for PTT: unchecked
• Toggle DTR for PTT: unchecked
• RTS +12v: unchecked
• DTR +12v: unchecked
• RTS/CTS flow control: unchecked
• VSP Enable: unchecked
• Restore UART Settings on Close: checked

JS8Call

JS8Call took FT8 one step further and made it into a mode that can be used for real communicaton. The JS8Call is free and open source. The project has received the 2021 Amateur Radio Software Award

My JS8Call rig control settings are:

• Rig: IC-7300
• Serial Port: COM4
• Baud Rate: 115200
• Data Bits: Default
• Stop Bits: Default
• Handshake: Default
• DTR:
• RTS:
• PTT Method: Cat
• Mode: Data/Pkt
• Split Operation: Fake It
• Tx delay: 0.2s

N3FJP Logger

If I'm somewhat serious about running a contest I install the N3FJP logging software for the specific contest since I already bought the bundle and the logger is easy to use.

My rig settings are:

• Select Rig: Icom
• Com Port: COM4
• Baud Rate: Other 115200
• Parity: None
• Data Bits: 8
• Stop Bits: 1
• Connection Power: None
• Radio Polling Rate: 500 ms
• Mede Determined By: Rig
• Command to Read Frequency: FE FE 94 E0 03 FD
• Command to Read Mode: FE FE 94 E0 04 FD

IcomClockOmniRig

As mentioned above, I'm using the IcomClockOmniRig to set the time to UTC on the IC-7300. IcomClockOmniRig is free, open source and has been rock solid for me. Of course I'm the author of the program. The following command runs whenever I start up Log4OM but I also have the same command availiable as a shortcut in case I want to execute it some other time:

IcomClockOmniRig.exe -u

NetLogger Elf

For logging and participating in the 3905 Century Club nets and occasionally the OMISS nets I use the free but not open source Netlogger software I wrote the NetLogger Elf software to print QSL cards and insert logs into Log4OM. While this software is free and open source, it's not at a state that it's easy to use for other people.

Claus' Pota Logger

When going on POTA activations I end up logging on paper. To enter the QSOs more efficiently into Log4OM I created Claus' Pota Logger as a free and open source program. Just like the NetLogger Elf, the log entries into Log4OM are done via ADIF messages via UDP.

HF Station Portable Station

I'm using a Yeasu FT-857d with an LDG YT100 tuner for portable operations like POTA activations.

VHF/UHF Station

I'm not very active on VHF and UHF. Besides the Yeasu FT-857d i have a TYT TH-8600 and a couple Boafeng UV-82.