REMOTE OPERATION RS-BA1

ICOM's REMOTE SOFTWARE

The IC-7610 has a built-in server which means that you don't need to connect it to a computer in order to operate it from a remote location. All it requires is a connection to the internet - mine is connected via a wireless hub.

Curiosity drove me to learn more about remote operation and then a fellow club-member at WMRC gave a talk on the subject using Icom's own software (RS-BA1). I already had a "copy" of this software and had tried to get it working previously with my IC-7100. I failed miserably, even though I managed to get the software to operate the radio perfectly through a direct PC connection (USB Lead).

Anyway, onto the 7610. Unlike the 7100, the 7610 is a DUAL receiver rig, so the RS-BA1 software had to be upgraded to V2 in order to provide control over both receivers. Once installed, I managed to get to the same position as before - I could control the radio using a direct PC connection, but not remotely.

After much research on the internet, I found some radio-settings that needed changing. Voila!! The software worked almost perfectly! If I twiddled a dial or switch on the software, it reacted on the radio. Every single aspect worked perfectly - except transmit!!

Damn! I just couldn't figure it out. I was using my Surface Pro-7 tablet with Windows 10 64-bit, RS-BA1 V2, the RS-28 VFO Dial and a Logitech G533 Headset. I went onto a 7610 Technical Facebook Group and asked for help, but everything they suggested, I'd already tried.

And then for some reason (desperation) I tried one more setting and BOOM, it was sorted and my speech into the microphone finally produced some SSB modulation in the radio, using a dummy load. I was very pleased!

Being an M7, I can only operate remotely from the same general location as the radio, so I can enjoy using the brilliant RX capabilities of my Icom from somewhere nicer than the shack in the summer months. I can use the remote software by controlling the radio via a LAN. I'm not giving access to other operators - it's for personal use only.

Apparently, there's a few other ways of operating your radio remotely including remoterig.com so it's worth looking around. I only used the Icom software because it was custom written by the radio's manufacturer and I guess it can't get any better than that. My only gripe with the software is that it won't 'expand' beyond the size shown in the photo above. Very annoying!

UPDATE : 

Ooops! My bad. I didn't notice that Icom slipped in a new feature in V2 whereby you can increase the panel-size from "normal" to large". In large mode, it is in all fairness, big enough even on my relatively hi-res screen.