Icom IC-9700

This page describes some mode-specific settings for the IC-9700 station.

Manuals

Manuals for the IC-9700 can be found here:

• Basic
• Advanced

APRS-tt

Hardware

Rig

• IC-9700
• USB A/B cable

Note

Frequency: 146.580 MHz
Mode: FM-D (digital)

Connectors/
USB AF/IF Output/Output Select: AF
USB AF/IF Output/AF Output Level: 50%
MOD Input/DATA MOD: USB
USB Send/KEYING/USB SEND: USB (A) RTS
USB Send/KEYING/Inhibit Timer at USB Connection: ON
CI-V/CI-V DATA Echo Back: ON
PTT Port Function: PTT Input + SEND Output

PC

• Acer Windows 10 laptop

Antenna

• Comet antenna mounted externally
• Connected via coax patch panel

Software

PC System Settings

Note

# Right click Windows icon; select ‘Device Manager’; Select ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’
Silicon Labs SP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM4)

# Right click Windows icon; select ‘Device Manager’; Select ‘Audio inputs and outputs’
IC-9700 (4- USB Audio CODEC)
Microphone (4- USB Audio CODEC)

# Enter ‘control panel’ in search window; Open ‘Hardware and Sound’; Select ‘Sound’

# Under ‘Recording’ tab 1. Confirm that Microphone (4- USB Audio CODEC) is not default device 2. Click Properties button; select Levels tab 3. Set Microphone level to ~65% (adjust as needed)

# Under ‘Playback’ tab 1. Confirm that IC-9700 is not default device 2. Click Properties button; select Levels tab 3. Set Speakers slider to ~50%

Application

• Direwolf 1.7

Note

Parameters in direwolf.conf

ADEVICE (4- USB

CHANNEL 0

MYCALL W3TM-8

MODEM 1200

DTMF

PTT COM4 RTS

AGWPORT 8000
KISSPORT 8001

CBEACON every=10 dest=“MORSE-6” info=“de W3TM-tt”

IGSERVER noam.aprs2.net

# Logged-in to APRS-IS to send packets.
IGLOGIN W3TM-8 28828

IGTXLIMIT 6 10

TTPOINT B001 40.7177087 -77.891919 # mountaintop
TTPOINT B002 40.7753191 -77.8561127 # South Hills
TTPOINT B003 40.8055434 -77.88982 # Hoss’
TTPOINT B085 40.753017 -77.760620 # Little Flat 85
TTPOINT B076 40.9123402 -78.019739 # Rattlesnake 76

TTAMBIG BAx

# W3TM
TTMACRO 001xx AC9386001109AB{dot}B0xxBA1
# W3EDP ————————————
TTMACRO 011xx AC9333701173AB{dot}B0xxBA1
# N3LI ————————————
TTMACRO 021xx AC6354002293AB{dot}B0xxBA1
# W3SWL
TTMACRO 031xx AC9379501245AB{dot}B0xxBA1
# WA7HUB
TTMACRO 041xx AC9274821322AB{dot}B0xx*BA1

TTOBJ 0 IG
CHANNEL 0
DWAIT 100

Operating

1. Switch to 145.80 MHz, FM-D mode. Note: Memory channel 10 has this frequency but not FM-D stored!
2. Launch Direwolf from desktop
3. Confirm that Direwolf has connected to audio devices.
4. Enter DTMF tones to test or switch to 144.390 MHz to ensure that packets are being decoded.

Winlink

Rig

• IC-9700
• USB A/B cable

Note

Frequency: 145.090 MHz (this frequency is stored in one of the memories)
Mode: FM-D (digital)

Connectors/
USB AF/IF Output/Output Select: AF
USB AF/IF Output/AF Output Level: 50%
MOD Input/DATA MOD: USB
USB Send/KEYING/USB SEND: USB (A) RTS
USB Send/KEYING/Inhibit Timer at USB Connection: ON
CI-V/CI-V DATA Echo Back: ON
PTT Port Function: PTT Input + SEND Output

PC

• Acer Windows 10 laptop

Antenna

• Comet antenna mounted externally
• Connected via coax patch panel

Software

PC System Settings

Note

# Right click Windows icon; select Device Manager; Select Ports (COM & LPT) Silicon Labs SP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM4)

# Right click Windows icon; select Device Manager; Select Audio inputs and outputs IC-9700 (4- USB Audio CODEC)
Microphone (4- USB Audio CODEC)

# Enter ‘control panel’ in search window; Open Hardware and Sound; Select Sound

# Under Recording tab 1. Confirm that Microphone (4- USB Audio CODEC) is not default device 2. Click Properties button; select Levels tab 3. Set Microphone level to ~65% (adjust as needed)

# Under Playback tab 1. Confirm that IC-9700 is not default device 2. Click Properties button; select Levels tab 3. Set Speakers slider to ~50%

Application

• Winlink Express 1.7.12.0

Note

Winlink Express parameters.

# Settings : Winlink Express Setup
My Callsign: W3TM
My Password: *******
Password recovery email: rogilmore@mac.com My Grid Square FN10BT
Winlink Express registration key: HIDDEN

There are many other parameters but these are the most important ones.

• VARA FM

Note

# Under Settings VARA Setup…
TCP Ports: Command: 8300
TCP Ports: Data: 8301

FM System: NARROW
Digipeater:
Retries: 2

VARA Licenses:
Callsign: W3TM
Registration Key: *******

Soundcard…
Device Input: Microphone (4- USB Audio CODEC)
Device Output: IC-9700 (4- USB Audio CODEC)

PTT…
PTT Via: CAT'</br> Brand:Icom</br> Port:COM4</br> Model:IC-9700</br> Baud:19200</br> CI-V Address:A2`

Oddly enough, RTS is unchecked.

Operating

1. Switch to memory channel 11 (145.090 MHz, W3SWL-10), FM-D mode
2. Launch Winlink Express from desktop
3. Open Session: Vara FM Winlink
4. Check rig RF power (10W is more than sufficient)
5. When Var FM Winlink Session window opens, confirm that W3SWL-10 @ 145.090 is selected
6. Press Start button to initiate QSO.
7. Turn up AF gain to monitor QSO. You will hear sound from W3SWL-10, but not the output

Packet

Rig

• IC-9700
• USB A/B cable

Note

Frequency: 145.030 MHz (this frequency is stored in one of the memories)
Mode: FM-D (digital)

The following settings do not change from Winlink or APRS-tt (via Direwolf)

Connectors/
USB AF/IF Output/Output Select: AF
USB AF/IF Output/AF Output Level: 50%
MOD Input/DATA MOD: USB
USB Send/KEYING/USB SEND: USB (A) RTS
USB Send/KEYING/Inhibit Timer at USB Connection: ON
CI-V/CI-V DATA Echo Back: ON
PTT Port Function: ’PTT Input + SEND Output`

PC

• Acer Windows 10 laptop

Antenna

• Comet antenna mounted externally
• Connected via coax patch panel

Software

PC System Settings

Note

The following settings should not change from those for Winlink Express or APRS-tt.

# Right click Windows icon; select Device Manager; Select Ports (COM & LPT) Silicon Labs SP210x USB to UART Bridge (COM4)

# Right click Windows icon; select Device Manager; Select Audio inputs and outputs IC-9700 (4- USB Audio CODEC)
Microphone (4- USB Audio CODEC)

# Enter ‘control panel’ in search window; Open Hardware and Sound; Select Sound

# Under Recording tab 1. Confirm that Microphone (4- USB Audio CODEC) is not default device 2. Click Properties button; select Levels tab 3. Set Microphone level to ~65% (adjust as needed)

# Under Playback tab 1. Confirm that IC-9700 is not default device 2. Click Properties button; select Levels tab 3. Set Speakers slider to ~50%

Application

• UZ7HO version 1.13 SoundModem

Note

SoundModem parameters.

# Settings menu: Devices Sound Card: Output device: IC-9700 (4-USB Audio CODEC)
Sound Card: Input device: Microphone (4-USB Audio CODEC)
Sound Card: Single channel output
Sound Card: Color waterfall

Server setup: AGWPE Server Port: 8000 and Enabled Server setup: KISS Server Port: 8001

PTT Port: Select PTT port: COM4

# Settings menu: Modems

• EasyTerm by UZ7HO Version 0.49b

Note

EasyTerm parameters.

# Settings menu: Station Setup
Terminal Callsign: W3TM

Beacon Setup: Destination: BEACON
Beacon Setup: Interval: 30
Beacon Setup: Ports: `1’

TNC Setup: Host: 127.0.0.1
TNC Setup: Port: 8000
TNC Setup: Paclen: 80

Operating

1. Switch to memory channel 7 (145.030 MHz, W3YA-3 Packet), FM-D mode
2. Launch SoundModem.
3. Launch EasyTerm
4. Check rig RF power (10W is more than sufficient)
5. W3YA-3 and W3PHB-3 beacon regularly, so it’s good to see if you can decode them.
6. When the channel is clear, press the ‘Connect’ button
7. Select target from ‘CallTo’ menu, usually W3YA-3 or W3PHB-3
8. Press the ‘Connect’ button to connect.
9. Turn up AF gain to monitor QSO. You will hear sound from the packet BBS, but not your own output (unless you have turned up the monitor level on the rig).