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FT4 on the IC-9700 over the network

A complete walk-through for working satellite FT4 on an Icom IC-9700 using OrbitDeck's network connection — no PC, no USB audio interface, no extra software. OrbitDeck drives the radio's CAT (Doppler) and carries the receive/transmit audio over Icom's RS-BA1 network stream, so the phone and the radio talk directly over your LAN.

Maturity: CAT (Doppler) over the IC-9700 network is validated. The RS-BA1 network-audio path (RX/TX audio over the LAN) is newer and still being validated on-air — if TX audio won't modulate, see Audio not going out, and note that a USB audio interface is the proven alternative.

What you need

  • An IC-9700 connected to your network by its rear Ethernet (LAN) jack.
  • The IC-9700 on the same subnet as your iPhone/iPad's Wi-Fi (the router must route Wi-Fi and the wired LAN together, with no client isolation / "AP isolation").
  • Your callsign and grid set in OrbitDeck (for transmit, logging and PSKReporter).
  • A linear transponder configured for the satellite you'll work (e.g. RS-44).

On the radio (IC-9700 menus)

Set these once. Menu paths are for the IC-9700's MENU → SET.

Network

MENU → SET → Network:

  • Network Control → ON. This is "valid after restart," so power-cycle the radio after changing it.
  • Default Gateway → your router's IP address. Icom requires a Default Gateway for remote control, even on a local network — without it the radio won't accept the connection.
  • Network Radio Name / Network Name — optional; any name.
  • Control Port (UDP) — leave the default 50001. (OrbitDeck uses the serial and audio ports, 50002 and 50003, automatically.)
  • An IP address: DHCP ON works; a DHCP reservation or a static IP is convenient so the address doesn't change.

MENU → SET → Network → Network User1:

  • Set a User1 ID and Password (the password must be 8–16 characters and not all the same character). You'll enter these in OrbitDeck. (The Administrator setting can stay NO.)

CI-V

MENU → SET → Connectors → CI-V:

  • CI-V Transceive — ON (this is the default).
  • Leave the CI-V Address at the 9700 default (A2h); leave OrbitDeck's address override blank.

Audio over the network (RX and TX)

OrbitDeck runs FT4 in the radio's data sub-mode (USB-D) and carries the audio over the RS-BA1 network stream, so point the data path at the LAN:

  • Transmit: MENU → SET → Connectors → MOD Input → DATA MOD → LAN (the default is ACC), so data-mode transmit audio comes from the network stream (OrbitDeck) instead of the mic. You can trim LAN MOD Level (same menu) if you over- or under-modulate.
  • Receive: MENU → SET → Connectors → LAN AF/IF Output → AF SQL → OFF (Open), so received audio always flows to the network for decoding (the default, ON, gates it on squelch).
If you'd rather feed audio another way, you can turn Use data mode for FT4 off in OrbitDeck (Settings → Audio features) — but the network path only supplies audio through the data mode, so DATA MOD = LAN + data mode is the combination you want here.

Satellite mode

You do not need to pre-set satellite mode or the MAIN/SUB bands — when it connects, OrbitDeck commands the 9700 into satellite mode and assigns MAIN = downlink (RX) and SUB = uplink (TX) for you, then Doppler-tunes both. Just make sure only one program uses the radio's single network session at a time (close RS-BA1 Remote Utility / wfview).

Find the radio's IP address

On the radio: MENU → SET → Network shows the current IP address (or read it from your router's client list). You'll enter this in OrbitDeck. A DHCP reservation on your router keeps it from changing.

In OrbitDeck

  1. Operator identity — Settings → Operator identity: enter your callsign and grid.
  2. CAT / rig control — Settings → CAT / rig control:
    • Turn on Enable CAT control; choose one radio and pick IC-9700.
    • Connection: Icom network. Enter the radio's IP, control port 50001, and the User1 ID/Password (stored in the iOS Keychain).
    • Leave the CI-V address blank (uses A2). Keep Track Doppler on. Command satellite mode and assign MAIN/SUB bands apply automatically on the 9700.
  3. Data mode — Settings → Audio features: leave Use data mode for FT4 on (it sets USB-D so audio uses the LAN data path you configured above).
  4. Pick the satellite & transponder on Home, and make sure a linear transponder is selected (the FT4 downlink/uplink centres come from it).
  5. Connect CAT — on the Home Rig control (CAT) card tap Connect. The dot turns green and the live dials appear. Because the radio now presents network audio, the FT4 card appears on Home.
If the FT4 card doesn't appear, set FT4 to Always in Settings → Audio features, or confirm the CAT card is connected (network audio is only offered while the radio's network session is up).

Working a pass

  1. Open the FT4 card. You'll see the waterfall, the slot clock, and the Doppler readout.
  2. Set your TX audio frequency to a clear spot on the waterfall (the Clear spot button picks one).
  3. Check the input level meter rides in the green as signals come through; adjust input/output gain in the card's setup.
  4. Tap Call CQ, or tap a decoded station to answer it — the auto-sequencer runs the exchange and logs the QSO. PTT is keyed automatically over the network.

OrbitDeck holds the dial steady within each 7.5-second slot and corrects the residual Doppler in the audio domain, so decodes stay clean through the fast Doppler near closest approach. For the why, see the Doppler deep dive. Remember FT4 is near-100% duty cycle — keep power modest out of respect for others on the transponder.

Troubleshooting

  • Won't connect — confirm Network Control is ON (and that you power-cycled the radio after enabling it), a Default Gateway is set (Icom requires one even on a LAN), and the User1 ID/Password match. The 9700 uses its wired Ethernet and must be on the same subnet as your Wi-Fi (no client isolation); and no other program can hold the radio's single network session (power-cycle the radio if a previous session hung). OrbitDeck reports where the handshake stalled (no reply / login rejected / connection refused).
  • Connects, then drops — OrbitDeck now detects a silently dead network link and reconnects automatically; a brief Wi-Fi blip should recover on its own.
  • Audio not going out (no decode of you) — confirm DATA MOD = LAN on the radio and Use data mode for FT4 is on in OrbitDeck (so the radio is in USB-D and takes modulation from the network). Watch the FT4 TX level meter to confirm OrbitDeck is emitting audio. If network TX audio still won't modulate, use a USB audio interface to the radio's data port as the proven path.
  • Downlink/uplink modes look swapped — the 9700's satellite layout is fixed MAIN = RX (downlink), SUB = TX (uplink); OrbitDeck sets the modes to match. On an inverting bird like RS-44 you should see the downlink in USB and the uplink in LSB.
  • Capture a log — Settings → Diagnostics → Diagnostic logs, reproduce the problem, then share the file. It records each connection stage, PTT, and the FT4 slot timing.

See also: Rig Control (CAT) and Full-duplex FT4.