How OrbitDeck learned to control the IC-705 over Wi-Fi, what it borrowed from icom-lan, where it diverged, and the session logic that finally worked.
Topics
Radio Content
Amateur Radio
Portable operating, antennas, field builds, and the practical bits of getting signals off the ground.
A wire-level reference for the IC-705 WiFi control path used by OrbitDeck, including handshake order, packet layouts, CI-V wrapping, and the implementation details that proved necessary in practice.
Repairing an ID-5100A head unit with replacement touch screen and LCD parts sourced directly from Icom Australia.
A running build journal for the XIAO ESP32-C6 + AS3935 lightning warning box, with full wiring, build decisions, troubleshooting notes, and current firmware state.
A practical look at the 2026 WIA band plan revision, including the main HF changes, the tradeoffs behind them, and original comparison charts that point back to the official WIA documents.
Drop in one or more ADIF logs and get a proper look at what happened: totals, bands, modes, timing, the full QSO table, and perhaps an export to POTA or SOTA format without having to squint at raw tags.
A detailed field write-up of a kite-lifted 40 m end-fed on Coochiemudlo Island, including the mechanical setup, RF chain, static bleed, and what changed once the wire stopped sitting still.