Win4Icom Remote Control
for Icom Radios

My shack is in an upstairs bedroom, and while convenient for the evening QSO, I work from home and would often like to check in on the bands during the day from my desk.  I had considered the Icom BA-1 software for remote control of my IC-7600 or IC-7300.  But it’s a little pricey and sounds a bit challenging from some of the reviews.  On our local ROC City Net, several people had mentioned how well they liked the Win4Icom software. And with a free 30 day trial I thought why not give it a try!

Installation on the PC in the shack was a breeze and the on-screen controls worked well.  So the next task was to install it on a PC down in my office to see how the response was over the network.  With the server component running on the PC upstairs, the remote PC operated the radio flawlessly.  But next was the real test – how did the audio quality sound on a QSO? Scrounging through a drawer of discarded headsets I sound an old Logitec USB headset that have previously been used for Skype years ago, so I gave it a try.  Once I had the sound setting properly configured, I tuned through the bands looks for a CQ to give me a audio report.

Making a contact remotely from my desk chair downstairs couldn’t have been easier.  And the audio quality?  Excellent!  It worked so well that I made several QSO’s (instead of doing the work waiting for me at my desk!) and each contact gave an excellent audio report and said they would have no way of knowing I was running the rig remotely.  My evaluation lasted less than one day as I was eager to pay my $50 for a registered version.  Next on the agenda is to open a port on my router to try controlling the rig away from home.  Stay tuned, I’ll report on that in the near future!