Switching the IC-705 between my Android apps and fldigi (via wfview)

My IC-705 runs over WiFi through wfview on a Linux laptop, which acts as the bridge for everything else. The Android apps connect to wfview over the network: wsjtz-android (FT8) uses TCI for audio plus rigctld for rig control, and SWR Sweep uses rigctld only. fldigi runs on the same laptop and gets its audio through ALSA loopback devices (see fldigi via wfview on Linux).

The catch: wfview has only one audio output at a time. It can send audio to TCI clients or to a local sound device, but not both. Today I lost an hour to “waterfall but no decodes” because wfview was still set up for fldigi from the day before.

Switching to fldigi

1. Stop transmitting from wsjtz-android (turn off Auto/CQ), and disconnect the app from the rig.
2. In wfview, go to Settings → Radio Access → Audio System → PortAudio, with Output = Loopback hw:10,1 and Input = Loopback hw:11,1.
3. Save the settings. wfview doesn’t write them to disk unless you do.
4. Quit and restart wfview. The audio change only takes effect on a fresh radio connection. Close it from its window rather than killing it; otherwise the radio stays “busy” for about a minute.
5. Start fldigi: audio capture hw:10,0, playback hw:11,0, both at 48 kHz. Rig control is Hamlib “NET rigctl” at 127.0.0.1:4533.
6. If CAT works but the T/R button doesn’t key the radio, untick and re-tick “Use Hamlib”, then press Initialize.

Switching back to wsjtz-android

1. Close fldigi.
2. In wfview, go to Settings → Radio Access → Audio System → TCI Audio.
3. Save, then quit and restart wfview.
4. Reconnect the app. You should see the waterfall within a few seconds and decodes by the end of the next 15-second slot.

Symptom to recognise: the app’s waterfall stays empty or flat and there are zero decodes, while wfview’s own waterfall is busy. That almost always means the Audio System setting isn’t on TCI Audio. The TCI control link keeps working either way (frequency, mode, S-meter), so the app looks connected even though it’s getting no audio.

Check the radio too: DATA MOD must be WLAN

wfview isn’t the only setting that decides where the transmit audio comes from. The IC-705 has its own. In USB-D mode (which FT8 uses), the radio takes transmit audio from SET → Connectors → MOD Input → DATA MOD. For anything going through wfview over WiFi, that has to be WLAN.

If it’s left on USB, the radio keys up on schedule and the TX light comes on, but it sends no audio, so nothing goes out. The app looks as if it’s transmitting normally, which makes this easy to miss. On 30 September mine had been left on USB, and it took a while to find. It’s a radio setting, so switching wfview’s Audio System doesn’t change it. Check it whenever the radio has been used over the USB cable.

Symptom to recognise: the TX light comes on but there’s no power or ALC reading and no signal. Check DATA MOD before anything else.

What about SWR Sweep?

SWR Sweep only uses wfview’s rigctld port and never needs audio, so it works with either audio setting and no switching is needed. Just don’t run it while fldigi or wsjtz-android could transmit, since all three can key the radio.

Quick reference

For wsjtz-android and fldigi (AFSK in USB-D), the IC-705’s DATA MOD must also be WLAN.