I’d like to propose adding native support for the Icom IC-705 to the PoLo logger using the radio’s built-in Bluetooth interface.
The IC-705 is a highly popular portable transceiver among amateur radio operators, especially for field operations like SOTA, POTA, and QRP. Its integrated Bluetooth capability offers a perfect opportunity for seamless wireless integration with PoLo.
If implemented, this feature would bring several key benefits:
Wireless Bluetooth connection between the app and the IC-705, eliminating the need for cables or external hardware.
Automatic frequency reading from the transceiver, allowing the app to use the current operating frequency in real time for self-spotting or logging QSOs.
Frequency control from within the app – By clicking on a spot, the app could send a command to the IC-705 to tune directly to the desired frequency.
This integration would significantly enhance usability and speed for Icom users, streamline portable operations, and bring PoLo closer to being a fully integrated smart logging solution.
I believe this would be a strong and valuable addition to the app’s feature set.
We’ve been working on CAT control, not just on the 705 but other radios too.
You don’t have to convince us about how useful this would be Trust me when I say that I’m the first one who wants it done.
But it’s not as simple as you’d think, in particular supporting connections on both Android and iOS devices, which do not support regular bluetooth or USB connections.
I hope to have something working in the next couple of months.
Whoa, it’s great to hear that you’re just as eager to see this feature implemented. I completely understand how complex this is, especially given the differences between platforms like Android and iOS, where standard Bluetooth or USB connections aren’t straightforward or even possible in some cases. It’s not a trivial task.
Count me in as a strong supporter of this effort—I’d be happy to help with testing and provide feedback!
After this conversation, I’ll be supporting the project financially as well to help move things forward.
Looking forward to what’s coming in the next couple of months!
We’re working on a hardware solution (ESP32 or RasPi) to connect a radio via serial ports and provide Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) access, which works well on all platforms.
If you want to follow up, join our discord and look for the #ble-bridge channel.
That’s interesting. What you mention about RUMLog is similar to the approach we’re taking, using a small device to act as a bridge between the radio and the phone using Bluetooth LE.
In our case, once we get it working, we’ll be able to support most radios, since we’ll be using hamlib to control the radios.
Hi, very interesting topic! Do I understand correct, that the usb-ble-bridge will enable usb-only devices; while bluetooth-capable devices will be connected directly? Or would the owner of the IC-705 would also need the bridge?
As far as I know, the team is currently conducting research using ESP32 boards, where the USB port on the board is used for communication with the radio, while WiFi/Bluetooth is used for communication with the logger application.
The entire concept and ongoing research are publicly available on Discord—check out the #ble-bridge channel for more details.
In my honest opinion, the IC-705 has a relatively simple set of commands that can be abstracted into code fairly easily, allowing it to work without the BLE-Bridge and be supported quickly within the app.
However, in the long run, the BLE-Bridge is definitely a better solution, as it enables the app to connect to a wider range of devices.
At least for now, IC-705 support will still need the bridge. The protocol implemented by ICOM for CAT control over WiFi or bluetooth is actually very complex and not easy to implement.
We might work on this in the future, but for now, given the fact that my time is a very limited resource, I rather focus on other features first.
Also, the Bluetooth connection on the IC-705 is only compatible with Android. It will not be possible to use it on iOS. Only the WiFi connection would work on both platforms.
And again, in order to optimize the use of my time, I’m prioritizing solutions that work on both Android and iOS.
And if you’re curious and understand networking, the problem with the WiFi connection is that ICOM decided to implement it using UDP, but then build their own Layer 3 protocol on top of it to provide error checking, retries, message ordering, etc. So it’s not just as easy to implement as your regular serial-line protocol. I took a stab at it and after a week with little progress I decided to set it aside and focus on other more productive things.
Trust me when I say that I’m the first one who wants it done.