RigPlane
Icom IC-705

IC-705 remote control software for Mac, Linux, and Windows.

Open the app. See your IC-705. Operate — from the kitchen table, from the next room, or from across the WiFi network at a SOTA summit. RigPlane's native Icom provider talks to the IC-705 over its built-in WiFi LAN or over USB, with no Windows VM.

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RigPlane operator console — VFO display with full-width panadapter and waterfall, the layout used to operate the Icom IC-705

What you get on the IC-705

The IC-705 is the most popular portable Icom radio — and the only one in the lineup with WiFi LAN control built into the chassis, on top of USB CI-V. RigPlane ships a dedicated ic705 backend and uses both transports.

  • WiFi LAN control. Operate the IC-705 from any laptop on the same network, no extra cable run.
  • USB CAT as a fallback. When you want a tethered, deterministic link — at a Field Day site, in a contest pile-up — the same RigPlane build talks CI-V over USB to the IC-705 with the documented setup.
  • Panadapter and waterfall. The IC-705's spectrum scope is rendered directly in the RigPlane UI. Click-tune, span and reference-level controls, and a waterfall that keeps up with band activity.
  • RX and TX audio. SSB, CW, and digital-mode audio over USB audio or the LAN audio stream, depending on transport. WSJT-X can use RigPlane as a soundcard: on macOS the app installs its own virtual audio driver (one administrator prompt), and on Linux it creates a PipeWire or PulseAudio cable.
  • CW console. Native CW console with sending and a decoder pane.
  • CAT and PTT passthrough. RigPlane speaks the rigctld wire protocol on localhost:4532, so loggers and digital-mode tools can connect to it. In WSJT-X, Split Operation "Fake It" works everywhere; "Rig" split works on the IC-7300, IC-7300MK2, IC-705, IC-7610, IC-9700 and FTX-1; see the setup guide.
  • Portable-first. The IC-705 runs on an internal battery and has Bluetooth + WiFi built in. RigPlane was designed against that workflow: pop the radio open in the back yard, point a laptop at it over WiFi, work the band without standing over the radio.
  • macOS, Linux, and Windows. The open-core Python package runs anywhere Python does. RigPlane Pro is in public beta; the downloads page is the source of truth for which platforms and architectures each beta release covers, and not every platform is covered by every release.

IC-705 support level: known issues in the current beta are listed in the release notes.

Setup in 5 minutes

High-level path for a fresh install against a known-good IC-705:

  1. Choose your transport. WiFi LAN: configure the radio's WLAN settings and note its IP. USB: a single USB-C cable to the operator machine.
  2. Install RigPlane Pro from the downloads page, or pip install rigplane for the open core.
  3. Pick the IC-705 from the radio list. RigPlane probes the CI-V address (0xA4) and audio device automatically.
  4. For LAN: enter the host, username, and password from the radio's network settings.
  5. Confirm panadapter, RX audio, and PTT in the in-app diagnostics panel, then point WSJT-X or your logger at Hamlib NET rigctl on localhost:4532.

For the full radio-side configuration — USB driver, baud rate, CI-V routing, WSJT-X bridging — follow the IC-705 USB setup guide on the docs site.

Why operators choose RigPlane for the IC-705

  • Truly cross-platform. Most IC-705 control software is Windows-only or routes through Icom's own RS-BA1. RigPlane is native on macOS, native on Linux, and native on the open-core Python stack everywhere — important for SOTA / field operators on Linux laptops.
  • WiFi-first when you want it. RigPlane treats the IC-705's WiFi as a first-class transport, not an afterthought. Pair the radio with the laptop on the same network and the rest is identical to the tethered experience.
  • Native provider path. The ic705 backend talks the Icom wire format directly and serves the same RigPlane UI used across other provider paths.
  • Audio bridge included. On macOS, RigPlane Pro installs its own virtual audio driver with one administrator prompt, so there is no JACK setup and no third-party cable to find.
  • Honest licensing. The open core is MIT-licensed and free on PyPI. RigPlane Pro is planned as a one-time desktop purchase at the launch price, with one year of updates included. Checkout is paused during the open beta; see Pricing for details.

If you're comparing IC-705 options today: wfview is an open-source alternative, Icom-first; Icom RS-BA1 is Windows-only; RemoteTx is a hosted service with a different operating model. RigPlane sits in the cross-platform, direct-control, packaged-app slot — the same engine for the IC-705 today, with Icom IC-7610, IC-7300, IC-9700, and Yaesu FTX-1 backends in the same runtime.

Ready to operate?

Join the open beta, or download the current beta build for your platform. Pricing and renewal details remain available on the Pricing page.

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Last reviewed 2026-10-22. Icom and IC-705 are trademarks of Icom Inc. RigPlane is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Icom Inc.