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 talks to the IC-705 directly over its built-in WiFi LAN or over USB, with no Windows VM and no hamlib bridge.

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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. Community-validated on the LAN/WiFi backend: connect/disconnect, reconnect, frequency, mode, PTT, and audio path integrations.
  • 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, fldigi, and JS8Call see a normal soundcard — no virtual-cable installer on macOS or Linux.
  • CW keyer. Native CW console with sending and a decoder pane. Memory keying and speed control without leaving the app.
  • CAT and PTT passthrough. RigPlane speaks the rigctld wire protocol on localhost:4532, so loggers and digital-mode tools stay unchanged.
  • 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. The native Pro desktop app ships on macOS today, with Linux and Windows builds in the pipeline.

IC-705 support level: community-validated on the LAN/WiFi backend; full first-party maintainer hardware validation in the rigplane-core repo is still in progress. Capabilities reflect what is shipping today against real IC-705 units in the field.

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 Downloads, 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.
  • Direct to the radio. No third-party daemon, no hamlib bridge, no vendor app proxying control. The ic705 backend talks the Icom wire format directly.
  • Audio that works out of the box. RigPlane Pro ships with the audio bridge configured for the IC-705's USB CODEC on macOS. No JACK rituals, no virtual-cable hunt.
  • Honest licensing. The open core is MIT-licensed and free on PyPI. RigPlane Pro is a one-time desktop purchase at the launch price, with one year of updates included — see Pricing.

If you're comparing IC-705 options today: wfview is the strongest open alternative and Icom-only; 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, Yaesu, Xiegu, and Lab599 backends in the same runtime.

Ready to operate?

Start a free trial of RigPlane Pro, or grab the latest beta build for your platform. Pricing and renewal details are on the Pricing page.

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Last reviewed 2026-05-19. 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.