RigPlane
Icom IC-9700

IC-9700 remote control software for Mac, Linux, and Windows.

Open the app. See your IC-9700. Operate. RigPlane's native Icom provider talks to the IC-9700's built-in LAN or USB CI-V — no Windows VM and no vendor application sitting between you and 2 m / 70 cm / 23 cm.

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RigPlane operator console — dual-VFO display with full-width panadapter and waterfall, the layout used to operate the Icom IC-9700

What you get on the IC-9700

The IC-9700 is the dominant VHF/UHF + 23 cm Icom transceiver, with a dedicated ic9700 rig profile in rigplane-core and a built-in Ethernet port for LAN control. The profile is complete and the radio shares the same Icom CI-V protocol as the IC-7610 / IC-7300 backends, so the standard control surface is available out of the box.

  • Tri-band, dual receiver. 2 m, 70 cm, and 23 cm in a single radio with independent MAIN/SUB receivers. The same RigPlane UI that drives a dual-receiver IC-7610 drives the IC-9700's MAIN/SUB pair — use select_receiver("MAIN") / select_receiver("SUB") for cross-band operation.
  • Satellite-mode-friendly. Independent MAIN/SUB control over CI-V is the foundation for full-duplex satellite work — uplink on one receiver, downlink on the other. RigPlane exposes both as first-class radios in the API; satellite tracking software that drives rigctld can split frequencies across MAIN and SUB.
  • LAN built-in. Unlike the IC-7300, the IC-9700 has an Ethernet port and speaks the standard Icom LAN control / audio protocol. Operate it from anywhere on the local network with no extra hardware.
  • USB CAT as an alternative. When you'd rather run a tethered link, the same RigPlane build talks CI-V over USB to the IC-9700 with the documented setup.
  • Panadapter and waterfall. Expected on both LAN and USB transports via the standard Icom scope path used on the IC-7610 / IC-7300 backends.
  • RX and TX audio. SSB, CW, FM, and digital-mode audio routed through the LAN audio stream or USB audio CODEC. WSJT-X for digital VHF/UHF modes (FT8, MSK144) and packet-mode tools see a normal soundcard interface.
  • CW keyer. Native CW console with sending and a decoder pane.
  • CAT and PTT passthrough. RigPlane speaks the rigctld wire protocol on localhost:4532, so satellite trackers and loggers stay unchanged.
  • 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-9700 support level, stated honestly: the ic9700 rig profile is complete in rigplane-core, the CI-V command surface matches the IC-7610 / IC-7300 backends, and a setup guide exists on the docs site. First-party maintainer hardware validation against an IC-9700 in our lab is not yet complete — field reports from IC-9700 operators are welcome via the GitHub repo, and the open-core stack is free to install and try today.

Setup in 5 minutes

High-level path for a fresh install against a known-good IC-9700:

  1. Choose your transport. LAN: plug the radio's Ethernet port into the operator network. USB: a single USB 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-9700 from the radio list. RigPlane uses the CI-V address (0xA2) from the rig profile.
  4. For LAN: enter host, username, and password from the radio's Network settings. For USB: confirm the CI-V USB Port is set to Link to [CI-V].
  5. Confirm panadapter, MAIN/SUB selection, RX audio, and PTT in the in-app diagnostics panel, then point WSJT-X or your satellite tracker at Hamlib NET rigctl on localhost:4532.

For the full radio-side configuration — USB driver, baud rate, LAN credentials, audio routing — follow the IC-9700 USB and LAN setup guide on the docs site.

Why operators choose RigPlane for the IC-9700

  • Truly cross-platform. Most IC-9700 control software is Windows-only. RigPlane is native on macOS, native on Linux, and native on the open-core Python stack everywhere — important for VHF/UHF and satellite operators who keep contest logs and tracking on the same laptop.
  • Native provider path. The same Icom CI-V engine that powers the IC-7610 backend drives the IC-9700 over LAN or USB and serves the same RigPlane UI used across other provider paths.
  • Audio that works out of the box. RigPlane Pro ships with the audio bridge configured on macOS. No JACK rituals, no virtual-cable hunt for FT8 / MSK144 on VHF.
  • 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-9700 options today: wfview is the strongest open alternative and Icom-only; Icom RS-BA1 is Windows-only and bound to its own UI; 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-9700 today, with Icom IC-7610, IC-7300, IC-705, Yaesu, Xiegu, and Lab599 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 2026-05-19. Icom and IC-9700 are trademarks of Icom Inc. RigPlane is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Icom Inc.