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Hamlib rigctld

The Tab5 runs a Hamlib NET rigctl server on TCP port 4532. Any Hamlib-aware program on your network — a logger, WSJT-X, fldigi, N1MM — can read and set the QMX's frequency and mode through it, with nothing installed on the PC and no serial cable.

It starts on its own as soon as the Tab5 joins WiFi. There is no setting to turn on.

Connecting

Point your program at the IP address shown on the Tab5's bottom bar, port 4532, and pick the Hamlib rig model NET rigctl (model 2).

QLog

Thanks to Brian KB9WFS for these steps.

  1. Add a rig, and choose interface Hamlib, then Hamlib NET rigctl.
  2. Set the TX range to match your QMX.
  3. Set the default PWR.
  4. Leave the features at their defaults.
  5. For the host name enter the IP address shown on the Tab5 screen, and leave the port at 4532.

WSJT-X and fldigi

Set the rig to Hamlib NET rigctl, and the network server to <tab5-ip>:4532. Leave PTT method at none — see the limits below.

From a terminal

rigctl itself is the quickest way to prove the link before you configure anything else:

rigctl -m 2 -r <tab5-ip>:4532 f

That prints the dial frequency in Hz. If it answers, the path works and anything else that failed is configuration in the other program.

What it supports

Command Meaning
f / F get / set frequency
m / M get / set mode and passband
v get VFO (always VFOA)
s get split (always off)
t get PTT
q quit

It also answers the \dump_state, \chk_vfo, \get_powerstat, \get_lock_mode and \get_vfo handshake commands that Hamlib sends when a program first connects.

Up to four programs can be connected at once.

Limits worth knowing

It cannot key the radio. There is no T (set_ptt) command, and t (get_ptt) always answers "not transmitting". A logger or digital-mode program cannot start a transmission through this port, and will never see the Tab5 report that it is transmitting. Set PTT to none, VOX, or CAT on the QMX's own serial port, depending on how you normally key it.

This is also why the TX range and default power you enter in your logger are for that program's own bookkeeping. The Tab5 does not read them back.

No split. s always reports split off and VFOA.

Frequency and mode only. S-meter reads, filter width and level controls are not on this port. The Web API carries the rest of the radio's state if you need it from a script.

If it does not answer

  • Check the IP on the Tab5's bottom bar. It can change if your router hands out a new lease — pin it in the router if you use it often.
  • Only four programs can connect at once. Close one you are not using.
  • The server needs WiFi. If the Tab5 is not associated, there is no port to reach.