IC-R8600 Soapy Help

[Wells Everett]

Will this radio be supported? I've attached a zip of everything I have. Really would like to get it working like the RSP2. Help?

[Alex VE3NEA]

Please try this plugin.  Unzip it to the SkyRoof\lib\SoapySDR\modules0.8 folder and see if SkyRoof finds your radio.

[Wells Everett]

Thank you! I've looked for the 0.8 module before asking. My radio is seen now. I uninstalled the previous version and deleted the program folder left behind. Installed the latest. laced the file in modules0.8. Using the I/Q port the radio is taken control of but no frequency changes can be made. Either by the native Doppler window nor direct freq. entry.
Also when SkyRoof is closed the I/Q port is not released. I get no waterfall display as is true of the RSP2.
I will dig into the manual. But any assistance is appreciated.

[Alex VE3NEA]

I assume you are trying to use your IC-R8600 receiver as an SDR, not as an external radio, since you have installed the SoapySDR plugin. To use it as an external radio, you should take a different course of action, see Setting Up CAT Control in the manual.

When the radio is used as an SDR, SkyRoof does not change its frequency as you tune across the band, switch between the satellites, etc. The radio is tuned once, to cover the satellite segment of frequencies, and tuning within that segment is performed only in the software. If you intend to use your Icom in this mode, you should talk to the people who created the SoapySDR plugin for your radio and see if they can help you to make it work. This is an unofficial plugin, not included with SoapySDR, and the dll available in their GitHub repository is still for SoapySDR v.0.7. SkyRoof requires all plugins to be of v.0.8. I was able to rebuild their project with v.0.8, but I was unable to test and debug it since I do not have the radio.

Another thing you can do is send me your log file, maybe I can see something in it that could be fixed at the SkyRoof side. You can also provide more detail. Is the SDR light on the status bar green or red, does the frequency in the radio change when you switch between the satellite transmitters on different bands, what are your RF and AF Gain slider positions?

Also, please keep in mind that IC-R8600 in the SDR mode covers only 768 kHz, while the satellite segment on the  70 cm band is 3 MHz wide. I would not recommend to use this radio as an SDR in SkyRoof, there are much cheaper alternatives that cover the whole sat segment on both bands.

[Wells Everett]

Well. Still trying. I just updated to the latest  ver. 1.17
And hey! Found the latest sdrglut with 0.8 modules that include in the SoapySDR\modules0.8 directory.
SkyRoof IS using this module version, right?
And low and behold icr8600Support.dll is in it.

So with the newest SkyRoof I copied the .dll in C:\Program Files\Afreet\SkyRoof\lib\SoapySDR\modules0.8
Nope. No dice! The radio shows in the radios list along with the RSP1.
The radio starts out red in the bottom left of the GUI nest to Satellite and Soundcard.

Clicking on the button once "captures" the radio. The radio's Remote led illuminates.
The button remains red. So "something's" going on. Clicking again turns it gray. But the radio remote indicator is still lit.
Closing roofarootsky does not release the radio. Either the USB cord needs to be pulled from my Win 11 laptop.
Or I have to press the remote button.

Alrightey. 0.8 module. No joy.
Correct me. I launch HDSDR and pipe the audio thorugh VB cable. HDSDR connects to the radio with full functionality.
No setting in roofstein will let me see a waterfall. Other applications where I would pipe in audio. Name it. fldigi, wxtoimg, multipsk.
They all just work. 
A red one, a green one, the colours you choose.

Roofenkowski. Nope. The guy with the 9700. Another Icom radio. Isn't having much fun either I see.

........The thing you see with, the sound that change makes in your pocket, and that guy they worship in the desert.