Skyroof v.1.25

[Alex VE3NEA]

This version of SkyRoof includes a big new feature that I have been working on for several months, plus a number of small fixes requested by the users:

- added FT4 Console;
- added a work around a Wine 9 bug;
- fixed announcement cutoff on Windows 11;
- added an option to disable FM Squelch;
- reduced audio drop-outs;
- removed support of PlutoSDR (its dll breaks detection of other SDR's).

FT4 Console allows making FT4 QSO from SkyRoof, without using wsjt-x. Fully optimized for the satellite work. Makes FT4 setup and operation much easier.

Setting up:

https://ve3nea.github.io/SkyRoof/users_guide/setting_up_ft4_console.html

Making FT4 QSO:

https://ve3nea.github.io/SkyRoof/users_guide/ft4_console_panel.html

[michael luft]

Great !!!!

4X1LM

‫בתאריך יום ד׳, 28 בינו׳ 2026 ב-5:22 מאת ‪Alex VE3NEA‬‏ <‪ve3...@gmail.com‬‏>:‬

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[Brye B]

What a flawless upgrade, including the update for .NET... no security workaround BS, no re-arranging preferences or settings in SkyRoof. Extremely clean and painless, just like the original install and using the app itself. You're good at what you do, thanks for the upgrade!

[Marcus PY2PLL]

Thanks Alex! Will upgrade soon!

73

Marcus PY2PLL

[Alex VE3NEA]

Thank you all for your kind words. Please try FT4 Console, I would really like to know how it works for you, and if there is anything that needs to be improved.

[Brye B]

Hi Alex, I'm not a big digital guy but I dabble occasionally. I gave the FT4 Console a shot. It's a clean interface and easy to understand, and it was easy to set up.

I'm using the USB sound interface in my IC-9100. I set my TX/RX audio devices in the SkyRoof settings accordingly, and I can see the waterfall is working, it's 'hearing' the main receiver of the 9100 as it should.

I click the tune button on the console and the sub VFO goes into transmit, no problem, but I can't select SSB-D mode (I can for the main but not for the sub), which means the rig won't get any audio from the PC unless I go into the menu on the rig and change the audio source for non-digital modes from MIC, to the USB audio device.

In order to do that though, I have to disable CAT momentarily, then enable it again after I make the change on the radio. Then it outputs audio as it should.

It's not a major hurdle, it's just inconvenient... and inevitably will end up with me forgetting to change it back, later keying up on the local repeater with no audio wondering why nobody will talk to me 🤣

To that end I looked at adding LSB-D and USB-D modes to the IC-9100.json file, but realized it might not be that easy, and it's late, maybe I missed something else, so I'll re-visit this later! :)

It seems like it will function well though, and it was very easy to set up. One thing that might be a nice addition is a gain slider in the FT4 console window. I think it might be kind of tedious dialing that in without it, unless there's another way to adjust it that I've missed.

There's no good passes for me till tomorrow, I look forward to making a contact with it! :)

73, Brian VE3GB

[Alex VE3NEA]

Thank you so much for your tests! I have modified the json file for your radio to make it support the USB-D and LSB-D modes, please try it (attached). Re. input gain slider, this would probably be a bad idea. If the signal gets clipped, scaling its amplitude will not restore it, it will still be distorted. The gain must be set at the source, in the radio's menu or at least in the soundcard settings. If you mean the output gain, then I thought about adding a slider for it, but decided not to do that. The gain needs to be set only once, so the slider would just clutter the interface and create a risk of accidentally changing the gain. Hope to see you on RS-44 soon!

[Brye B]

Thank you Alex for the modified file. There doesn't seem to be any change. I've attached my log, there's a few "command rejected by the radio" messages, but otherwise I'm not familiar enough with the CAT command flow to decipher it.

Regarding the slider yes I meant for output gain, like in WSJT-X. I find that when I change bands, I have to change the audio drive level to get good ALC deflection. It varies. I could adjust the level on the radios menu, but the slider in WSJT-X lets me be lazy so I guess I got used to adjusting it there :)

When tracking a satellite, the CAT commands are so frequent that I can't get into the radios menu, unless I disable CAT first (or massively slow down the polling/update interval). Everything else on the radio is responsive under that condition, just not the menu it seems.

These are entirely likely to just be 'me problems' though :) I usually operate SSB on the sats, I don't operate digital modes a lot, and never on a satellite! So I just need to find a workflow.

[Alex VE3NEA]

"Good feedback! Here is a modified json file, please try it with both USB and USB-D modes.

I will see if I can find room for the TX slider on the FT4 panel.

Menu doesn't work properly during CAT control in all Icom radios, but turning it off is just one or two mouse-clicks in SkyRoof, so this should not be  a problem.

Re. Data mode and TX audio source selection, how do you handle it when you use WSJT-X?

[Brye B]

Hi Alex, thank you for your time! Upon revisiting this today, the last file you posted seems fine. User error on my part I guess. I've got the rigs data modes switching properly now.

No need to go in the menu to change sources as long as one can set data mode via CAT.