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Radio Bench documentation

Radio Bench is a desktop SDR receiver and station workspace for HF and 6 m amateur radio. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

It receives through a USB SDR, a network receiver, or an IQ recording. It can also control a transceiver through Hamlib CAT for PTT, voice, CW text, FT8, and FT4.

Choose your starting route

What you have Start here
No local receiver Listen through a KiwiSDR over the internet.
An RTL-SDR dongle Set up RTL-SDR, including drivers and HF reception.
An Airspy HF+ or HF+ Discovery Use Airspy HF+.
A receiver on another computer Connect RTL-TCP or SpyServer.
An IQ WAV recording Replay an IQ WAV file.

Get started

Check supported hardware before you install. A Hamlib-supported transceiver is optional for rig control.

  1. Install Radio Bench for your operating system.
  2. Start a trial or activate your purchase.
  3. Complete your first receive session.
  4. Learn how to tune and select a mode.

If you used a 0.9 beta, read what is new in 1.0.

Daily operation

Understand capture, view, and VFO before panning across a band. Adjust the spectrum and waterfall, compare noise reduction, or record a signal.

Use audio routing and dual reception to hear your station. The Audio instruments explain what each audio display measures and how to preview processed speech.

Use your station

Connect your transceiver through CAT rig control. You can then use synchronized tuning, PTT, meters, and CW text.

Use the QSO log and map to record and view contacts. For FT8 and FT4, follow the FSK operating guide.

Transmit features cover HF and the 6 m band. Reception, decoding, and logging can cover the wider range of your receiver.

Get help

Start with troubleshooting when something does not work. Create a support report if the problem continues.

The settings reference lists every Settings page. The glossary explains radio and display terms used in this guide.

Version note

These guides cover Radio Bench 1.0, starting with version 1.0.0. Page notes identify behavior that changed during the family.

The offline copy in Radio Bench matches the installed release. The website can contain newer notes for the same 1.0 family.