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Field Guide · IC-7300 Initial Setup
📖 AA4TE Field Guide · IC-7300
IC-7300 Initial Setup
for Digital Modes
Field Guide: Initial Setup (WA7EWC) → WSJT-X Settings → PAT/Winlink → NanoVNA Settings
AA4TE FIELD GUIDE — A practical collection of archived ICOM-7300 backup settings needed for digital use and TIPS for using the NanoVNA-H for Antenna and Coax testing. See AA4TE's own WSJT-X settings on the next page for current Linux-specific values. You can find the links listd below at the top of each page in the FIELD GUIDE.

This archived post shows the settings WA7EWC used with an IC-7300 for digital modes over the USB connection from the 7300 to a Windows computer — BPSK31 using Ham Radio Deluxe Digital Master 780, fldigi, WSJT-X. These settings seem to work equally well with most digital modes and digital mode software. They might differ for DXLab Commander and Ham Radio Deluxe.

It is easiest to connect the IC-7300 using a single USB cable. Be sure to first download and install the Icom USB driver before connecting the 7300 to the Windows computer for the very first time. Windows will try to auto-install its own driver if you simply plug in the USB cable, and that one doesn't work with the Icom USB interface.

In this article, use context to differentiate USB (PC Universal Serial Bus) vs. USB (Upper Side Band).

Initial SetUp For Your IC-7300 for Digital Modes

Connectors Settings

Open the Settings → Connectors menu. There are 4 important settings.

  1. USB AF Output Level – 40%. This affects the Audio Level heard by your computer. Depending on your software, you may want to change this. For WSJT-X, this value affects the audio input level.
  2. USB MOD Level – 40%. Set this so that you get a minimal ALC meter reading when transmitting. This should assure you have a clean output signal. This value can vary depending on your software and is related to your output power.
  3. DATA OFF MOD – Mic. This option tells the IC-7300 which audio input source to use when DATA mode is OFF — normally your microphone (MIC) in regular USB/LSB modes. Note: firmware after late 2017 added a MIC, ACC option. The MIC setting is really "correct."
  4. DATA MOD – USB. Use the USB connector to get audio from your computer when in data mode (USB-D).
  5. CI-V – These settings relate to the USB control interface and are controlled by the setup of your digital software. They are related to the ICOM USB port driver, the serial COM port number used for your particular PC, and the baud rate you decide to use. Note: the CI-V USB Port setting should be set to "Link to [REMOTE]". This setting seems to be required for most software programs using the CI-V function. A side effect is that the CI-V USB Baud Rate will be limited to 19200.
Connectors-1: AF Output Level 40%
AF Output Level 40% (see text)
USB MOD level, DATA OFF MOD
USB MOD level, DATA OFF MOD
DATA MOD USB
DATA MOD USB

Use USB-D Mode

When using a digital mode, use the USB-D mode. Click the Mode label in the upper left, select USB and select DATA. The USB-D mode is needed so that the DATA MOD option works as expected. It also lets you define a custom filter for BPSK31.

Use USB-D for digital modes.
Use USB-D for digital modes.

You can set the Filters (1-3) for each mode (USB, USB-D, AM, etc.). The default for the Data modes is very narrow and this doesn't work well for BPSK31. Change the USB-D Filter 1 by long-pressing the FIL1 button on the screen, and set the BW to 3.0K or wider. Alternatively, if you use RTTY or other narrower modes, you can use FIL2 or FIL3 instead for BPSK31.

Set USB-D FIL1 to 3.0K for BPSK31
Set USB-D FIL1 to 3.0k.

Other Important Settings

  • No compression – automatically disabled in USB-D mode. Check on the FUNCTION screen — COMP should be disabled.
  • No Notch Filter – press the NOTCH button until it is OFF
  • NB (noise blanker) and NR (noise reduction) both OFF.
Values for AGC, NOTCH, NB, NR for digital modes.
Values for AGC, NOTCH, NB, NR for digital modes.

To restore, use Menu → Set SD Card → Load Setting. Then pick the settings file for the appropriate mode.

Reduce Your Transmit Power

Don't forget to reduce your RF output power when on digital modes. The effective output power is determined by a combination of three settings:

  1. The output volume of your computer audio out (microphone). This is ultimately the best way to control RF output power. Your digital mode software should have a setting to change this level. WSJT-X has a vertical slider on the lower right labelled "Pwr."
  2. If controlling RF output power by audio level, you should be able to pick a usable constant level for USB MOD level. Around 40% seems to work well.
  3. You can also leave the RF power of the IC-7300 (set from the MULTI physical knob) to 100%. If you don't have easy RF power control from the digital software, you can instead use the MULTI knob to set RF power to 30%, which will be about 30 watts.

You will likely want to operate with the meter set to S/Power Out to monitor your RF output power. Remember, you don't need more than about 30 watts to make contacts, and many people like to run with even less power.

Power Output Level: about 30 watts
Power Output Level: about 30 watts

Save Your Settings

Presumably you will use your 7300 for other operating modes. The settings described for digital modes are not optimal for SSB or CW. Fortunately, you can save all your settings in a named file on the SD card — then it's simple to load your settings for different modes.

To save: Menu → Set → SD Card → Save Setting. Don't use the default name — create an explanatory name for your settings file such as "Digital Modes" or "USB."
To restore: Menu → Set SD Card → Load Setting. Then pick the settings file for the appropriate mode.

Archived article from WA7EWC — Originally posted on wa7ewc.wordpress.com · Last revised 01/21/2018 · Preserved here via the Wayback Machine as a personal reference. Some details may reflect older firmware. See AA4TE's own WSJT-X settings on the next page for current Linux-specific values.

WSJT-X Settings →

AA4TE's IC-7300 WSJT-X settings for Linux can be found on the WSJT-X settings page.