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Supported Hardware

Compatible ICOM radios, network requirements, and frequency band support matrix for OpenVARA.

ICOM Radio Compatibility

Model	Bands	Notes
IC-7300	HF + 50 MHz	Most popular. Full HF support.
IC-7610	HF + 50 MHz	Dual receiver. Excellent performance.
IC-7700	HF + 50 MHz	High power. Full HF support.
IC-7850/51	HF + 50 MHz	Flagship HF. Full support.
IC-9700	VHF/UHF/1.2 GHz	VHF/UHF/SAT. Up to 1.2 GHz.
IC-705	HF/VHF/UHF	Requires Wi-Fi.
IC-7100	HF/VHF/UHF	No Ethernet. Not supported.

Radios without built-in Ethernet require a compatible USB-C or USB-A Ethernet adapter. Performance may vary.

Network Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

100 Mbps switched LAN
Radio and server on same subnet
Static IP for each radio
UDP port 50001 open (radio control)
TCP ports 8300–8399 open (VarAC)

RECOMMENDED SETUP

Gigabit LAN for multi-radio deployments
Dedicated VLAN for radio equipment
UPS on network switch and server
Static DHCP reservations (not manual)
Firewall rules to isolate radio subnet

Recommended Host Platforms

Raspberry Pi 5RECOMMENDED

4 GB or 8 GB model. Gigabit Ethernet, low power (~5W idle), silent. Perfect for go-kits and permanent shack installs. Use 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS Lite.

Linux x86/x64IDEAL

Any Debian/Ubuntu-based system. Best for high-density multi-radio deployments. Recommended for 4+ simultaneous radio instances.

macOSSUPPORTED

Intel or Apple Silicon. Fully supported for development and single-radio operation. For permanent installs, Linux or Pi 5 is preferred.

Frequency Band Support

Band	Frequency Range	VarAC Mode
160m	1.800–2.000 MHz	HF
80m	3.500–4.000 MHz	HF
40m	7.000–7.300 MHz	HF
30m	10.100–10.150 MHz	HF
20m	14.000–14.350 MHz	HF
17m	18.068–18.168 MHz	HF
15m	21.000–21.450 MHz	HF
10m	28.000–29.700 MHz	HF
6m	50.000–54.000 MHz	HF
2m	144.000–148.000 MHz	FM
70cm	420.000–450.000 MHz	FM
23cm	1240–1300 MHz	SAT

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