Tuning: steps, direct entry & fast tune
Type a frequency and let the app drive the radio there. How tuning steps work per mode, the grid the radio snaps to, and the firmware 2.34+ fast-tune path.
The app’s headline trick is precise tuning: type a frequency and it drives the radio there, switching band and mode automatically if needed. Here is how tuning works and what to expect.
Tuning by step
Each click of the radio’s encoder moves the frequency by one step, and the steps available depend on the mode. The app mirrors the radio’s own step tables:
- FM: 10 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz, 200 kHz, 1 MHz
- AM: 1 kHz, 5 kHz, 9 kHz, 10 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz, 1 MHz
- SSB (LSB/USB): 10 Hz, 25 Hz, 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 5 kHz, 9 kHz, 10 kHz
Use a small step for careful tuning, especially the 10 Hz SSB step for zero-beating a voice, and a large step to cross a band quickly. The 9 kHz and 10 kHz AM steps match the mediumwave channel spacing used in different parts of the world: 9 kHz in Europe, Africa and Asia, 10 kHz in the Americas.
Type a frequency directly
Instead of stepping, enter the frequency in the Tune panel (in kHz or MHz) and the app does the rest. If the target is in another band it switches band by the shortest route, sets the mode if required, and lands on the frequency, showing progress as it goes. You can cancel a tune in flight. If you type something outside the radio’s range, the app rejects it and shows the valid range for the current mode: 64 to 108 MHz for FM, 150 to 30000 kHz for AM and SSB.
The tuning grid (why 7038.5 becomes 7039)
The radio can only land on certain frequencies: FM on a 10 kHz grid, AM on a 1 kHz grid, and SSB down to 1 Hz (using the fine BFO offset). The app snaps your request to that grid before sending it, so the value you type, the value sent and the value displayed all agree. That is why an AM request of 7038.5 kHz tunes to 7039: the radio has no 7038.5 in AM.
Fast tune on firmware 2.34+
On firmware 2.34 and newer, the app uses the firmware’s direct set-frequency command. One instruction lands the radio on the exact frequency after any needed band or mode change, much faster and quieter than stepping. On older firmware it falls back to walking the dial step by step. You do not choose this; the app detects your firmware and picks the best path.
Tuning relies on the radio’s status feed. If a tune seems to hang, the feed has probably been switched off, so press T to turn it back on. See Reading the status panel.