I’m excited to share that the app I’ve been building all year is finally available for download. 

First - the background. I own a Flex 8600 and the “Magic” of the Flex is two things: a great receiver AND a computer inside that is connected to the internet. 

I spent the last few months developing POTACAT.com (free, open source, for Mac, windows and Linux) to let you extend your shack computer’s internet to your radio. 

This means you don’t need a LAN SCU-10 if you have a DX10 or 101DX. Yes, it works with Yaesu and Icoms, Elecraft K4, G90, and like a hundred more. 

POTACAT has had over 11,000 downloads and 1500 commits to the repo. It’s been a labor of love. 

Repo: https://github.com/Waffleslop/POTACAT

I have users on Raspberry Pi’s running POTACAT… connecting their X6100 and using it remote. 

It’s a pretty exciting advancement in remote radio for everyone who has a radio a computer can CAT control. 

POTACAT also has a free “ECHOCAT Web” interface that lets you remote your rig when you’re at home on your LAN, or if you use Tailscale or another VPN, you can connect while out of the house. 

I developed the iOS app because native apps are just so much better in functionality. Push notifications (when an ATNO is OTA, or your buddy is at a park), background audio, using the phone’s speaker, Bluetooth audio… all these things are more elegant (and some are solely possible) with a native app. 

If you haven’t tried POTACAT, give it a shot. I think you’ll like it. And if you want to run a fully remote setup — and even swap rigs with a buddy for an hour or a weekend over the air — then check out ECHOCAT 

The iOS app is here:  
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/echocat-ham-radio-remote/id6766321194

The Android app will be live in the next few days. It’s going thru final review at Google. 

And here are 3 free iOS download codes for the early birds:

T94XA4LPM9MF  
6JF6EFMT7AT7  
K4TWNJ9E4XK6

iOS app to remote control your radio