Install radios

HamBench does not bundle every radio. You install JSON radio modules for the models you use. The generic driver stays in the app; only configs, schemas, and memory maps are downloaded.

Official install

1. On first launch (empty catalog), the app opens Install radios.
2. It fetches the official catalog from GitHub Pages: https://springfield-ham-radio.github.io/radio-module-catalog/catalog.json
3. Select modules and click Install.
4. The app downloads each module zip from GitHub Releases, checks sha256:… integrity, extracts JSON under the app data directory, and adds radios to the local catalog as source installed.

Later, open Preferences → Radios. Installed and available radios are grouped by manufacturer, with each model listed underneath. Install on a model adds only that radio from the manufacturer zip. Official modules show a marker when a newer version is available; Update downloads that module.

After a driver update that adds CAT fields, Update (or reinstall) the module so the catalog picks up the new cat profile.

Local file (unsupported)

Install from file… accepts a module zip (same layout as GitHub Release assets) or a single radio config JSON (with sibling $ref files).

The app shows an at your own risk warning. Local installs are source user, labeled Unverified, and are not updated from the official catalog. This still works if the official catalog is unreachable.

Supported models

Module	Radios	Memory	Live CAT
Baofeng	UV-5R (same config covers UV-5RE Plus)	Clone (S / X blocks)	No
Kenwood	TH-F6	Live CAT memories (MR / MW / MNA)	Yes
Kenwood	TH-D74	Clone (256-byte blocks at 57600)	Yes (same PC port)
Kenwood	TM-D710A	Clone (256-byte blocks at 9600, body PC port)	Yes (same PC port)

Clone vs CAT is independent: a radio can dump EEPROM and still speak Kenwood CAT on the programming cable.