The story behind 710 Console

Hello, my name is Nathan Daniels

I’m an amateur radio hobbyist, not a professional software developer or coder.

I first got interested in radio back in the 1990s as a teenager, and over the years I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with technology and trying to understand how things work.

Over the last year I’ve become fascinated by how quickly AI development tools have progressed. Earlier in the year I was experimenting with various ideas and applications, and it became obvious to me that tools such as Claude Code, Codex, ChatGPT and others were reaching the point where someone like me could describe what I wanted in normal language and actually build something useful.

That has completely changed what is possible for me.

Before 710 Console, I used these tools to build software around some of my other hobbies, including an online poker tracking application and a recreation of an old online pool game I used to play many years ago. That project eventually became Ultimate Pool Game.

From one USB cable to a full console

Before buying my FT-710 I had seriously considered an SDR setup, mainly because I liked software such as Thetis and the way so many controls are available directly on screen.

I eventually bought the FT-710 because I wanted something straightforward that worked out of the box. I absolutely love the radio, but after a while I found myself getting tired of going through menus and touchscreen pages to change settings.

I wanted something more like a full SDR-style desktop console where the main controls were available in front of me, along with additional features the radio itself does not provide:

• full CAT control
• spectrum and waterfall display
• remote operation
• RX audio recording and playback
• SWR sweeps and plots
• logging and DX tools
• additional visual themes and display controls

So I ordered a USB printer cable, started researching the CAT protocol and scope data, and began experimenting.

What started as a very crude and ugly little control panel gradually became 710 Console.

The application has been built almost entirely by me working with AI development tools—primarily Claude Code, Codex and ChatGPT—turning ideas in my head and user feedback into working software.

Far bigger than I expected

I released the software much earlier than I probably should have because I was excited to share it. In hindsight, a smaller controlled beta group would probably have been easier!

710 Console launched publicly on 16 September 2026. Just 14 days later—Day 15 when counting launch day—the telemetry showed:

Seeing those numbers is genuinely difficult for me to get my head around. Something I built as a hobby project is now being used by hundreds of radio amateurs around the world.

Learning from operators

A huge amount of what is now in 710 Console has come directly from users.

I only operate SSB and do not personally operate CW or digital modes at all. When people started asking for things such as Hamlib networking, WSJT-X compatibility, CAT sharing, CW keyer controls and other features, I had to learn about them as I went.

There has been a lot of testing, debugging and back-and-forth with users. Sometimes the issue is 710 Console, sometimes it is Windows, sometimes it is a driver or radio setting, and sometimes it is simply something I had never encountered before.

I have tried to respond to everybody who has contacted me. If I have missed a message or taken a while to reply, I apologise. The project has grown much faster than I expected and I am still only one person working on it alongside my normal job and family life.

Contributions go back into development

The financial support has also been incredibly appreciated. Around £200 has been contributed so far through the Support 710 Console Development PayPal link.

That money has gone straight back into development costs, mainly AI subscriptions and additional usage credits. I currently pay for multiple Claude Code and Codex subscriptions, and during difficult debugging sessions I have occasionally had to buy additional usage just to finish the work I was in the middle of.

So when somebody sends support, it genuinely helps keep development moving. Thank you.

No rushed promises

I get asked a lot about the trial period and what will happen afterwards. At the moment, I honestly have not made a final decision.

There is still a lot of development and testing to do, and I am considering resetting or extending trials while the software continues to mature. I would rather get the software into a state I am happy with than rush into treating this like a commercial product.

I also receive a lot of requests for versions for radios such as the FT-DX10, FT-101MP and others. Unfortunately, I do not own those radios.

Although Yaesu radios share many CAT commands, I cannot properly develop, test or claim support for a radio I do not physically have access to. Some users have had limited success using parts of 710 Console with other Yaesu radios, but officially 710 Console is currently developed and tested for the FT-710 and FT-710 AESS only.

To everyone helping the project

Finally, thank you to everybody who has:

• downloaded and tested the software
• reported bugs
• suggested features
• helped test things I do not personally use
• contributed financially
• posted about 710 Console on Facebook
• made YouTube videos
• recommended it to other operators

The response has been genuinely overwhelming.

I still don’t know exactly where this project will end up. For now, I’m just enjoying building it, learning as I go, and trying to make the best FT-710 desktop software I can.

73,
Nathan Daniels – M7XTD
710 Console