ComLink

Professional IP Voice Communications — Anywhere. Anytime.

Push-to-talk voice linking over local networks and the internet. Built for radio operators, remote sites, and anyone who needs a reliable communications link.

Windows Raspberry Pi Android Opus 48kHz CAT Radio Control No Cloud Required Private & Self-Hosted
Built for Operators

ComLink v3 is a professional push-to-talk voice communications platform designed for operators who need reliable, low-latency audio links over any network. Whether linking radio repeaters across a region, monitoring remote antenna sites, or coordinating field teams — ComLink delivers.

It runs on Windows PCs, Raspberry Pi single-board computers, and Android phones. A lightweight Pi-specific build handles headless relay nodes at remote sites. The full desktop app adds HF radio CAT control, an analog S-meter, band scope, AI noise suppression, VOX, AGC, and a professional TX audio processing chain.

ComLink v3 uses a central relay server for multi-party communications. All clients connect to the server which handles audio routing, channel arbitration, peer announcements, and registration. No complex peer-to-peer configuration required.

"ComLink turns any Windows PC, Raspberry Pi, or Android phone into a professional-grade radio link node. CAT control, Opus audio, AI noise suppression, and a relay server that just works — no expensive hardware, no proprietary systems." — ComLink Design Philosophy
Our Mission
ComLink's Goal
ComLink's goal is to give operators a reliable, no-compromise voice communications link that runs on affordable hardware and works anywhere in the world — without proprietary systems or cloud dependencies.

Whether you are linking repeaters across a region, monitoring a remote site from your home station, or building an emergency backup communications network, ComLink puts professional-grade capability in your hands. Simple to deploy. Powerful enough for serious use.
Capabilities
Everything You Need

ComLink combines voice, radio control, audio processing, chat, and network management into a single focused application.

Push-to-Talk (PTT)

Spacebar toggle PTT with ON/OFF buttons and a large visual ON-AIR indicator. Serial hardware PTT via RTS or DTR for direct radio interface connections.

Opus Audio — 48kHz

Broadcast-quality Opus codec at 48kHz mono. Selectable bitrate: 24 / 32 / 48 / 64 / 96 kbps. Forward error correction and packet loss concealment built in.

VOX — Voice Operated TX

Automatic transmit when mic audio exceeds the threshold. Adjustable threshold (0–100%) and hang time (100–2000ms) — ideal for hands-free operation or squelch-driven radio linking.

Relay Server

Central Raspberry Pi relay routes Opus audio to all connected clients. Manages HELLO registration, first-keyed-wins channel arbitration, peer announcements, and welcome audio for new connections.

LAN Multicast

Automatic peer discovery on local networks via UDP multicast (239.192.0.1:5198). Multiple stations find each other and connect instantly — no IP address entry needed.

Android App

Full PTT client for Android. 48kHz Opus, same protocol as the desktop. Detects server loss automatically and prompts to reconnect. Works on LTE, 5G, or Wi-Fi.

TX Audio Processing

Professional microphone chain: AI Denoise (RNNoise neural network), Auto Gain Control, Noise Gate, and Low-Cut Filter (50–300 Hz). All applied before encoding, in the correct signal order.

CAT Radio Control

Full CAT control for Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, and Elecraft HF radios. Tune frequency, change mode, and read the S-meter. Auto-detect identifies your radio automatically.

S-Meter & Band Scope

Calibrated analog needle S-meter reads signal strength from CAT-connected radios in real time. Visual band scope with click-to-tune and band buttons (160m–6m) with automatic mode switching.

ComLink Pi (Lite)

Lightweight Tkinter build for Raspberry Pi relay nodes. 5–10% CPU. Serial PTT and COS detection for radio interfaces. Deploys headless at remote sites — no Qt or monitor required.

Built-in Text Chat

Real-time text chat between all connected stations on a dedicated port (52000 UDP), independent of the audio channel — chat while audio is in use.

Private & Self-Hosted

Your relay server, your rules. No cloud accounts, no subscriptions, no data sent to third parties. All audio stays on your own infrastructure.

CAT Control
Supported Radios

ComLink connects directly to your HF transceiver via CAT — tune frequency, change mode, and read the S-meter without touching the radio.

Icom (CI-V)
  • IC-7300
  • IC-705
  • IC-7610
  • IC-9700
  • IC-7100
  • IC-718
  • IC-706 MkIIG
  • and more
Yaesu (CAT)
  • FT-DX101D
  • FT-DX10
  • FT-991A
  • FT-DX3000
  • FT-891
  • FT-857D
  • FT-817ND
  • and more
Kenwood (CAT)
  • TS-890S
  • TS-590SG
  • TS-990S
  • TS-2000
  • TS-480
Elecraft (CAT)
  • K4
  • K3S
  • K3
  • KX3
  • KX2

Any radio that appears as a COM port in Windows Device Manager will work. Supported interface hardware includes Icom OPC-478/589, SignaLink USB, RigBlaster, DigiRig, Yaesu SCU-17/SCU-20, and any USB-to-serial adapter connected to the radio's ACC or CAT port.
FlexRadio FLEX-5000 / PowerSDR is supported via VB-Audio Virtual Cable (audio) and com0com virtual serial pair (CAT).

Applications
Who Uses ComLink

From amateur radio operators to emergency communications teams — ComLink fits wherever reliable voice links are needed.

Amateur Radio Operators

Link VHF, UHF, and HF stations across cities or regions. Bridge repeaters over IP. Control your HF rig remotely via CAT while monitoring the S-meter.

Remote Site Monitoring

Deploy a Pi Lite node at a remote antenna or repeater site. Monitor and operate equipment from anywhere over DDNS or Tailscale VPN.

Emergency Communications

Establish reliable backup voice links when traditional infrastructure is unavailable. Operates over any internet connection including LTE hotspots.

Repeater Linking

Connect geographically separate repeater sites into a single linked system using low-cost Pi Lite nodes at each location with serial PTT and COS.

Mobile Operations

Android app lets operators join from anywhere. Full PTT voice on LTE or Wi-Fi. Server-loss detection keeps the app in sync with network status.

Private Networks

Build a closed, private voice network for a club, organization, or team — completely independent of any public service or cloud infrastructure.

Technical Details
Specifications

ComLink v3 is engineered for reliability and low latency on modest hardware.

SpecificationDetail
Audio CodecOpus — 48kHz mono, forward error correction and packet loss concealment enabled
Bitrate (selectable)24 / 32 / 48 (default) / 64 / 96 kbps — changes take effect immediately, no restart required
Frame Size20ms — 960 samples per frame at 48kHz
Transport ProtocolUDP — low latency, no buffering overhead
Packet Format2-byte ComLink header (0xC0 0x00) + Opus payload
Jitter BufferAdaptive (auto 60–500ms based on measured jitter) or manual (20–500ms)
TX Audio ProcessingLow-Cut Filter (50–300 Hz) → AI Denoise (RNNoise) → Noise Gate → AGC (up to 8× / 18 dB)
PTT ModesKeyboard (Spacebar), VOX, Serial RTS/DTR, ASCII PTT, External VOX, Android touch
RX ModesManual, VOX, Serial CTS, Serial DSR, CAT Squelch (S-meter level)
CAT ControlIcom CI-V, Yaesu CAT, Kenwood CAT, Elecraft (Kenwood-compatible) — auto-detect
DTMFStandard 16-tone keypad (0–9, A–D, *, #)
LAN DiscoveryUDP Multicast 239.192.0.1 — automatic, no configuration or port forwarding needed
Channel PolicyFirst-keyed wins, 600ms auto-release on silence
Supported PlatformsWindows 10/11 (ComLink3), Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit (ComLink Pi Lite), Android (ComLink App)
Recommended Pi HardwareRaspberry Pi 4 (2GB+ RAM) or Pi 5 — Pi 3 for lite node only
Remote AccessStatic IP, DDNS hostname (e.g. No-IP), or Tailscale VPN
GUI Framework (Desktop)PySide6 (Qt 6) — native Windows look and feel
GUI Framework (Pi Lite)Tkinter — minimal CPU, no Qt dependency
51998
Control / HELLO — UDP
51999
WAN Audio — UDP
52000
Chat — UDP
Deployment
Up and Running in Minutes

A basic multi-station link requires no complex configuration — set up the relay server, install ComLink, and talk.

01

Set Up the Relay Server

Run comlink_server.py on a Raspberry Pi. Forward UDP ports 51998, 51999, and 52000 on your router. Use No-IP DDNS for a stable hostname that follows your IP if it changes.

02

Install ComLink

Run ComLink3 on Windows, ComLink Pi Lite on a relay site Pi, or install the Android app on your phone. Enter your callsign and the server DDNS address.

03

Connect & Talk

Click Connect (or Enable WAN TX). Wait for "Connected" confirmation from the server. Press Spacebar or the PTT button — your link is live with broadcast-quality Opus audio.

Contact
Get in Touch

Have questions about ComLink, interested in getting started, or want to learn more?
We would love to hear from you.

inquiries@comlinking.com

We typically respond within 24 hours.

Beta Testing In Progress

ComLink v3 is currently in active beta testing. We are working hard to ensure a solid, reliable release for all platforms. Check back here for the official release date announcement.

Page updated: April 2026  •  Release date: Coming soon — stay tuned.