Desktop & hardwareAmateur radio software
HamStream
A commercial desktop application for amateur radio operators, with a licensing system, release channels and a marketing site that sells and delivers it.
Case study hamstream.co.uk
Desktop & hardwareRadio & control systems2026
RadioCommandDeck
A touch-screen control surface merging MIDI hardware control, radio CAT control and network control protocols into one operating position.
The brief
What we were asked for
An operator was running three separate applications to control one setup. The brief was to merge them into a single configurable surface that drives physical controllers, radio hardware and networked software together.
The challenge
What made it difficult
The constraints that shaped every decision after them.
- Three protocols, three timing models, three failure modes — in one interface that must never freeze.
- Every operator wants a different layout, so the surface had to be user-configurable rather than fixed.
- Physical controllers need immediate feedback; a delayed response feels broken.
What we built
How we solved it
The decisions that mattered, and why we made them.
01
One surface, three protocols
MIDI, serial CAT and network control unified behind a common command model so a button can drive any of them.
02
User-built layouts
Buttons, dials and panels are placed, styled and labelled by the operator, with layouts saved outside the application.
03
Immediate feedback
Controller lighting and on-screen state update as the command is sent, not after a round trip completes.
04
Local integration bridge
A local service exposes control to other applications, including a companion plugin for stream-deck style hardware.
The outcome
Where it got to
- Three applications replaced by one operating position.
- Operators build the layout that suits them instead of adapting to ours.
- Packaged as a signed Windows installer with a repeatable local build.
Built with
Technology stack
- C++
- Qt 6
- MIDI
- Serial CAT
- WebSockets
- Windows installer
Services used
More work
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