Download RigCheck
RigCheck is currently in Alpha. New builds are published from every change to the code. No stable release yet.
Every alpha build stops running 30 days after it was built. This keeps testers on current code and steers everyday operators toward stable releases once they exist.
The expiry date is shown in the RigCheck window title and in Help › About. In the final days the status bar warns you. When an alpha has expired, starting it shows a notice with a link back to this page — just download the current build.
All RigCheck downloads live on GitHub Releases. The newest alpha is at the top:
Near the bottom of each release you will see an Assets section. If it is collapsed, click the ▶ Assets triangle to expand it and reveal the downloadable files.
RigCheck is a single portable program — one .exe file, no installer. Download the file named like RigCheck-0.6.4-alpha-20260921-a1b2c3d.exe (the numbers are the version, build date, and a code identifier). Put it anywhere you like and run it.
If the download is a .zip file
Some download links, such as build artifacts on GitHub's Actions tab, deliver the program inside a .zip file. Open your Downloads folder, right-click the .zip, choose Extract All…, and click Extract. The RigCheck .exe is inside the folder that appears. Windows cannot run the program directly from inside the .zip.
Each release also includes a .sha256 file and shows the same hash in the release notes. To confirm your download is authentic, open PowerShell in your Downloads folder and run:
Get-FileHash RigCheck-*.exe -Algorithm SHA256The hash it prints should match the one on the release page.
Because RigCheck is currently unsigned, your browser may flag the download. Follow the steps for your browser below.
Google Chrome
- After the download completes, a warning bar may appear at the bottom of the window.
- Click the ∧ (chevron) next to the file name, then click Keep.
- A second prompt may appear — click Keep anyway.
- The file is now in your Downloads folder, ready to run.
Microsoft Edge
- After downloading, Edge shows a warning in the download bar or panel.
- Click the … (three dots) next to the file, then click Keep.
- Edge opens a detail page — click Show more, then Keep anyway.
- The file is now in your Downloads folder, ready to run.
When you run the downloaded file for the first time, Windows SmartScreen may display a blue “Windows protected your PC” dialog.
Windows 10 and Windows 11
- In the SmartScreen dialog, click More info (below the app name).
- A Run anyway button appears at the bottom — click it.
- RigCheck will start normally. The first start takes a few seconds longer while it unpacks.
Why does this appear?
Windows SmartScreen requires a code-signing certificate and a “reputation” period before it stops warning users about a new executable.
RigCheck will be signed once it qualifies for an open-source code-signing program.
Until then, this warning is expected and normal. Verify the file with the SHA-256 hash from Step 2 instead.
Windows
Windows 10 (version 21H2 or later) or Windows 11, 64-bit. Nothing else to install — the .NET runtime is built into the exe. Windows 11 on ARM runs it through its built-in x64 emulation. Windows 7 and 8.1 are not supported.
Hamlib
RigCheck uses Hamlib's rigctl to talk to your radio and finds it automatically if it is already on your computer. Most operators have it from WSJT-X or Fldigi. Otherwise get the standalone Hamlib for Windows. If RigCheck cannot find it, the top of the window says so and offers a link.
Your radio's USB driver
The cable between your PC and radio needs its driver, the same one your digital-mode software uses. Most Icom radios use the Silicon Labs CP210x driver; many other cables use FTDI or Prolific. If the COM port does not appear in RigCheck, this is usually why.