FM Arrow Tune: From simple tuning to real scanning (v0.1.0 → v0.3.0)
Overview
FM Arrow Tune started as a small quality-of-life improvement for SDR#.
The original goal was simple:
make FM band browsing faster and more intuitive using keyboard arrow keys.
Very quickly, the idea evolved into something much more powerful — a lightweight scanning and DX tool.
Why I built this
I often use SDR# remotely via Splashtop on an iPad.
The virtual arrow keys made it obvious how convenient keyboard-based tuning could be.
Clicking frequencies or typing them manually felt slow.
Arrow keys felt natural.
So I built it.
v0.1.0 — The beginning
The first version was intentionally simple:
- Left / Right arrows tune frequency
- Fixed step size
- FM-focused usage
This alone already made listening much more fluid.
v0.2.0 — Band awareness
Next came a major usability upgrade:
- Up / Down arrows for larger band jumps
- Configurable step size
- Configurable jump size
- FM band limits (87.5–108.0 MHz)
- Optional wrap-around tuning
This made it much easier to explore the band quickly.
v0.3.0 — Scanning becomes real
This was the turning point.
Hold-to-scan
Instead of tapping repeatedly:
- Hold arrow → continuous tuning
- Release → stop
This created a natural “manual scan” experience.
Adjustable scan speed
Scan speed is now configurable:
- Fast scan for band sweeping
- Slower scan for precise listening
Result
At this point, FM Arrow Tune is no longer just a shortcut plugin.
It behaves like a real scanning tool:
- fast
- tactile
- efficient
What’s next
The next version will go even further.
Planned for v0.4.0
- Auto scan mode (start/stop with hotkey)
- Scan logging to TXT
- Timestamped frequency logging
- Stop on signal (RSSI threshold)
- RDS-based detection (PI / station name)
The goal is to evolve into a lightweight FM-DX logging tool.
Final thoughts
What started as a small idea turned into something I now use daily.
Sometimes the best tools come from solving your own small frustrations.