# Push to Talk Setup

## Overview

When iReporter speaks a message aloud, you want your in-sim radio to transmit that voice to race control and other drivers. iReporter's **Push to Talk** feature automatically holds down a keyboard key for the full duration of each spoken message — activating your iRacing radio PTT so the voice is broadcast on the radio channel.

No additional software or drivers are required. iReporter sends keypresses using hardware-level scan codes, which are indistinguishable from physical key presses.

## How it Works

1. You assign an F-key (or modifier + F-key) as PTT in iRacing's radio settings.
2. You set the same key in iReporter's Push to Talk dropdown.
3. When iReporter speaks, it holds that key down before audio starts and releases it after audio ends.
4. iRacing sees a hardware keypress and activates the radio channel for the full duration of the spoken message.

## Configuring iRacing PTT

1. Open iRacing and go to **Options > Controls** (or the equivalent in-sim settings).
2. Find the **Push to Talk** or radio transmit binding.
3. Bind it to an F-key — for example, **F9**. Choose a key that does not conflict with other iRacing bindings.
4. Save and close options.

## Configuring iReporter PTT

In the iReporter settings panel, with **Enable Voice** ticked, the **Push to Talk** box appears inside the Voice Options panel.

Select the same key from the **PTT Key** dropdown:

<table id="bkmrk-groupoptionswhen-to-"><thead><tr><th>Group</th><th>Options</th><th>When to use</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Plain F-keys</td><td>F1 – F12</td><td>iRacing PTT bound to a plain function key</td></tr><tr><td>Ctrl combinations</td><td>Ctrl+F1 – Ctrl+F12</td><td>iRacing PTT bound to Ctrl + F-key</td></tr><tr><td>Shift combinations</td><td>Shift+F1 – Shift+F12</td><td>iRacing PTT bound to Shift + F-key</td></tr><tr><td>None</td><td>(None)</td><td>No PTT — voice plays without pressing any key</td></tr></tbody></table>

Example: if you bound iRacing's PTT to **F9**, select **F9** from the dropdown.

## Testing PTT

Configure a button with a short Speak Text (e.g. *Test*) and click **▶ TEST FIRE**. You should hear the voice and simultaneously see the PTT activate in iRacing (the radio indicator light or transmit icon should appear).

## Voice Before Text

iReporter always speaks the voice message **before** sending text messages to the iRacing chat box. The chat key (`T`) is only pressed after PTT has been fully released. This prevents the chat window from interrupting the radio transmission.

## Output Volume

If competitors report your voice is too quiet, increase the **Output Volume** in the Voice Options panel. The default is 100%. Values of 150%–175% are recommended if the signal sounds weak on the radio.

## Troubleshooting

<table id="bkmrk-issuefixptt-does-not"><thead><tr><th>Issue</th><th>Fix</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>PTT does not activate in iRacing</td><td>Confirm the key in the iReporter dropdown exactly matches the key bound in iRacing Controls. Re-bind in iRacing if needed.</td></tr><tr><td>Radio activates but voice is not heard by others</td><td>Check your audio output device in Voice Options. For iRacing radio, set **Voice Output Device** to *VB-Audio CABLE Input* (or your virtual audio cable) so the voice audio is routed as microphone input into iRacing.</td></tr><tr><td>PTT drops mid-message on a pause</td><td>iReporter plays silence audio during `{PAUSE}` tokens to keep the radio channel open. If you upgraded from an older version, update to v0.141 or later.</td></tr><tr><td>Voice plays but no PTT press is detected</td><td>Ensure the PTT Key dropdown is not set to **(None)**. Check that SimHub has the necessary permissions to inject input (try running SimHub as Administrator).</td></tr></tbody></table>