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Push to Talk Setup

Overview

When iReporter speaks a message aloud, you typically want your microphonein-sim mutedradio soto transmit that voice to race control doesn'tand hearother the synthetic voice.drivers. iReporter's Push to Talk feature solves this by automatically pressingholds and releasing a PTT key or button around each spoken message.

You can trigger PTT viadown a keyboard key orfor athe vJoyfull virtualduration joystickof buttoneach spoken message — notactivating bothyour simultaneously.iRacing radio PTT so the voice is broadcast on the radio channel.

Why

No vJoy?

Mostadditional racingsoftware simor setupsdrivers useare arequired. iReporter sends keypresses using hardware-level scan codes, which are indistinguishable from physical buttonkey onpresses.

How ait steeringWorks

  1. You wheelassign an F-key (or buttonmodifier box+ as the in-sim PTT. The problem is that iRacing (and most sims) only allow one device to be bound to a function at a time. If your wheel button is boundF-key) as PTT in iRacing, Windows cannot also press it programmatically.

    vJoy solves this by creating a virtual joystick device in Windows. You bind iRacing's PTTradio tosettings.

  2. You a vJoy virtual button instead of your physical button. Your physical button then triggers both the iRacing action and the vJoy button — while iReporter can also pressset the same vJoykey buttonin iReporter's Push to activateTalk PTT around voice output.

    This gives you:

    • Your physical button still works as PTT in iRacingdropdown.
    • When iReporter canspeaks, alsoit activateholds PTTthat programmaticallykey whendown speakingbefore audio starts and releases it after audio ends.

    Installing

  3. iRacing vJoy
    1. Downloadsees vJoya hardware keypress and activates the radio channel for Windowsthe 10/11full fromduration https://github.com/BrunnerInnovation/vJoy/releases/tag/v2.2.2.0 (free).
    2. Runof the installerspoken and follow the prompts. A reboot may be required.
    3. Open vJoy Configure from the Start menu. Ensure Device 1 is enabled and has at least 1 button configured. Click Apply.message.

    Configuring iRacing to Use vJoy for 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. ClickBind Bind and press button 1 on vJoy Device 1 (you can use the vJoy Feeder test appit to pressan it,F-key or— configurefor yourexample, physicalF9. button to also outputChoose a vJoykey press).that does not conflict with other iRacing bindings.
    4. Save and close Options.options.

    Configuring iReporter PTT

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

    SetSelect eitherthe asame key from the KeyboardPTT Key or a vJoy Button:

    Keyboard Key

    Enter the key name (e.g. F13, CapsLock, T). iReporter will hold this key down for the full duration of the spoken text, then release it. Use a key that is mapped as PTT in your sim.

    vJoy Button

    Enter the vJoy Device number (usually 1) and Button number (usually 1). When vJoy is installed and detected, iReporter shows vJoy detected in green. If vJoy is not installed, it shows vJoy not installed in grey and the fields are disabled.dropdown:

    FieldGroupDescriptionOptionsWhen to use
    DevicePlain F-keysvJoyF1 device– numberF12iRacing (1–16).PTT Matchesbound theto devicea numberplain configuredfunction in vJoy Configure.key
    ButtonCtrl combinationsButtonCtrl+F1 number– onCtrl+F12iRacing thatPTT devicebound to pressCtrl (1–128).+ MustF-key
    Shift matchcombinationsShift+F1 the– buttonShift+F12iRacing PTT bound into iRacing.Shift + F-key
    None(None)No PTT — voice plays without pressing any key

    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 key/button activate duringin playback.iRacing Check(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 simvoice oris usetoo aquiet, joystick tester to confirmincrease the vJoyOutput buttonVolume fires.in the Voice Options panel. The default is 100%. Values of 150%–175% are recommended if the signal sounds weak on the radio.

    Troubleshooting

    IssueFix
    PTT does not activatingactivate in iRacingMake sureConfirm the vJoykey buttonin numberthe iReporter dropdown exactly matches whatthe iskey bound in iRacing Controls. Re-bind in iRacing if needed.
    vJoyRadio notactivates detected in iReporterEnsure vJoy is installed and Device 1 is enabled in vJoy Configure. Restart SimHub after installing.
    Mic heard during voice outputPTT may be releasing too early. Ensure your Speak Text is populated andbut voice is completingnot beforeheard PTTby releases.othersCheck 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.
    PhysicalPTT buttondrops mid-message on a pauseiReporter 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.
    Voice plays but no longerPTT workspress foris detectedEnsure the PTTYour physicalKey buttondropdown mustis benot configuredset to output(None). aCheck vJoythat buttonSimHub presshas the necessary permissions to inject input (usingtry softwarerunning likeSimHub JoyToKeyas or via button box firmware)Administrator).
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