Recently set up Zello....

[allisonr1495]

I have recently set up zello for use for our Volunteer Emergency response agency using 2 portable radios and a laptop to interface our repeater with the Zello app (and vice versa). I was just wondering if anybody knew of a base/mobile radio that provides for a Audio IN line? Such as in place of the ptt mic an adapter would take a audio cable and push that audio through the radio?
I know most radio have a speaker OUT but i'm looking for the opposite. Any ideas or products would be appreciated! Thank you.

 

[toastycookies]

I have recently set up zello for use for our Volunteer Emergency response agency using 2 portable radios and a laptop to interface our repeater with the Zello app (and vice versa). I was just wondering if anybody knew of a base/mobile radio that provides for a Audio IN line? Such as in place of the ptt mic an adapter would take a audio cable and push that audio through the radio?
I know most radio have a speaker OUT but i'm looking for the opposite. Any ideas or products would be appreciated! Thank you.

Pretty much any modern mobile radio should be able to do this.

 

[allisonr1495]

That's what I figured, however trying to find the accesory or add on that does it seems to be an issue.

 

[toastycookies]

That's what I figured, however trying to find the accesory or add on that does it seems to be an issue.

Here's one for $10.

"EASY DIGI" Sound Card Interface PSK RTTY SSTV NBEMS JT-65 PCB KIT | eBay

 

[allisonr1495]

Hi Toasty, thanks for the reply and your help! I may have ms explained or I misunderstand the product. I am essential looking for a "MIC IN" line just like on a portable but on a mobile or a base so I don't have to continually change battery.

https://postimg.org/image/s8ceiwe0z/

On this crude example, The Green line from the receive portable (Audio out from radio) goes to the mic in on the Laptop, then the blue line goes from the Speaker/Audio Out from the laptop to the mic in on the Transmit Radio and then is VOX activated on transmit.

Need this same type set up but with a base or mobile radio. Thanks again for your time and any help.

 

[majoco]

Such as in place of the ptt mic an adapter would take a audio cable and push that audio through the radio?

I think you answered you own question. If you want it to lift the PTT when audio is present you'll have to design an interface though.

This might do the trick. It's a simple LM386 audio amp with a rectifier after it driving a couple of transistor into a small 6v relay. I used it to start a cassette tape recorder when an HF broadcast started in the middle of the night! You may need an attenuator from the line in to the mic socket as the level will be far to high.

 

[KB8KOJ]

1 radio or 2 radios? You have this radio(s) already? if so what model.

I will second that kit suggested by toastycookies. (have a handful of them myself)

If you have the right radio with a 6 pin DIN jack on the back. you can wire that kit up easily and not need to use the mic or speaker jack. The DIN jack makes for quick work.

 

[toastycookies]

Hi Toasty, thanks for the reply and your help! I may have ms explained or I misunderstand the product. I am essential looking for a "MIC IN" line just like on a portable but on a mobile or a base so I don't have to continually change battery.

https://postimg.org/image/s8ceiwe0z/

On this crude example, The Green line from the receive portable (Audio out from radio) goes to the mic in on the Laptop, then the blue line goes from the Speaker/Audio Out from the laptop to the mic in on the Transmit Radio and then is VOX activated on transmit.

Need this same type set up but with a base or mobile radio. Thanks again for your time and any help.

I understand.

The device I linked does exactly this.

Here's one you can buy pre assembled with some extra cables and a huge markup.

"EASY DIGI" USB Sound Card Interface, NO MORE USB-RS232 ADAPTERS! W/CABLES | eBay

 

[jwt873]

The device toastycookies shows in the link he provided should work. On the same eBay page, you can get something already assembled like this "EASY DIGI" Digital Sound Card Interface PSK RTTY SSTV NBEMS JT-65 VOX UNIT | eBay

Note it has all the connection you need to-from the computer & radio.. Plus it uses transformers for isolation/impedance matching.

 

[allisonr1495]

I will review the replies, Thank you everyone!

 

[mikewazowski]

Thread moved as this doesn't seem Amateur Radio related.

 

[jim202]

Be careful of where and how you connect the receiver audio up. Many radios use a balanced audio output on the speaker so you can't ground either wire going to the speaker. Many radios have a fixed audio output on the accessory connector that can be used, but it may have a DC bias voltage on it. The simple solution is to just couple this fixed audio through a capacitor to block the DC bias.

You don't want to really use the speaker output anyway as the level will change with the volume control. Using a fixed output on the receive audio, this problem won't happen. The level will stay the same no matter what you do with the volume control.

As others have pointed out, using a portable will be a constant issue with the battery. It would be best to use a mobile off of an AC supply.

I tend to use Motorola radios and all of them have a fixed audio output. They also have an external mic input and an external PTT line input. You just have to set this up in the radio software. You can also adjust the external input mic gain to get it at the level you need.