Multiple PTT apps on your Device

Some of use more than one PTT app on their Network radio.
Me, for example, I use Zello for hobby and when at work I use WalkieFleet to communicate with my team. I don’t like to carry around to many devices
(I do like to collect them though 😁 ).
Other hobbyists like to use peanut, echolink, …

Zello, in its greatness, has a few items that might need some improvement or modification, but I’ll leave that to the project managers and developers. I’ll just stick to solutions and work arounds.

When you install Zello it claims all usage over the PTT button. No matter what you do, when you push the PTT button it will push Zello as primary PTT application and it will pop up. (Unless you disabled background usage in the PPT menu in Zello, but that’s only when your screen is off.)

This is actually great when you only use Zello, but like me if you use other apps like WalkieFleet it’s quite annoying. There’s are two ways to work around this:

  1. Permanently use Zello and other apps next to each other:
    Simply remove the hardware button in Zello and add it back again.
    The initial link is interrupted and both apps use the PTT-button only when the app is enabled.
Display of Telo TE-590

Important:
this doesn’t work for all apps. In some cases option two below is a better solution.
(For example WalkieFleet is as persistent on the PTT button as Zello)


2. How to disable Zello temporarily to use another PTT app:
See video below:

Display of Telo- TE590

“Force Stop” Zello in the Apps menu of Android and then start your other PTT app. Now you have control of your PTT button in another PTT app.
You need to do this every time you want to use the other app. For me that is not a problem because 90% of the time i’m using Zello.
The other 10% it’s for work.
(We don’t use walkies all the time)

Important:
This only works when you don’t use the apps simultaneously. Once your restart Zello it will take over control over your PTT button.

3 Replies to “Multiple PTT apps on your Device”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.