After setting up a gateway and receiving audio from Zello to the radios and vice versa, you may experience issues with the audio volume. This article lays out steps to troubleshoot audio that is either too loud or too quiet. Follow the steps below in order, testing from Zello to the Radio and back after each change. Do not make all changes at once.
All troubleshooting methodologies in this article take place on the Audio settings page of the Zello Work PC app. From the Zello Work app, open "Tools"> "Options"> "Audio." You should see this page:
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Part One: Zello receiving messages with noise and/or faint audio
Part Two: Radios receiving messages with noise and/or faint audio
Part Three: Radios receiving messages with very loud audio
Part One: Zello receiving messages with noise and/or faint audio
In the following order, make these changes to your configuration, testing from Zello to the Radio and back after each change. Do not make all changes at once.
1. Test the volume settings on the physical radio connected to the gateway.
- Turn the radio volume down if messages come in with too much noise.
- Turn the radio volume up if messages are too faint.
2. Test the Recording device volume from the Audio page of the Zello Work app.
- Turn the setting down if you are receiving too much noise.
- Turn the setting up if the volume is too low.
3. Test the Recording amplifier from the Audio page of the Zello Work app.
- Turn the setting down if you are receiving too much noise.
- Turn the setting up if the volume is too low.
Part Two: Radios receiving messages with noise and/or faint audio
In the following order, make these changes to your configuration, testing from Zello to the Radio and back after each change. Do not make all changes at once.
1. Adjust the Playback device volume from the audio page of the Zello Work app
- Turn the setting down if you are receiving too much noise.
- Turn the setting up if the volume is too low.
2. Adjust the Playback amplifier from the audio page of the Zello Work app
- Turn the setting down if you are receiving too much noise.
- Turn the setting up if the volume is too low.
Part Three: Radios receiving messages with very loud audio
If the level of noise from Zello to Radio is very high, this could be a sign that the PC audio output is overloading the audio input of the radio. You need to carefully decrease volume levels until the distorted audio is eliminated.
1. Plug a headset into a test radio. Please make sure that the donor radio is connected to the gateway, as well as that there are no other radios in the room, as other radios can cause acoustic feedback that interferes with your test.
2. Set the volume on the test radio to a comfortable level, and have someone send you a message from another radio in another room. You should be able to clearly hear this transmission.
3. Set the Playback amplifier to 0 dB from the Audio page of the Zello Work PC app.
4. On a phone, create silent audio within the Zello app by going to Menu > Options/Settings > Audio and setting the Recording amplifier to -20 dB.
5. Send a message from the phone to the gateway. This transmission should be silent. (Make sure you send it as a 1:1 conversation from the contacts screen, rather than in a channel.) If you still get a high level of noise, you need to troubleshoot before proceeding with these instructions. The most common source of noise will be interference from electrical equipment near the gateway and/or radio. Try moving any nearby cables, and then send another message to see if the noise changes.
6. Once you accomplish sending a silent transmission with an acceptable level of noise, change the Recording amplifier setting on your Zello mobile app back to 0 dB and try again.
7. If transmissions are still causing a lot of noise, adjust the phone volume.
8. On the Zello Work PC app, set the Playback device volume to 1/4 of the full value. This should give you an undistorted voice, but it will likely be very quiet.
9. Slowly turn up the Playback device volume, testing the sound quality by sending messages after every adjustment, until the sound starts to distort. Adjust the setting down slightly, which should give you the optimal level.
10. If you adjusted the Playback device volume all the way up and there is still no distortion and/or the volume is still too low, turn up the Playback amplifier, testing the sound quality by sending messages after every adjustment.