Zello Customization: Set Hardware Buttons as a Channel Up/Down Selector

Intro: 

For hardcore radio enthusiasts, we seem to want Zello to work more like a radio and not so much like a social media application. Luckily for us enthusiasts, there's such thing as Zello Work which is a commercial version of Zello that workers in the field use, either with their phone or special made "radios".   I say this because most of those guys use radios in the field, and Zello has done some things in the programming to help those guys out. 

One radio specifically that I have is the Anysecu N60.   Notice all of the hardware buttons this gadget comes with:

These buttons can actually be mapped to give them more functionality with Zello with the help of Button Mapper!

Tools needed: 

In a nutshell:

1. you need to rename the channels that you want to be able to "channel up" and "channel down" through. 

2. Use button mapper to map a channel up button, and a channel down button. 

   • In Button Mapper, you'll use Broadcast Intent for each button

   • Channel Up broadcast intent code: com.zello.intent.channelUp

   • Channel Down broadcast intent code: com.zello.intent.channelDown

3. Then you can channel up and down without even looking at the screen.  Android will read the names of the channels as you scroll through them!

....now, here's a little more detail as to how to  set it up: 

Step 1:   Rename your Zello Channels

You don't need to rename them all...  You only need to rename the ones that you would like to have in your Channel Up / Down.  The channel up and down feature will only look for channels (and contacts) that begin with numbers. 

Example:

• 01a, My Channel Name, Channel 1

• 01b, My Channel Name, Channel 2

• 01c, My Channel Name, Channel 3

• 02a, Republic of Avalon Radio

• 02b, All Night Rag Chewers

• 03a, Network Radio Channel 00

• 03b, Network Radio Channel 01

• 03c, Network Radio Channel 02 

• 04, Ham Radio Hub

• 05, Echo

....and so on

Tip:  the comma will add a quick pause in the speech which sounds better (to me)

Tip 2:  your contacts will be included if you rename them with a number in front as well

Tip 3: You can add a group of channels into one channel number like I did above.  However, you don't have to add a letter like I showed in the example above.   If you have 2 channels with the same channel number, the device will just scroll through alphabetically. 

Step 2:   Button Mapper:   Map your channel up and channel down buttons

• Go into Button Mapper

• Click "Add Buttons"

• Click the + button to add a new button mapping

• Press the button you want for "Channel Up"

• If detected, click Add

• Once the button is "captured", you'll see the button name and a number in parenthesis.  

• (note: if you want to delete the mapping, you would click the trash can icon to the right)

• Now, click the + button again and add the "Channel Down" button

• If detected click Add

At this point, you should see both buttons ready to be mapped. 

• Click on the item for the "Channel Up" button. 

• Turn the Customize switch on

• Click "Single Tap"

• Choose "Advanced" in the drop down menu

• Choose "Broadcast Intent"

• In the "Action: (Optional)" field enter:   com.zello.intent.channelUp     (case sensitive!!)

• nothing else needs to be entered into this window - just click "OK"

• (You can also assign actions to Double Press or Long Press - or you can leave them as is)

• click the back button at the top of the app

• Now click on the item for the "Channel Down" button. 

• Turn the Customize switch on

• Click "Single Tap"

• Choose "Advanced" in the drop down menu

• Choose "Broadcast Intent"

• In the "Action: (Optional)" field enter:   com.zello.intent.channelDown   (case sensitive!!)

• Again: nothing else needs to be entered into this window - just click "OK"

• (Again: You can also assign actions to Double Press or Long Press - or you can leave them as is)

• click the back button at the top of the app

• click the back button at the top of the app (again)

• Exit out of Button Mapper

Now try clicking the Channel Up and Down button.  You should hear Android name off each channel as it scrolls through them. 

NOTE: On my Anysecu N60, I found that after doing the steps above, if I were to click any of the number keys to go to a channel, and then go to a screen where I can type text, the last number hit would start typing out and repeating itself endlessly.    I found that the problem went away if I changed the following setting in Button Mapper (under More Options):  Alternate Button Handling=On