Quick DCS Voice Chat guide

[Flappie]

You can find an official guide here.

1. Introduction

DCS Voice Chat is no mod, it's part of the game and available right out-of-the-box.

It features two separate modes: "Room" and "Radio".  To switch from one mode to the other, simply click the antenna icon ( / ).

 

Room mode  (  ) is the simplest mode of the two. Select a Room, press the Room mode push-to-talk button, and speak. Room mode is available as soon as you enter a multiplayer server lobby (where slots are displayed). If you want to, you can create a new room in just one second. Once entering a multicrew aircraft, an "Intercom" room gets automatically added to the Room mode panel.

 

Radio mode  (  ) is the embedded mode. It uses your aircraft radio system to receive and emit. For this very reason, it is only available once you enter an aircraft. In front of each aircraft radio, a colored square shows the radio status: active, inactive or damaged, transmtting, receiving.

Some Voice Chat panel controls will be unavailable whether you're in a FC3 aircraft or in a study-sim aicraft. You won't be allowed to change the frequencies from this panel if you're flying the F/A-18C, for instance. You'll have to do this using the cockpit controls.

 

2. Most Useful Bindings

UI Layer category:

"Show VoiceChat window" allows you to toggle the Voice Chat panel On/Off. If the Voice Chat panel does not appear, ensure the "Voice Chat" option is enabled in the ingame Audio options.

"VoiceChat push-to-talk mic. mode: On/Off voice transfer" is only useful when you're using Room Mode.

 

Radio VoIP category:

"cockpit r.#" bindings are to be used with study-sims aircraft.

"r.#" bindings are to be used with FC3 aircraft.

Aircraft category:

If your want to use a different VoIP binding for some aircraft, you can use your aircraft own "VoIP" binding. Here are the AJS37 VoIP bindings, for instance:

 

3. Encryption

- TODO -

 

4. Custom radio channels

-  TODO -

 

5. Trouble Shooting

If you are unable hear radio messages and only hear static, or other participants cannot hear you, please check the following:

• From the Settings (gear icon) on the Voice Chat window, ensure that the Master Volume is set to at least 50%.
• From the Options/Audio tab, manually select your headphones and mic settings to match the devices you wish to use. Please do not rely on Default.
• If using Radio Mode, all participants must have their radios powered on.
• If using Radio Mode, participants must be on the same frequency or in the same Room Mode.
• If using Radio Mode, participants must all have the same encryption settings, or all have encryption disabled.
• If using Radio Mode, ensure that VOIP radio transmit control actions are bound and used from Options/Controls (aircraft type).
• If using Room Mode, ensure that the Options/Controls/VoiceChat - VoiceChat Push-to-Talk Mic. Mode: On/Off Voice Transfer is bound and used.
• Voice Chat models line-of-sight range limits. Ensure that participants are within line of sight and range.
• Note all servers may run Voice Chat. If the server is not, Voice Chat will not function.

This is an unofficial guide. Feel free to correct me or suggest additions.

Edited February 3 by Flappie
aircraft now have their own VoIP bindings

[Flappie]

Frequently Asked Questions / Troubleshooting

 

"I cannot see the Voice Chat panel."

Ensure the "Voice Chat" option is enabled in the ingame Audio options.

 

"How do I know if a server has Voice Chat enabled?"

Select a server in the multiplayer menu, then search for the "Allow voice chat" line, in the lower right panel listing the server settings.

 

"I can't hear my friends although the radio device turns green"

Ensure your VoiceChat "Master Volume" is different from 0%.

 

If you're using the Sonar software, ensure Headphones is set to "SteelSeries Sonar - Chat".

 

"My voice is distorted or cannot be heard at all"

In Windows, set your microphone input frequency to 48000 Hz (16 bit or 24 bit, it does not matter).

 

"How do I prevent DCS sound volume from dropping when Voice Chat is in use?"

On Windows taskbar, right-click the Speaker icon, open the "Sounds" menu, open the "Communication" tab. Select "Do nothing" and hit "Apply".

 

"How can I tell if my microphone is working or not?"

Open Voice Chat panel, click the Gear icon, and speak into your microphone. If you can see the "Microphone test" cursor moving, your microphone is ready-to-use.

 

"Why doesn't the radio/intercom indicator turn from yellow to red when I press PTT?"

It is important that your "Radio VOIP" bindings are not already assigned to your aircraft. If your PTT binding(s) don't work, chances are the aircraft you're in was assigned the same binding(s).

Edited March 20 by Flappie
Master volume warning added

[Phantom Hornet]

Hello.  I have done everything I can think of and nothing has worked.  Me and my brother tried to play a multiplayer session last night using the voice chat feature and everything we tried failed.  We were able to get as far as having our voice be recognized by the system as evidenced by the Microphone Test bar moving back and forth when we spoke but he could not hear me and I could not hear him.  We were on the same radio frequency as well.

Another detail that may be a possible issue here is that he is able to create a multiplayer server and I can't.  There is something blocking me from being able to create a server that is visible to others in spite of everything I've tried.  Could this be the issue?

The other question is could the ping number have something to do with it?  The ping for his server was 95 - 100.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Sarge55]

Bit late suggestion but just in case you haven't sorted it out.  Have you opened the port(s) in your router?

• For multiplayer game traffic DCS uses both TCP and UDP on port 10308,
• For Voice TCP and UDP on port 10309.

Hope it's resolved.

[TomcatFly]

After last OB update, voice chat is back working perfectly! 

[Chops]

On 4/27/2022 at 8:46 AM, Sarge55 said:

Bit late suggestion but just in case you haven't sorted it out.  Have you opened the port(s) in your router?

• For multiplayer game traffic DCS uses both TCP and UDP on port 10308,
• For Voice TCP and UDP on port 10309.

Hope it's resolved.

Is it really necessary to open TCP and UDP port 10309 on my router for Voice Chat to work?  Do these ports also have to be opened in Windows Firewall?  I can't hear my own voice or receive incoming voices in Voice Chat.

[Flappie]

I believe port 10309 is not used anymore: DCS now uses a unique port for both multiplayer and VoiceChat (default is 10308).

[Chops]

Flappie and I did some testing of Voice Chat.  It did not work in the F/A-18C for either one of us.  We tested it in the F-16 and it did work for me, but not him.  So not sure what the problem is and we are still troubleshooting.   I did not have to open any new ports in my router or firewall.

Edit:  I should clarify that it does work in the F-18 in room mode for both of us, but we could not get it to work in radio mode.  The F-16 worked in both room mode and radio mode for me.

Edited June 11, 2022 by Chops

[Flappie]

Yes, I need to understand why my PTT doesn't work. Later on, I tried the Mi-8: the PTT turned red for a split second, and then nothing more. I'll do some more testing next week.

[Flappie]

Found it: one has to ensure "Radio VOIP" bindings are not already in use in the aircraft, otherwise they won't work.

[Hoirtel]

Apologies if this has been covered already, do the cockpit rX PTT binds in the VOIP controls do the same thing as the module specific VOIP binds? (high fidelity), so when setting this up I can bind the PTTs in module only and don not need the rX ones?

Thanks

[Flappie]

Very interesting question. I've just made a small test and the results are:

1. The "rX" command from the "Radio VOIP" category will only work if it's bound to a key which is not already affected to the aircraft.
2. The aircraft own VOIP command will always work.
3. You can use both commands in the same game session, it will work.

[Hoirtel]

So many binds for radios now I have to swap depending on where I'm flying! I hope in the future the VOIP and in game menus will be distinguished by frequency and not binds. That would be great! Thanks for the testing, I hope the voice chat gets popular as I much prefer this option to external apps.

[Flappie]

39 minutes ago, Hoirtel said:

I hope in the future the VOIP and in game menus will be distinguished by frequency and not binds. That would be great!

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean. Which game menus are you talking about? Please elaborate.

[Hoirtel]

18 hours ago, Flappie said:

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean. Which game menus are you talking about? Please elaborate.

Sorry I mean the Comms menus, atc, tankers, etc etc. I know they are working on this. 

[Flappie]

I think binds will still be needed since many of them (tankers, ATC, ground crew...) can be asked several things, not just once (example : rearm, repair, remove chicks....).

Unless you use Voice Attack, of course.

[Hoirtel]

Yeah, so what I mean is that if say you tune to a tanker, only the menu items for the tanker will appear, if you tune to an ATC only the menu items for that airfield will appear, if you tune to an empty frequency - then its available for voicechat. All on the same bind switching between a PTT for  voice chat and menu calling for others. Sorry this is bit of a thread derail!

Btw the module VoIP binds overriding the general UI VoIP binds makes a lot of sense. Means I can have the added radio bound to where I normally have radio 2 for warbirds etc but when in a an airframe with two radios (usually modern ones) then it gets overridden. 

I do use voice attack for all things I need to request via the keyboard (VR player), including the rearm menu and ready pre-contact. Therefore I have to have this on a single comms bind too, so it does add to the comms button binding struggle. I don't use vaicom anymore, prefer just having VA call keyboard commands.

Edited July 31, 2022 by Hoirtel

[Liyaa]

On 1/29/2022 at 12:53 AM, Flappie said:

Frequently Asked Questions / Troubleshooting

 

"I cannot see the Voice Chat panel."

Ensure the "Voice Chat" option is enabled in the ingame Audio options.

 

"How do I know if a server has Voice Chat enabled?"

Select a server in the multiplayer menu, then search for the "Allow voice chat" line, in the lower right panel listing the server settings.

 

"I can't hear my friends although the radio device turns green"

Ensure your VoiceChat "Master Volume" is different from 0%.

 

"How do I prevent DCS sound volume from dropping when Voice Chat is in use?"

On Windows taskbar, right-click the Speaker icon, open the "Sounds" menu, open the "Communication" tab. Select "Do nothing" and hit "Apply".

 

"How can I tell if my microphone is working or not?"

Open Voice Chat panel, click the Gear icon, and speak into your microphone. If you can see the "Microphone test" cursor moving, your microphone is ready-to-use.

 

"Why doesn't the radio/intercom indicator turn from yellow to red when I press PTT?"

It is important that your "Radio VOIP" bindings are not already assigned to your aircraft. If your PTT binding(s) don't work, chances are the aircraft you're in was assigned the same binding(s).

 

Thank you for sharing the informaton.

[USA_Recon]

we could use some presets for FC3 aircraft

[Flappie]

I updated the Troubleshooting part with a tip for Sonar users who can't hear other players. The trick is to set Headphones to "SteelSeries Sonar - Chat" (instead of "Gaming").

[Flappie]

Another important workaround: if your voice gets distorted or cannot be heard at all, try setting your microphone to 48 000 Hz.

Edited March 20 by Flappie