Quick Start Guide
Make your first call in under 5 minutes. This guide covers the essentials to get you communicating with other controllers.
The Three Click Actions
Before anything else, learn these three ways to communicate:
| Action | Click | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| CALL | Left Click | Standard two-way call - recipient must accept |
| OVERRIDE | Shift + Click | Immediate connection - use for urgent messages |
| MONITOR | Ctrl + Click | Silent listening - they can't hear you |
Remember These!
These click combinations work on any channel button in the grid. Hover over a channel to see the tooltip reminder.
These click combinations work on any channel button in the grid. Hover over a channel to see the tooltip reminder.
Step 1: Making Your First Call
- Find an online channel - Look for a channel with a green dot and colored border (indicating someone is logged in)
- Click the channel - Left-click to initiate a standard call
- Wait for them to answer - You'll hear a dialing tone (every 5 seconds)
- Talk! - Once they accept, speak normally
Step 2: Receiving Calls
When someone calls you:
- You'll hear an incoming call alert
- The call appears in the Pending Calls panel on the right
- Click Accept to answer, or Reject to decline
Ring Countdown
Calls ring for a limited time (default: 30 seconds). If you don't answer, the call ends automatically.
Calls ring for a limited time (default: 30 seconds). If you don't answer, the call ends automatically.
Step 3: Ending Calls
To end an active call, click the red End Call button in the Active Call panel.
Step 4: Using Override
Override is for urgent situations where you need immediate communication:
- Shift + Click on the target channel
- Connection is immediate - no waiting for acceptance
- Both parties can speak and hear each other
- Target sees an "OVERRIDE" notification
Use Override Sparingly
Override interrupts the target controller immediately. Reserve it for time-critical coordination like traffic conflicts.
Override interrupts the target controller immediately. Reserve it for time-critical coordination like traffic conflicts.
Step 5: Using Monitor
Monitor lets you listen silently to check if a controller is busy:
- Ctrl + Click on the target channel
- You can hear them, but your microphone is muted
- Target sees a "MONITOR" notification
- Useful before calling to avoid interrupting radio transmissions
Quick Reference
| I want to... | Do this... |
|---|---|
| Call someone | Click their channel button |
| Answer a call | Click Accept in Pending Calls |
| End a call | Click red End Call button |
| Override someone | Shift + Click their channel |
| Monitor someone | Ctrl + Click their channel |
| Put call on hold | Click Hold button in Active Call |
| Transfer a call | Click Transfer button, select destination |
| Change audio settings | Click gear icon in control panel |
Understanding the Interface
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Pin] [Dialer] Title Bar [_][X] │
├────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────┤
│ PAGE NAME 1/3 │ Active Call │
│ ┌─────┐┌─────┐┌─────┐┌─────┐│ │
│ │ CH1 ││ CH2 ││ CH3 ││ CH4 ││ ABQ_TWR 0:42 │
│ └─────┘└─────┘└─────┘└─────┘│ [Hold] [End] │
│ ┌─────┐┌─────┐┌─────┐┌─────┐├───────────────────┤
│ │ CH5 ││ CH6 ││ CH7 ││ CH8 ││ Pending Calls │
│ └─────┘└─────┘└─────┘└─────┘│ │
│ ┌─────┐┌─────┐┌─────┐┌─────┐│ TUS_TWR CALL │
│ │ CH9 ││CH10││CH11││CH12││ [Accept][Reject] │
│ └─────┘└─────┘└─────┘└─────┘│ │
├────────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────┤
│ [🎤] ════════ [⚙] ● PHX_GND (You) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│ Facility Grid (4x3) │ Call Panels │
│ Click = Call │ Shows active & │
│ Shift+Click = Override │ pending calls │
│ Ctrl+Click = Monitor │ │
└───────────────────────────┴───────────────────┘
Next Steps
You now know the basics! Explore these pages for more details:
- The Main Window - Detailed interface documentation
- Making & Receiving Calls - Complete call workflow
- Transfers & Conferences - Multi-party coordination
- Settings - Audio configuration and preferences