Play a stored voice-keyer slot¶
Use the Digital Voice Keyer panel to transmit a stored recording on-air. Triggering a slot keys the radio and plays the audio through the selected transmit slice.
Before you start¶
- AetherSDR must be connected to the radio. The DVK panel requires an active radio connection.
- The target slot must contain a recording. Slots showing "Empty" in the duration label cannot be played.
- The radio must be in a voice mode (SSB, AM, FM) for the DVK panel to appear in the main window.
Steps¶
- Locate the Digital Voice Keyer panel in the main window central area.
- Identify the slot you want to play. Check that its duration label shows a time value, not "Empty".
- Click the slot's row to select it. The selected row highlights with the accent color.
- Play the slot using one of these methods:
- Click the ▶ PLAY button to play the currently selected slot.
- Click the slot's F1 through F8 button directly to select and play that slot in one action.
- Press the corresponding F-key on your keyboard (F1–F8) to select and play that slot.
- The slot's progress bar appears and advances during playback. The status indicator changes from "Idle" to "Playing". The active slot's F-key button highlights.
- Playback stops automatically when the recording ends. To stop early, click ■ STOP or press Escape.
What each control does¶
| Control | Behavior | Default |
|---|---|---|
| F1 … F8 slot buttons | Selects and plays that slot; if the slot is already playing, clicking again stops it. Right-click to rename or upload a WAV. | — |
| Slot name labels | Shows the name of each slot. | Recording <n> |
| Slot duration labels | Displays the recording length or "Empty" if the slot has no content. | Empty |
| Slot progress bars | Shows live playback or recording progress. | Hidden |
| ▶ PLAY | Plays the selected slot. Has no effect if the slot is empty. | — |
| ■ STOP | Stops recording or playback. | — |
| ◀ PREV | Previews the slot through the local speaker without transmitting. | — |
| ● REC | Starts recording into the selected slot. | — |
| Rename edit | Inline text field for renaming a slot, triggered via right-click context menu. | — |
Status indicator¶
The panel shows a status label that changes based on current activity:
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Status: Idle | No recording or playback in progress. |
| Status: Recording | A slot is actively recording. |
| Status: Playing | A slot is actively playing. |
| Status: |
The radio rejected a recording command (e.g., the radio was not in a mode that supports recording). The verb indicates the attempted action (e.g., "rec_start"), and the message explains the failure. The status reverts to Idle after a moment. |
Tips¶
- Clicking an F1–F8 button while that slot is already playing stops playback rather than restarting it.
- Pressing the matching F-key on your keyboard is equivalent to clicking the on-screen F1–F8 button. F1 through F8 are supported.
- To hear a slot through your local speaker without transmitting, use ◀ PREV instead of ▶ PLAY.
- Keyboard shortcuts (F1–F8 and Escape) remain active even when the DVK panel is hidden, provided the active slice is in a voice mode (SSB, AM, FM). When the active slice switches to CW mode, the CWX panel's F-key shortcuts become active instead. This ensures no shortcut conflicts occur.
- If you switch to the CWX panel while the DVK panel is still visible, the DVK shortcuts remain active only if the slice is in a voice mode. The CWX panel takes over F-key shortcuts when the slice switches to CW mode.
- The panel uses the current visual theme for colors, including slot borders, text, and the accent color for selected items.
Troubleshooting¶
- ▶ PLAY does nothing — The selected slot is empty. The duration label will read "Empty". Record audio or upload a WAV file into the slot first.
- F-key press has no effect — The DVK panel shortcuts are enabled based on the active slice's mode, not panel visibility. Make sure the active slice is in a voice mode (SSB, AM, FM). If the slice is in CW mode, the CWX panel's shortcuts take priority.
- Keyboard shortcuts work unexpectedly — If the DVK panel and CWX panel are both visible, only the shortcuts for the mode of the active slice are active. Shortcuts from the other panel are disabled.
- ● REC button appears to activate but recording does not start — The radio may have rejected the recording command. The status label briefly shows a failure message explaining the reason (e.g., the radio was not in a voice mode). The button returns to its normal state automatically.