In-game Radio

Using The In-game Radio

The in-game radio is the player-facing Spartan Radio interface inside FiveM. It is used to select a codeplug, power the radio, move between zones and channels, transmit with push-to-talk, monitor scanned channels, trigger emergency mode, and view current listeners.

The radio layout changes based on the radio model selected by the server or RMS codeplug. On foot, players normally see a handheld radio. When the player is the driver of a supported emergency, boat, helicopter, or aircraft vehicle, the interface can switch to a mobile radio.

Before You Start

Make sure the server has already started the Spartan Radio resource and that the community profile is saved in RMS. Players need an allowed codeplug with zones and channels, unless the POC has enabled codeplug bypass.

Depending on the server configuration, radio access may require one of the following:

• A radio item in inventory.
• A job or department permission.
• An ACE permission.
• A specific codeplug permission.

If the radio opens but says there is no valid codeplug, select a codeplug or ask a server administrator to confirm your department profile is configured in RMS.

Default Controls

These are the default keybinds from the resource config. Players can change them in FiveM keybind settings.

Additional keybinds are available but are unbound by default, including power toggle, zone up/down, channel up/down, volume up/down, control lock, and programmable button 1 through 5.

Quick Start

1. Press F7 to show the radio.
2. Press F10 to focus the radio if you want to click its buttons.
3. Select a codeplug if your server requires one.
4. Press the power button or use /radio on.
5. Select the correct zone and channel.
6. Hold F3 to transmit.
7. Release F3 when you are done talking.
8. Press ESC to close radio focus.

Showing, Focusing, And Moving The Radio

Showing the radio and focusing the radio are different actions.

In move mode, drag the radio to reposition it and use the mouse wheel to resize it. Press ESC to save the placement.

While the radio is focused or in move mode, the resource blocks firing and some combat controls so you do not accidentally shoot while clicking the radio.

Power And Codeplugs

A codeplug is the radio profile that decides which zones and channels your radio can use. Most communities create separate codeplugs for departments, such as law enforcement, fire, EMS, command, or interop.

Use one of these commands to select a codeplug:

/radio codeplug LSPD
/radio cp SAFR
/radio checkout Command
/setRadioCodeplug SAFR

You can also use /radiomenu or /spartanradio_menu if the server has ox_lib running. The menu includes Select Codeplug, power, zone, channel, listeners, UI movement, panic, and refresh actions.

Once a codeplug is selected, power the radio with one of these methods:

• Click the radio power button.
• Use /radio on.
• Use /radio off to power down.
• Bind Spartan Radio: Power Toggle in FiveM keybind settings.

If only one codeplug is available, powering on may automatically load the first available codeplug.

Codeplug Bypass

Some release 3.1.2 and newer server configurations can enable codeplug bypass. When enabled, players can access the radio without selecting a codeplug first.

If your community uses department-specific channel banks, radio models, or strict permissions, administrators should keep normal codeplug selection enabled.

Handheld And Mobile Radios

Handheld radios are used when you are on foot, riding as a passenger, or driving a normal unsupported vehicle.

Mobile radios are used when the resource detects that you are the driver of a supported vehicle type, including emergency vehicles, boats, helicopters, and aircraft. Mobile radios can use a different skin from handheld radios, especially when RMS codeplugs override the default radio model.

Compact Top View

APX8000, APX7000, and APX8000-HXE support a compact top display. Use /radio top on to request it or /radio top off to return to the server's automatic setting. /radio top toggles the request. If you forced top view on, run /radio top off, then press F10 for full controls. Top view is not available on every radio model.

Radio Display And Icons

The radio screen shows the current operating state.

The LEDs also communicate state. A red TX light means you are transmitting. A receive light means another radio is active. A green or flashing scan light means scan behavior is active.

Physical Radio Buttons

When the radio has focus, you can click the on-screen radio buttons.

Soft-key Menu

Press the radio Menu button to open the soft-key controls at the bottom of the display. Use the left and right directional buttons to switch pages.

When a list is open, the soft keys change:

Zones And Channels

Zones group channels into banks. Channels are the talkgroups or conventional channels you actually use for radio traffic.

You can change zones and channels in several ways:

• Use the channel up/down buttons to change channels.
• Use directional up/down to change zones when no list is open.
• Open Zone from the soft-key menu and select a zone.
• Open Chan from the soft-key menu and select a channel.
• Use /radio zone [zone].
• Use /radio channel [channel] or /radio talkgroup [channel].

The command value can be an index number, ID, TGID, or exact name depending on what you are selecting.

Examples:

/radio zone 2
/radio channel 1001
/radio talkgroup FIRE TAC-1

Push To Talk

Hold F3 to transmit on your selected channel. Release it to stop transmitting.

When PTT starts, the radio plays a transmit tone and shows transmit state. When you release, the resource waits briefly before ending the transmission so audio does not cut off unnaturally.

PTT can be denied if:

• The radio is powered off.
• No codeplug or channel is selected.
• The radio is out of range.
• The radio is inhibited or stunned by dispatch.
• The player is fully submerged underwater.
• The PTT spam or hot-mic protection is active.

The default hot-mic auto cutoff is 45 seconds. If a transmission runs too long, the server can force release PTT and notify the player.

Volume And Mute

Radio receive volume uses a 0 to 15 scale.

Ways to change volume:

• Click volume up/down.
• Hold volume up/down to repeat.
• Use /radio volume [0-15].
• Use the Mute soft key to set volume to 0.

If volume down goes below 0, the radio powers off. If you are muted or at volume 0, you may still be connected to the channel, but you will not hear received radio audio.

Scanning Channels

Scanning lets you monitor channels without leaving your selected transmit channel.

Use scanning when you need to hear a secondary dispatch, tac, or interop channel while staying parked on your main channel.

To scan the current channel:

1. Select the channel you want to monitor.
2. Open the soft-key menu.
3. Press Scan.

You can also use:

/radio scan

To manage the scan list:

1. Open the soft-key menu.
2. Press ScnL.
3. Highlight a channel.
4. Press Sel to add or remove it.
5. Press Rem to remove an entry.
6. Press Exit when finished.

The scan icon appears when the current channel is scanned. It flashes when scan traffic is being received.

Listener Panel

The listener panel shows who is on the current channel and whether anyone is talking.

Use:

/togglelisteners
/radio togglelisteners

You can also print the current channel listeners as a notification:

/radio listeners

The listener panel remembers whether it was shown or hidden independently of the radio frame. Use /movelisteners or /radio movelisteners, drag the panel, and press Escape to save its position.

Emergency Mode

Emergency mode is used for panic or officer/firefighter down workflows.

With the default hold setting, hold F9 or the on-screen emergency button for 2 seconds. Releasing early cancels activation. If your POC disables the hold setting, a press activates immediately.

/radio panic and the menu panic action prompt you to use the hold control when hold is enabled; they do not bypass it. They can clear an existing panic.

When emergency mode starts, the radio sends an emergency event, plays the emergency tone, displays Emergency, and briefly hot-mics the radio so nearby units and dispatch can hear the emergency. The default emergency hot-mic time is 8 seconds. The default panic cooldown is at least 30 seconds.

Press the emergency button again, or use /radio clearpanic, to clear your emergency state.

GPS From Radio Traffic

The GPS soft key can route you to a recent radio target when the radio can resolve that target to an active player.

This is most useful after:

• A recent transmission from another radio.
• An incoming emergency alert.
• A dispatcher or unit event that provides a radio ID.

If the radio cannot resolve the target, it will notify you that GPS is unavailable.

Radio Map Blips

If enabled by the server, powered radios with valid codeplugs appear as map blips. Blips can change color by codeplug and can use a transmit color while a unit is talking.

Some servers may show only users on the same codeplug, or show blips only while you are in a vehicle. If you do not see radio blips, the feature may be disabled or restricted by server configuration.

Signal, Towers, And Range

If tower signal simulation is enabled, the RSSI bars reflect your distance from configured radio towers.

When out of range, the radio cannot transmit or receive normally. Move closer to a tower coverage area or contact staff if the map appears to have missing tower coverage.

The radio is also disabled while fully submerged underwater.

Battery Simulation

If battery simulation is enabled, handheld radios lose charge over time. Mobile radios can recharge while powered on in supported vehicles.

At very low battery, the radio can flash a critical battery indicator and play warning tones. At 0%, the radio powers off until recharged.

Servers may allow:

/radio recharge

Proximity Audio Broadcasting

If Proximity Audio Broadcasting is enabled, received radio audio can be heard by nearby players around your character, similar to audio coming from a real speaker or shoulder mic.

You can locally disable or re-enable PAB with:

/radio pab disable
/radio pab enable

A configured earpiece or clothing rule may also mute your proximity broadcast while worn.

If native voice on PTT is enabled by the server, keying the Spartan Radio PTT can also key local FiveM voice while you transmit.

Audio Input Selection

With ox_lib running, the radio menu includes Microphone Input. Use it when the radio is hearing the wrong microphone, a virtual cable, or no input at all.

1. Open /radiomenu or /spartanradio_menu.
2. Open the audio input option.
3. Select the microphone or input device you want the radio to use.
4. Test PTT on a non-critical channel.

Callsigns And Radio IDs

By default, the radio ID is based on the player's server ID. For example, server ID 42 becomes radio ID 25042.

If callsigns are enabled by the server, a player may be able to set one with:

/radio callsign 1A12

Some server configurations can also set a callsign or radio ID from another trusted resource.

Animation Styles

If radio animations are enabled, players can choose between available transmit animations:

/radio anim 1
/radio anim 2
/radio anim 3

Style 1 uses a standard radio chatter animation. Style 2 uses a chest mic animation. Style 3 uses a handheld radio prop animation.

Your selection is saved locally. If your POC configured clothing-based animation styles, matching gear can temporarily override it.

Simplex / Duplex Patching

On a channel configured in RMS for Simplex / Duplex (Patching), use /patch or /radio patch to toggle your radio's mode. The radio must be usable and on an eligible channel; the POC may also require patch permission. This toggles your radio's duplex permission on its current eligible channel. It does not join multiple channels or change every unit's mode. Follow your community's dispatch procedures.

To create a patch connecting several channels, use the Dispatch Console.

Command Reference

Optional Keybind Actions

These actions can be bound in FiveM keybind settings if your community wants faster radio control.

Troubleshooting

Recommended Player Flow

1. Show the radio with F7.
2. Select your department codeplug.
3. Power the radio on.
4. Choose the correct zone and dispatch channel.
5. Set volume to a comfortable level.
6. Add secondary channels to scan only when needed.
7. Use PTT for normal traffic.
8. Use emergency mode only when policy allows it.
9. Hide or move the UI once it is set up.