BluComm Radio

The BluComm Radio is a closed beta radio network.

Radio Setup

Follow these steps to start using the radio in "full mode", e.g. permanently attached.

1. Wear (Add) the radio and position it if necessary. Unless you have configured this copy before, your radio will only be tuned into the local common channel.
2. Open the menu by clicking the radio or typing /2m in chat. (If you've changed the Input Chan, replace 2 with the channel you set before.)
3. Set your channels. For each channel you want active, click the appropriate "Set" button, and then:
   1. For BluComm channels, select the channel you want to use (you may have to use the More -> button to find it).
   2. For local/TPR channels, select Local/TPR, enter the channel name, and then the password.
4. Set your callsign by opening the menu and clicking Callsign. You only have to set it once, even if you wear a different radio. Keep in mind that other users can see your username, so spoofing someone else is ill-advised.
5. If you want to change the chat channel you use to enter commands into the radio (by default it is 2, e.g. /2 hello), open the menu and select Input Chan. This is useful if you have another object that uses channel 2.
6. If you want to configure the radio further (texture, backlight, volume), open the menu and select Configure.

Radio Operation

Once you've set up your radio, or you've taken a copy from a Distributor, using your radio is simple. Make sure you've set your callsign before you use your radio!

Talking

Talking over your radio is done using local chat. These instructions assume you've left the input chan as 2; if you changed it, simply replace 2 with the channel that you used.

To send a message over your radio, type the following into your local chat bar, with <message> replaced with your message:

• Primary Channel: /2 <message> or /2p <message>
• Secondary Channel: /2s <message>
• Emergency Channel: /2e <message>
• Local Common Channel: /2c <message> (note that this will send a message to all radios in the region, so use it sparingly)

Radio Statuses

The radio shows channel and callsign information in the menu, but it also displays basic information on the radio's physical display.

The radio's display has two modes: Tx/Rx and standby. In Tx/Rx, it shows either a Tx (Transmit) or Rx (Receive) indicator (as well as lighting the indicator light on top of the unit either Amber or Green, respectively), and shows the channel name used on the dot matrix display.

In standby mode, the second character is :, e.g. X:12EC. The characters indicate the following conditions:

1. Status indicated by one of the following characters:
   1. X indicates normal operation in "full mode". The radio is fully unlocked and can be configured by the user.
   2. L indicates locked operation in "temp mode". The radio is locked to preconfigured settings, but is working normally.
   3. R indicates that the radio is reconnecting to the server. This is done after attaching the radio or changing regions (teleport, sim crossing, etc.)
   4. T indicates that the radio is disabled because it is waiting to be attached (sitting in a Distributor).
2. : character to indicate the standby display mode.
3. 1 indicates that a primary channel is set and connected.
4. 2 indicates that a secondary channel is set and connected.
5. E indicates that an emergency channel is set and connected.
6. C indicates that the local common channel is set and connected. This should always be shown if the radio is operating normally.

/ Commands

/ commands are commands that you can send over BluComm channels to perform certain actions. The following commands can be used by anyone:

• /me - The same thing that it does in local chat. Note that this is the only command which works on local/TPR channels.
• /msg <username> <message> - Sends a private message to a specific username on that channel. If the username doesn't exist, this will fail silently. You must use /msg for every message - it does not start a separate chat.
• /info - Returns some general information about the channel.
• /users - Returns a list of users connected to the channel. Operators may want to run /purge to check user connections first and clear out any lost connections.
• /ison <username> - Checks to see if a user is connected to the channel. This will also check the user's connection first, so it's slightly more reliable than /users without /purge.

The following commands can only be used by operators:

• /add <username> - Adds a user to the channel by their username. This will only work for standalone channels; for channels created under an ICE group, users must be added through the ICE web interface.
• /kick <username> - Removes a user from the channel by their username. Like /add, this will only work for standalone channels.
• /purge - Checks user connections individually for a channel, which clears out any lost connections. This may take some time. Due to the nature of the BluComm Radio system, user connections sometimes persist. Although this has no effect on message transmission, /users may sometimes list users who have since disconnected unless this command is run first. Because it takes time and may slow down the channel in the meantime, it is limited to operators only.

The following commands can only be used by the channel owner:

• /op <username> - Designates a user with channel operator status.
• /deop <username> - Removes operator status from a username.

Some examples, including the input channel:
/2 /me says hello

• will output something like [NET:CHAN (Primary) - user.name]: Callsign says hello

/2s /add nelson.jenkins

• will add nelson.jenkins to the secondary channel, if it's a standalone channel

/2 /deop ac14.hutson

• will set ac14.hutson as a regular user

Channel Setup

Depending on your needs, setting up a radio channel requires different sets of instructions.

BluComm (Gridwide) Channel

BluComm channels are gridwide and feature full access control and / command interpretation. They are secure and moderated, much like an IRC chat room. Additionally, when selecting a channel from the menu, users are presented with a list of BluComm channels that they are a part of.

However, BluComm channels require setup before they can be used. If you have an ICE/BluComm subscription, refer to the BluComm help guide for information on how to create a radio channel for an ICE group. If you do not have an ICE/BluComm subscription, you can create channels manually (if you have purchased the BluComm Radio package):

1. Visit the BluComm site and log in using your NTBIGroup account. If you do not have an NTBIGroup account or you don't remember your password, visit a terminal in-world.
2. If you have access to BluComm as an administrator, you can create a BluComm channel for a specific ICE group, and you should stop following these instructions. However, if you don't have administrator access (or any access at all), or you just like to complicate things, you can still create channels by clicking the link at the bottom that says "To manage standalone BluComm Radio channels, click here."
3. You should now be presented with a list of channels that you have access to. In the future, you can select a channel to perform moderation actions on it or listen in through your browser. However, to create a channel, click the "Create New" button at the bottom.
4. BluComm channels are made up of two segments of 2-5 uppercase characters: the network and the channel, separated by a :. For example, NTBI:TEST would be a valid network & channel combination. Each account may only have one network, so choose wisely. A network is generally a city or group name, while channels are individual departments or agencies. You can change your network name later, but you will lose all of its channels and will have to start over.
5. If you haven't created a network yet, you'll be prompted to pick a name. Enter 2-5 uppercase characters (A-Z and 0-9 only). Your network name must be unique; a.k.a. it cannot be named the same as any other network in the BluComm system.
6. Now, enter your channel name. Enter 2-5 uppercase characters (A-Z and 0-9 only). Your channel name must be unique to your network only - other networks don't matter here.
7. When you're done, you'll be added as the owner, and shown the channel information page. You can add users, view channel information, "op" users (make them "operators", a.k.a. channel moderators), and if anyone is talking on that channel, watch a live feed of it. This is a powerful page - use it wisely.
8. You can now add users to the channel, or come back later to do it. The channel is now "active" and can be used.

Once you've completed the above steps, your channel is ready for use.

Local/TPR Channel

Local/TPR channels are "ad-hoc", and are compatible with Tredpro Radios. They are composed of a channel name (any length) and a password (generally a 2-digit number due to the older Tredpro Radio format, but can be any length). Keep in mind, these channels have the following drawbacks:

• They are limited to the region you are in.
• They are actually less secure than using the older Tredpro Radios, because the channel name and password are known by and displayed to the user in the menu.
• Anyone can join them (if they have the correct name & password) and cannot be removed.
• They do not support any / command interpretation, except for /me.
• They must be joined manually (unless set up in a Distributor); they are not listed in the channel selection menu.

There is no specific setup process for a local/TPR channel; they are "created" whenever someone uses them by setting their radio channel.

Updates & Release Notes

You can update your BluComm Radio by rezzing the Update Box.

• v1.0
  • Primary public release.