Using your existing radios
Keep your existing radios in the conversation
Replacing a working radio fleet on day one is rarely necessary. A Zello radio gateway connects selected traditional radio systems with your Zello users.
Short answer
Can this connect to the radios we already own?
In many cases, yes. A Zello radio gateway bridges selected analog or DMR radio systems to Zello users on radios, phones and PCs, so a facility radio fleet and a wide-area Zello fleet share a talk path. The gateway capability is included in Managed Zello Core and Plus. Gateway hardware and compatibility are assessed per site before we commit to a design.
How it works
One talk path, two radio worlds
A gateway sits between the radio system you already run and Zello, passing voice in both directions on the channels you choose. A crew still carrying old handhelds and a crew on Zello radios or phones end up hearing each other, without either group changing how they work. Which channels get bridged is a design decision rather than a blanket link: most operations bridge one or two shared channels and leave the rest separate, so the old system does not fill up with traffic that does not concern it. Some customers keep the bridge permanently because the existing fleet still does its job well. Others use it to move across in stages, then drop the bridge once everyone has migrated.
Gateway hardware
A gateway is connected to your existing radio, repeater or console and set up for the channels you want bridged. Hardware is scoped per site.
Connecting to Zello
Voice is carried over IP between the gateway and Zello, so remote users on radios, phones and PCs join the same conversation.
Selective bridging
Only the channels you nominate are bridged. Local-only traffic stays local, so the wide-area fleet is not flooded.
Where it helps
Common setups with existing radios
These are the patterns customers ask for most often.
Facility radio users talking with regional and mobile Zello users
Extending your existing radio system to remote and traveling teams
Connecting operations that run across several sites
Connecting to an existing dispatch desk
Phasing a migration rather than replacing every radio at once
Keeping a licensed system for local use while adding wide-area coverage
Interoperability options are available for selected existing radio environments. Compatibility is not guaranteed for every analog or DMR system and is confirmed against your specific equipment, licensing and site conditions before deployment.
Questions
Questions about existing radios
What customers ask before bridging a system.
Will it work with our radios?
It depends on the system. We review the make, model, licensing and how the existing system is configured before proposing a gateway. Some systems bridge cleanly, others do not.
Do we have to replace our existing radios?
No. The point of a gateway is to keep the existing system in service while extending it to your Zello users on radios, phones and PCs.
Can we bridge only some channels?
Yes. Bridging is selective, so local-only traffic stays on the local system and only the nominated channels cross over.
Is there a delay on bridged audio?
There is a small amount of latency introduced by the gateway and the network path. It is normally acceptable for coordination traffic, and we would discuss it if your use case is latency sensitive.
What information do you need from us to answer this properly?
What you run today: make, model, whether it is analog or digital, how it is licensed, and roughly how many radios are in service. With that we can tell you whether bridging is practical for your setup before anyone commits to anything.
Does everyone end up on the same channels?
That is the aim. A gateway passes voice both ways between selected channels on your existing system and your Zello channels, so a crew on old handhelds and a crew on Zello can hear each other. Which channels are bridged is a design decision we make with you.
Is this a permanent arrangement or a stepping stone?
Both work. Some customers bridge permanently because the existing system does a job well and there is no reason to retire it. Others use it to move across in stages, keeping the old fleet running while new radios are rolled out, then dropping the bridge once everyone has moved.
Related
What connects to your existing radios
Once your existing system is bridged, the new units on the Zello side are typically the Telox TE320 for crews in the field and the Inrico T640A for everyone else, all reachable from a Zello Dispatch Hub seat. The full range is in the online store, and Managed Zello explains what every plan includes.
The most common question we hear, “do we have to replace our existing radios?”, is answered on the FAQs. If your old system was Nextel Direct Connect, what happened to Nextel explains where that capability went and how it comes back.
Get started
Send us your radio inventory
Tell us what you run today. Make, model and how it is licensed. We will tell you honestly whether bridging is practical.