[2] Unlike manual push-to-talk (PTT) operation, VOX is automatic; the user can keep his or her hands free while talking.
Transmitters and recorders have short but finite activation times that may clip the beginnings of phrases.
Some modern VOX circuits eliminate this problem by recording or transmitting a delayed version of the input signal.
An older way of overcoming this, used by pilots, and astronauts, as some of the first users of VOX, was to habitually preface every transmission with "uh" in place of keying the microphone.
VOX uses a "hang" timer, typically 1–3 seconds, to remain engaged during brief speech pauses.