I have wrestled Icecast version 2.3.2 onto the linux box that hosts my feed(s) and really like how much better it is for me and my listeners.
If the feed is not streaming when you hit it, it plays you the fallback message instead of just bombing out. It also has less latency between when the live audio gets encoded and when it trickles out your speaker, which is important for live scanner feeds like this.
The format of the feed link is different: instead of each feed having its own i.p. port number, it has a memorable name after the fixed port number. So the feed link will always be colostreaming.com:8000/ with the 'mount point' as the feed name after it.
My long-time Fort Lauderdale scanner feed will be /botemixer and my mobile feed on long road trips will be /botemobile . This makes it much easier to remember and to figure out what the feed might be from the name of the mount point.
In the coming weeks, probably after New Years, I will cut over all my feeds to Icecast. They will still stream in mp3 format so you can continue to use WinAmp, VLC, iTunes, or Windows Media Player to listen. I will announce here in writing and in spoken word on each feed in preparation for the cutover.
2009-12-12
2009-11-12
McLean Relay Station gone
The McLean Relay Station is offline, likely permanently. An extended power failure depleted the UPS battery and it did not come back on when power was restored.
While investigating the streams available from Linsday Blanton's RadioReference site, I discovered one each for Fairfax County, MWAA, and Arlington County, all of which were covered by my feed.
So, because it is redundant, has poor scanner receive signal, and is loathed by the site host (dear old Dad) I am pulling it out of service on my next visit.
We thank you for your support.
While investigating the streams available from Linsday Blanton's RadioReference site, I discovered one each for Fairfax County, MWAA, and Arlington County, all of which were covered by my feed.
So, because it is redundant, has poor scanner receive signal, and is loathed by the site host (dear old Dad) I am pulling it out of service on my next visit.
We thank you for your support.
2009-09-01
Bote's Boca Box gone
As promised, Bote's Boca Box streaming Boca Raton, Delray, and Boynton public safety is gone.
It might resurface in a different location if I can find one of interest.
It might resurface in a different location if I can find one of interest.
2009-07-31
Reliable DSL(?)
At the risk of jinxing things, after two weeks it looks like the new DSL circuit is actually reliable!
A thunderstorm rumbled through yesterday and...nothing happened. I couldn't believe it!
I'll keep a weather eye on it, but Bote's Mixer Board should now be solid with Fort Lauderdale area fire radio scanner traffic.
We thank you for your support.
A thunderstorm rumbled through yesterday and...nothing happened. I couldn't believe it!
I'll keep a weather eye on it, but Bote's Mixer Board should now be solid with Fort Lauderdale area fire radio scanner traffic.
We thank you for your support.
2009-07-22
Bote's Mixer Board online
Bote's Mixer Board is back online on the new DSL circuit.
We shall see how long it takes until *THIS* one fails. I see some thunderboomies on the RADAR advancing into Georgia so we might know within 24 hours or so.
Enjoy!
We shall see how long it takes until *THIS* one fails. I see some thunderboomies on the RADAR advancing into Georgia so we might know within 24 hours or so.
Enjoy!
Bote's Mixer Board outage
Bote's Mixer Board serving up Fort Lauderdale area public safety shenanigans is down today and tomorrow because BellSouth DSL is a bunch of incompetent nincompoops.
Because my unreliable DSL line is so unreliable, I put in an order to move it to the other phone pair coming into my place. So they dutifully executed the disconnect order on the old circuit, but there is nothing whatsoever on the new line. No hiss, no battery, no dial tone, no nuttin.
They are rolling a truck tomorrow (Wednesday) between 8 and 4:30 so we shall see if they can get one damned pair of wires to connect between my place and their central office.
Sorry for the outage.
Because my unreliable DSL line is so unreliable, I put in an order to move it to the other phone pair coming into my place. So they dutifully executed the disconnect order on the old circuit, but there is nothing whatsoever on the new line. No hiss, no battery, no dial tone, no nuttin.
They are rolling a truck tomorrow (Wednesday) between 8 and 4:30 so we shall see if they can get one damned pair of wires to connect between my place and their central office.
Sorry for the outage.
2009-06-22
McLean Relay Station testing
I have been testing the rejuvenated McLean Relay Station for the last few days, so far so good computer-wise. The scanner simply will not provide reliable reception here, whether on the tower-mounted antenna nor with the back-of-set antenna sitting in a window. This is still a Bermuda Triangle for RF, unfortunately.
The MRS was catapulted back into the spotlight with coverage of the horrific Metro train wreck in northeast D.C. this evening. It maxed out at 10 listeners for quite some time. I only wish the radio coverage were solid, but the voice frequently breaks up. If I can stick a better 800 MHz antenna on it I will, but that is doubtful.
I put a business-grade router on it, so it should work after I turn my back on it to return home. But with computers you never know.
My thoughts go out to those affected by this train wreck.
The systems that will normally be scanned on the McLean Relay Station include Arlington County fire, MWAA (Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority) fire, Fairfax County fire, and Fairfax County police district 3 (McLean, natch). Special events and incidents might require me to deviate from this list, such as this evening.
Enjoy.
The MRS was catapulted back into the spotlight with coverage of the horrific Metro train wreck in northeast D.C. this evening. It maxed out at 10 listeners for quite some time. I only wish the radio coverage were solid, but the voice frequently breaks up. If I can stick a better 800 MHz antenna on it I will, but that is doubtful.
I put a business-grade router on it, so it should work after I turn my back on it to return home. But with computers you never know.
My thoughts go out to those affected by this train wreck.
The systems that will normally be scanned on the McLean Relay Station include Arlington County fire, MWAA (Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority) fire, Fairfax County fire, and Fairfax County police district 3 (McLean, natch). Special events and incidents might require me to deviate from this list, such as this evening.
Enjoy.
2009-06-12
FtL PD 72 hour test
Fort Lauderdale police are performing an experiment for 72 hours starting at 06:00 this morning (Friday morning). They have eliminated the district 2 central dispatcher and have split the city into two halves, north and south. The dividing line is supposed to be Sunrise Blvd.
So if you hear 100, 200, and 300 series units mixing together, that might explain why.
So if you hear 100, 200, and 300 series units mixing together, that might explain why.
2009-05-14
Bote's Mixer Board more reliable--maybe?
I can't make any promises--BUT--BellSouth.net promised me that my frequent intermittent outages will not recur.
It turns out that when I originally ordered my DSL service I asked for the top tier which, at the time, was 3 Megabits / second. I'm too far from the central office and the cable is so old and crappy that it can't handle that speed, so they backed me down to 1.5Mb service.
The trouble is that the downgraded setting just won't stick. They have a local database at my c.o. with the working profile and the master database up in Atlanta with the original unworkable profile settings. Periodically Atlanta's 800 pound gorilla of a database comes down here and stomps all over the good changes that the techs have made and I wind up back in DSL hell.
At least I know what to look for now, and so do you if you have similar symptoms: brief outages lasting just long enough to resynchronize with the DSLAM (60-90 seconds) typically during thunderstorms. It doesn't affect web pages so much, but streaming media such as your Vonage VoIP phone call or, ohhh say, Internet radio get disconnected. You can log into your DSL modem management screen to see what the downstream line speed is set to.
We shall see how long this latest repair lasts. In the meantime I can't wait for Uverse to roll into my 'hood.
UPDATE 2009.06.12
Nope, the DSL still goes out when the wind blows. I'll have to kick some BellSouth butt here.
It turns out that when I originally ordered my DSL service I asked for the top tier which, at the time, was 3 Megabits / second. I'm too far from the central office and the cable is so old and crappy that it can't handle that speed, so they backed me down to 1.5Mb service.
The trouble is that the downgraded setting just won't stick. They have a local database at my c.o. with the working profile and the master database up in Atlanta with the original unworkable profile settings. Periodically Atlanta's 800 pound gorilla of a database comes down here and stomps all over the good changes that the techs have made and I wind up back in DSL hell.
At least I know what to look for now, and so do you if you have similar symptoms: brief outages lasting just long enough to resynchronize with the DSLAM (60-90 seconds) typically during thunderstorms. It doesn't affect web pages so much, but streaming media such as your Vonage VoIP phone call or, ohhh say, Internet radio get disconnected. You can log into your DSL modem management screen to see what the downstream line speed is set to.
We shall see how long this latest repair lasts. In the meantime I can't wait for Uverse to roll into my 'hood.
UPDATE 2009.06.12
Nope, the DSL still goes out when the wind blows. I'll have to kick some BellSouth butt here.
2009-04-28
Fleet Week in Likkerdale
Fleet Week has arrived in Fort Lauderdale and so have the Navy vessels carrying their payloads of sailors drooling for shore leave.
I will determine the best talkgroups to open up to enjoy the festivities. They usually set up a cooperative "shuttle" service between the armed services and the police to get the soused mariners back to their vessels, so expect some interesting traffic from that.
I will determine the best talkgroups to open up to enjoy the festivities. They usually set up a cooperative "shuttle" service between the armed services and the police to get the soused mariners back to their vessels, so expect some interesting traffic from that.
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