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Post by jimhenry2000 on Dec 23, 2016 7:40:58 GMT
Hey I'm a total newbie here, just getting started, and would like to ask some questions. My apologies if these have already been asked and answered, but I HAVE spent the last two weeks reading the messages. I have an AMT-5000 on order but have not received it yet.
Here goes:
1) What is the typical range on the AM BCB you are experiencing?
2) I've set up ZaraRadio for my playlists but what are others using?
3) Suggestions on software/providers for simulcasting or streaming your content on the Internet in parallel to what you put on the air?
4) Any opinions on the ISOTRON AMB-200 AM ANTENNA?
Thanks very much.
Jim
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 13:08:11 GMT
Questions of jimhenry2000
1) What is the typical range on the AM BCB you are experiencing?
2) I've set up ZaraRadio for my playlists but what are others using?
3) Suggestions on software/providers for simulcasting or streaming your content on the Internet in parallel to what you put on the air?
4) Any opinions on the ISOTRON AMB-200 AM ANTENNA?
Thanks very much.
Answers from Carl Blare
1) About 1,000-feet using an AMT5000 and what I call a "Wintenna" (Window Antenna). Brief Description: The transmitter is located indoors on a planter shelf mounted at the windowsill of a rear kitchen window. The antenna wire reaches underneath the closed window and is attached by self-tapping screw to aluminum outer window frame at the lowest center point. Outside at the top of the metal window-frame a self-tapping screw attaches an additional length of wire from the top-center straight up to the overhang of the one-story roof. A ground wire from the transmitter runs straight downward and enters a drilled hole to a point underneath the flooring which sets over earth (part of the kitchen is extended out beyond the basement foundation). Under the flooring two radial wires are bonded to the ground wire and extend north and south... The north end enters the building and runs along the I-beam to the front of the building (along the basement ceiling); the northern pointing radial wire extends an equal distance under the soil into the back yard. Total length of the ground-lead/antenna above the floor is about 3-meters. COMMENT: it is understood that a ground mounted vertical antenna away from the building would provide better range;
2) Zara V 1.6.2 output is fed to a Line-In Plugin in a Winamp Playlist which enables using DSP Plugins (unique to Winammp) including StereoTool (audio processor), Shoutcast & Icecast Encoders and others. Direct Audio Output from Winamp to several part 15 transmitters. I've skimmed over this description because I believe you should start with a simpler setup to become familiar with the software, although I will publish full details if asked;
3) There is an open-source (free) stream encoder named BUTT which makes a great stream software, later you might explore Icecast (free). Although Shoutcast Version 1 streaming software is available through some of us, it is no longer supported;
4) ISOTRON AMB-200 AM Antenna has been often written about in these forums but I have yet to see that anyone has used and reported on one for part 15 application.
Hope you find some useful ideas in this presentation.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 14:08:16 GMT
Further Notes About Streaming
When KDX began experimenting with streaming way back in 2007 we ran into a confusing roadblock that catches a lot of newbies... the matter of Port Forwarding.
Audio streaming consists of several components... the encoder which converts digital audio into a stream format; the server software that assigns all the values of the stream itself and places the server online; and an "open road" in and out of the host computer through designated "ports".
Ports are managed in Firewall Software and Router Settings.
This is not a full tutorial on the subject, merely a "heads up" to be aware of the dimension known as "port forwarding".
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Dec 23, 2016 14:26:49 GMT
Hey I'm a total newbie here, just getting started, and would like to ask some questions. My apologies if these have already been asked and answered, but I HAVE spent the last two weeks reading the messages. I have an AMT-5000 on order but have not received it yet. Here goes: 1) What is the typical range on the AM BCB you are experiencing? 2) I've set up ZaraRadio for my playlists but what are others using? 3) Suggestions on software/providers for simulcasting or streaming your content on the Internet in parallel to what you put on the air? 4) Any opinions on the ISOTRON AMB-200 AM ANTENNA? Thanks very much. Jim Good Morning Jim, Welcome. 1) My typical range is about 1 to 1.5 miles (car radio). I am using a Rangemaster 1000 at 15 feet above ground. 2) ZaraRadio at home but I use RadioBoss for our college Low Power FM Station. (Licensed - WLSL-LP) 3) RadioBoss accommodates streaming. 4) This is an opinion: Save your money on the Isotron. A ground mounted home constructed vertical with radials has proven itself with Sstran and other like transmitters mounted in a weather-proof box at the base of the antenna. Regards, John |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 15:28:02 GMT
1. Your range for the AMT5000 is going to depend on a number of factors, the most important being your ground, but also things such as being outside in the open, sensitivity of the receiver at the other end, as well as the receiving antenna, etc. Car radios are usually used to report maximum ranges, but if most of your audience is listening in on home radios, your range is going to be a lot less (due to their lower sensitivity). Typically, I've gotten everything from under 1/8 mile (car radio) from a Talking House with the wire antenna indoors, to well over a mile (again, car radio) with a Rangemaster mounted a few feet above the ground in a river valley flood plain.
Currently I'm using a ProCaster mounted in my garage with a very poor ground for AM (I'm the only intended listener) and my range is very poor - to the end of the block (a few hundred feet) with a car radio. I'm using a Landmark FM-350, which is Part 15 certified, mounted in a window sill indoors on the first floor of my townhouse, for FM and I get maybe 100-150 meters consistently (sometimes 200 meters in certain directions) to a car radio - again, I'm the only intended listener.
2. Zara Radio 1.4.4 (so that I can use audio processing plugins) for AM. This version won't run on Vista & above (at least, I couldn't get it to run), so I also run 1.6.2 on my FM computer under Vista.
3. Standalone Edcast to generate the stream, IceCast to distribute it and Virtual Audio Cable (the paid version) to hook things together with Zara. You're also going to need a good router if you're streaming from your own server. As Carl states, you'll need to Port Forward to the computer hosting your stream, and I've found that you also should have the capability of blocking IP's & ranges of IP's at the router end to discourage spammers & hackers (not all routers, particularly consumer ones, can do that). IP blocking can be accomplished with firewall software on your streaming server, but you probably want to minimize the CPU load on any automation computer (and firewalls take a lot of cycles).
To illustrate the latter point, a year or so ago I woke up and discovered that over the period of 24 hours I had had thousands of attempted listener connections to my stream. A bit different than the usual 30-50 that I usually got, with a number of those being web robots. Upon investigation, an IP over in Europe, associated with a notorious spammer, had been attempting to connect to the stream, and once they did, immediately disconnected. Once I blocked his range of IP addresses, listener connections went back down to normal.
4. Second DruidHillsRadio re the Isotron.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 15:49:03 GMT
Example of Directory ListingThis link takes us to the Icecast Directory where we see whether KDX Worldround Radio is on the air and the number of listeners currently connected. At this time the KDX link switches to the KDX Website where the radio servers can be accessed for listening. KDX Icecast Directory Listing
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 16:14:44 GMT
Administration of Stream Servers
This inside glimpse of administering stream servers at KDX is written here to share the experience for jimhenry.
Icecast tested well and we're now monitoring the mp3 48kbps stereo stream from Shoutcast(dot)com, which is sounding clear and steady.
We also run a 16kbps mp3 mono stream for the benefit of the world's significant number of dial-up internet clients, who lack bandwidth for higher bit-rates.
This morning we have confirmed what we first noticed earlier in the week... our Shoutcast AAC stream is no longer being listed by Shoutcast Directory, but remains available from the KDX website. No reason for this is known at this time. Our AAC stream previously showed up at Shoutcast Directory.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jan 6, 2017 3:37:45 GMT
Thanks Carl. While much of this stuff is still mystery to me, as a retired network engineer at least port forwarding and NAT is an area I feel at home with. Jim Further Notes About StreamingWhen KDX began experimenting with streaming way back in 2007 we ran into a confusing roadblock that catches a lot of newbies... the matter of Port Forwarding. Audio streaming consists of several components... the encoder which converts digital audio into a stream format; the server software that assigns all the values of the stream itself and places the server online; and an "open road" in and out of the host computer through designated "ports". Ports are managed in Firewall Software and Router Settings. This is not a full tutorial on the subject, merely a "heads up" to be aware of the dimension known as "port forwarding". |
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jan 6, 2017 4:54:00 GMT
Carl, John, and others: Thanks for your responses. I still do not have my transmitter so I'm still waiting. As for range though I am hopeful that my location will offer some advantages. From the 2nd floor of my home I can see a town 12 miles to the north of me. I can install my antenna and ground here and hopefully do well. Hey I'm a total newbie here, just getting started, and would like to ask some questions. My apologies if these have already been asked and answered, but I HAVE spent the last two weeks reading the messages. I have an AMT-5000 on order but have not received it yet. Here goes: 1) What is the typical range on the AM BCB you are experiencing? 2) I've set up ZaraRadio for my playlists but what are others using? 3) Suggestions on software/providers for simulcasting or streaming your content on the Internet in parallel to what you put on the air? 4) Any opinions on the ISOTRON AMB-200 AM ANTENNA? Thanks very much. Jim Good Morning Jim, Welcome. 1) My typical range is about 1 to 1.5 miles (car radio). I am using a Rangemaster 1000 at 15 feet above ground. 2) ZaraRadio at home but I use RadioBoss for our college Low Power FM Station. (Licensed - WLSL-LP) 3) RadioBoss accommodates streaming. 4) This is an opinion: Save your money on the Isotron. A ground mounted home constructed vertical with radials has proven itself with Sstran and other like transmitters mounted in a weather-proof box at the base of the antenna. Regards, John |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2017 11:53:44 GMT
Good Morning Jim Henry:
Part 15 is not known to reach 12-miles. If you want to provide radio service to that town seen so far in the distance some industrial strategy is in order.
From years of experience heard from members of these forums a well installed AM transmitting system might reach 1-mile but less than two miles. You will need such a system at your home to serve your own radios.
To be heard in the town let's list some options...
Arrange to install a 2nd transmitter in town near prime listeners, fed by a Barix (sic) Streamer or computer which will feed the audio to the transmitter from your internet stream;
Meet with the local cable company and seek an audio channel on the town's cable service fed by your station's audio;
Explore the technology known as "carrier current", a form of part 15 AM which imposes the signal on AC power lines to be received by radios connected to electric power and within X-feet from the power lines. A carrier current transmitter at your home may or may not reach the town, based on conditions along the power lines between you and the town. Hint: large power transformers on the power poles will block the signal from going further EXCEPT when the electric company has installed by-passes, which sometimes occurs.
Apply for an FCC license to establish a 250-Watt or 500-Watt station licensed to serve the town of interest. You seemingly have the real-estate required to install the transmitter and tower overlooking the town.
Finally, hire us to help run the station.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jan 7, 2017 0:49:25 GMT
Hi Carl, I did not mean to convey that it was my intent to serve that town, only that my transmitter location is relatively unobstructed, at least in that direction. Jim Good Morning Jim Henry:Part 15 is not known to reach 12-miles. If you want to provide radio service to that town seen so far in the distance some industrial strategy is in order. From years of experience heard from members of these forums a well installed AM transmitting system might reach 1-mile but less than two miles. You will need such a system at your home to serve your own radios. To be heard in the town let's list some options... Arrange to install a 2nd transmitter in town near prime listeners, fed by a Barix (sic) Streamer or computer which will feed the audio to the transmitter from your internet stream; Meet with the local cable company and seek an audio channel on the town's cable service fed by your station's audio; Explore the technology known as "carrier current", a form of part 15 AM which imposes the signal on AC power lines to be received by radios connected to electric power and within X-feet from the power lines. A carrier current transmitter at your home may or may not reach the town, based on conditions along the power lines between you and the town. Hint: large power transformers on the power poles will block the signal from going further EXCEPT when the electric company has installed by-passes, which sometimes occurs. Apply for an FCC license to establish a 250-Watt or 500-Watt station licensed to serve the town of interest. You seemingly have the real-estate required to install the transmitter and tower overlooking the town. Finally, hire us to help run the station. |
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jan 7, 2017 0:53:12 GMT
Hi John, Are you saying that Zara will not accommodate streaming? I am still trying to learn it but when I registered for shoutbox it mentions how to set your "encoder". When I search Zara's help file for encode, encoding, I get no results. Thanks. Jim Hey I'm a total newbie here, just getting started, and would like to ask some questions. My apologies if these have already been asked and answered, but I HAVE spent the last two weeks reading the messages. I have an AMT-5000 on order but have not received it yet. Here goes: 1) What is the typical range on the AM BCB you are experiencing? 2) I've set up ZaraRadio for my playlists but what are others using? 3) Suggestions on software/providers for simulcasting or streaming your content on the Internet in parallel to what you put on the air? 4) Any opinions on the ISOTRON AMB-200 AM ANTENNA? Thanks very much. Jim Good Morning Jim, Welcome. 1) My typical range is about 1 to 1.5 miles (car radio). I am using a Rangemaster 1000 at 15 feet above ground. 2) ZaraRadio at home but I use RadioBoss for our college Low Power FM Station. (Licensed - WLSL-LP) 3) RadioBoss accommodates streaming. 4) This is an opinion: Save your money on the Isotron. A ground mounted home constructed vertical with radials has proven itself with Sstran and other like transmitters mounted in a weather-proof box at the base of the antenna. Regards, John |
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Post by Admin on Jan 7, 2017 1:05:10 GMT
Zara itself is not a stream source. For that you could use BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool) which is a free download.
BUTT is a standalone stream source such as Winamp's Shoutcast plugin. The older version of Zara supports plugins but version 1.6 and newer does not. For that reason I switched to BUTT.
You can use BUTT in conjunction with Shoutcast DNAS (a stream server) to host your own stream or use BUTT to stream to a host.
As for playing streams with Zara, yes, some stream types will play in Zara. For instance "http://mram.gotdns.com:8000" can be added to the Zara playlist and you'll hear my home hosted NOAA WX radio stream.
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