live scanner feed

[RAMFIRE42]

I would like to setup a live scanner feed onto my website. I have not found the LIVE SCANNER FEEDS FOR DUMMIES book at the bookstore yet. Can anyone tell me a simple way of doing this. I have the pc and the scanner but the rest is a mystery.
Bruce

[nmfire]

What is connecting you to the internet?

[voyager9]

Connect the headphone jack of the scanner to the microphone jack of your PC. Then run a audio-streaming server like Shoutcast

[RAMFIRE42]

What is connecting you to the internet?

I currently have broadband internet

[cbrining]

We have a Live Scanner feed for Atlantic, Camden & Burlington County, NJ at www.elwoodfirerescue.com

Our Web Master can help you set up a feed of your own. Contact him at evfc160@elwoodfirerescue.com

[WichitaFDChief]

Connect the headphone jack of the scanner to the microphone jack of your PC. Then run a audio-streaming server like Shoutcast

Input Jack would be better, if you have one.

[CaptOldTimer]

First of all, you probably should check and see if you are legal in doing this.

Whose radio rebroadcast do you intend to link into your PC and cause it to be broadcast to whomever? Have you been blessed by the local folks to do this?

The city, county or wherever you live may have a restriction on this and the FCC may have something to say about it as well.

Why reinvent the wheel. Try http://www.scanamerica.us/index.php as they probably already have it.

[ParaStorm5]

It's from my understanding that anything broadcasted over the air, is free to recieve. I have had a FCC Amature radio license for 19 years and I believe this hasn't changed at all.

Besides the scanner, you need:
- an always-on Internet connection (uses ~16kbps)
- an external or attic antenna (for optimum reception)
- audio cable to connect scanner to PC's sound card
- a PC running Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux/other Unix

[zackman1801]

Around here atleast i dont see why it would be illegal. Anyone can buy a scanner for whatever they want, you dont have to be a FD, PD, or rescue member to own one, so essentially anything that is said over the scanners are fed to the public. Its been a big headache for us because when we get calls people pick it up on their scanners in their cars and at their homes and come to the scenes and plug up roads, or they go to the station and steal from our cars.

[doughesson]

Around here atleast i dont see why it would be illegal. Anyone can buy a scanner for whatever they want, you dont have to be a FD, PD, or rescue member to own one, so essentially anything that is said over the scanners are fed to the public. Its been a big headache for us because when we get calls people pick it up on their scanners in their cars and at their homes and come to the scenes and plug up roads, or they go to the station and steal from our cars.

My old department would leave someone to watch the station while we were out to forestall a flock of no-goods finding open doors and vehicles with keys still in the ignition.Joe the Firefighter might be friendly but don't abuse his hospitality as he shows you the station.
As to legality,any radio transmission is basically a party line.For the younger readers,party lines are a group of telephones hooked to the same line and they all ring when an incoming call is made.
There were different numbers of rings to differentiate who was supposed to pick up but there were always people who'd pick up as well to nose in on what their neighbors were up to.
I am told that you cannot legally have a transmitter in a room to broadcast conversations but if their is a radio or television turned on,that and any other conversations can legally be rebroadcast.
As far as I know,if a department wants to keep scanner buffs from listening in,they need to have trunked systems which do cost an arm and a leg and can be frustrating waiting for a channel on busy nights.From what I know,scanners cannot pick up the trunked systems broadcasts.I could be wrong.
But,I am not a lawyer and have never played one on TV.

[voyager9]

As far as I know,if a department wants to keep scanner buffs from listening in,they need to have trunked systems which do cost an arm and a leg and can be frustrating waiting for a channel on busy nights.From what I know,scanners cannot pick up the trunked systems broadcasts.I could be wrong.
But,I am not a lawyer and have never played one on TV.

There are scanners that can pick up trunked systems. They are relatively new (2-3 years) and more expensive then traditional analog scanners. Both Radio Shack and Uniden make them.

If you truly don't want anyone listening in to your transmissions the only option is encryption.

[ccfdblehman]

Trunk tracking scanners are much older, even, than 2-3 years. My uncle has had one for at least 10, and I believe longer than that.

[voyager9]

Trunk tracking scanners are much older, even, than 2-3 years. My uncle has had one for at least 10, and I believe longer than that.

I stand correcting. I was thinking the digital trunking scanners, which are newer.

[ccfdblehman]

As far as digital trunking scanners, I didn't even know they were out.

I will agree, though, if you truly don't want anyone to hear what you are saying, encryption is the way to go, and they'll probably figure that out soon, too.

[ChiefKN]

If you are worried that someone will hear your radio traffic on the internet (like anyone cares about all the fire alarms and basement pump outs), then just have it run on a delay.

[zackman1801]

If you are worried that someone will hear your radio traffic on the internet (like anyone cares about all the fire alarms and basement pump outs), then just have it run on a delay.

You really shouldent have to be too afraid, you shouldent be saying anything on it that would get anyone into trouble. Once we are dispatched channels get switched so that dispatch isnt picking up water supply chatter, or listening to the guys inside the building talk, if people were picking that up it wouldent be a big deal. If they really want to listen to the tanker drive back and forth delivering water go ahead and let them.
like I said before though, my only concern is when someone drives down to the station and goes through our cars at midnight because they think they might find money. I lock my car when i go to the station now regardless of time of day or amount of people around.

[cozmosis]

I guess I look at things differently than some folks...

I'm a public employee operating on public airwaves. Why on earth would I have a problem with the public listening to what I have to say while I'm working for them?

[hwoods]

I guess I look at things differently than some folks...

I'm a public employee operating on public airwaves. Why on earth would I have a problem with the public listening to what I have to say while I'm working for them?

There you go, trying to make sense again......... There are a lot of live feed stuff down this way. Standing joke is that if your scanner quits, you just turn on your PC...............

[zackman1801]

I guess I look at things differently than some folks...

I'm a public employee operating on public airwaves. Why on earth would I have a problem with the public listening to what I have to say while I'm working for them?

thats about how i see it. Although it is possible that in some places emergency frequencies arent public property.

[voyager9]

There is nothing illegal about owning, or using a scanner. The two exceptions are 1) If the scanner was used while committing a crime and 2) the scanner is modified to receive the frequencies reserved for Cellular telephones. Everything else comes under the FCC's purview and are considered public airwaves.

There is a difference between monitoring the public airwaves, and redistribution of same. You can listen to a public frequency without the consent of the originator, but I'd ask permission before piping it over the Internet or any other medium.

Case in point: When our communications center went to a digital trunking system some of us looked to monitor/retransmit our response traffic over one of our old analog frequencies so those of us with Minitor pagers could listen while responding from home. The project never got off the ground because while we could listen to the communications center, and had a license to use the analog frequency, we did not have a license to redistribute someone elses transmissions..