Via a recent radio world article, some google apps as well as some Mac programs free or cheap which are utilized in radio stations.. http://www.radioworld.com/article/cheap-easy-remotes-via-internet/273301
One of the more interesting mentions is "IpDTL", which requires using the Google Chrome browser, which boast being a "Ideal replacement or alternative to ISDN line" .. However this one is not free, but cost $15 a month
Yes, I've been testing/using IPDTL for a few months. I'm using the FREE service which limits the service to a lower bit rate, mono connection. But, so far its been very stable. It's definetly good enough for remote reporting/talk.
"Free Demo Account:
You will get two logins which will only connect to each other under optimum network conditions in low quality (40kbit/s)."
Latency is alway an issue with AOIP. This app has less than 1 second delay round trip over an internet connection. By that I mean you hear return audio so when my audio goes up there is a little less than a second delay before I hear my audio returned.
You wouldn't want to try to talk while listening to the return audio. Best way I've found is to either not listen or listen to the ON-AIR audio which is a double check to make sure the feed is working.
Only problem I've encounted so far is I have trouble connecting with my Android SmartPhone. Sometimes it will start no problem. Other times it requires repeated attempts to connect. From a PC, no trouble at all though you must use Google Chrome.
The free app only allows one main and one secondary logon account. As such multiple locations would have to use the same user name/password one at a time.
They've recently added a virtual audio mixer to the app so you can adjust audio levels.
This screen shot shows the IPDTL STL and its audio mix console.
Doing remotes from out in the community is a very good idea for part 15 radio stations, and some, like Friday Harbor Tiny Radio, have been doing this for quite awhile.
It might seem a little goofy to do a remote from outside of the coverage range of your transmitter, which is why I am making the suggestion that a temporary transmitter should be installed as part of the remote location, so you are on the air both at home and in the vicinity of the remote.
There is a restaurant where I do remotes, however mine are recorded on a Zoom recorder for later playback. The restaurant probably has a hot spot since it's part of a hotel, so I am going to think about a live remote.
Maybe once I demonstrate broadcasting on part 15 from the restaurant they might want to have a permanent part 15 transmitter.
I might even set free CDs of the show on every table as a cross promotion between station and restaurant. Of course I won't actually do the CD hand-out, but it makes a nice closer for this post, and might be an idea someone else wants to try.
I'll really have to ask our sports guy who he's doing it. -- Not on Iron Range Country -- but on the commercial station I work for. We probably do 3-4 live sports broadcasts a week, plus he does a live 2 hour sports show from varying locations on Saturdays and he does them all via internet and whatever he's doing it's FREE. he's a bit of a computer whiz, which I am not. But I know he sets up his regular sports mixer which gives him headphones and mics for himself and either the color announcer or several guests. He can play all his own commercials out of the computer as well.
I just wired up for him a switcher that connects to the audio to the transmitter and the "receive" computer he set up, so he can actually arrive at a sporting event, or at a restaurant where he's going to do the Saturday show from, and put himself on the air remotely so we've elimnated having a board operator in position at the studio. He plays his own theme music, commercials, pre precorded interviews, plus the live stuff, all from his computer. Sounds just like he's in a studio with a board operator running the show. I don't know what he's using but it doesn't cost anything. He's just got a typical PC laptop at his end, and we're using an old PC from the outdated computer pile at work for the studio end of the system. Works great.
Tim in Bovey
Ya know, after I posted that I had trouble sometimes starting IPDTL on my Android SmartPhone I thought about it.
I use MagicJack for my phone service. I have the MagicJack App loaded on my SmartPhone.
It seems that's where the problem is. When I force MagicJack to stop the problem goes away. So it's not IPDTL or Chrome, it was some conflict with MagicJack probably controlling the audio facilities of the SmartPhone.
As I said.