Radio Phvern is changing to limited broadcast times, about sun up to sun down.
Additionally, I worked out some sound quality kinks because I had an audio cable plugged into the wrong spot [DOH!]. Boy, does it sound great now. You now hear the oldies that are moldier with all their 78 rpm glory.
Additionally, additionally, Salamandra is running quite well on the Windoze 10-ish on the broadcast machine #1. It's air gaped. Using station ID, etc only at the hour for the moment, etc. while I learn Salamandra better. Seems better than Zara, frankly.
Additionally, additionally, additionally, machine 2 - I am connecting here for surfing purposes, etc., using the new Linux Mint. Machine runs like a rocket. If I can work it out, machine 2 will be used to pipe the captured broadcast signal to the net again.
Additionally (x4), the hi fi audio is set up across the hacienda (with the ancient Polk books shelf speakers and old Kenwood tuner/amp) to check the station audio, and listen. Sounds fantastic. See above.
Additionally (x5), operating sans the sound board during this recovery period when Zara got zapped. Too many cables to manage at the moment as this is the new space for Radio Phvern and the upcoming ham shack. I still haven't determined if the monitors are too high yet, and if am I comfortable looking up so high. Previously at the other home, at my business, in the van, and here at the newer home the station was just stacked stuff.
Additionally (x6), not changing the station "oldies" format, but planning to add additional non music programs like I had planned to do several years ago.
Previously at the other home, at my business, in the van, and here at the newer home the station was just stacked stuff.
Your studio has hopped around a lot, is that part of the strategy tha keeps you out of shady honky tonks?
@richpowers Hah. Hopped around by necessity and orneriness.The details delve into politics too much so I'll refrain with details. If there was a decent honky tonk somewhere I'd be there.
Because of my previous hobby of stacking things (somewhat organized radio stuff) on top of other things, and to honor Carl, I've changed the Wood Shed broadcasting center/shack to the Carl Blare Memorial Wood Shed. If Carl still be with us, and he grumbles, I can burn it down or change the name.
Additionally, my oldies program is now the Cheese Shop Oldies, so old they are moldy like cheese. "This IS a cheese shop, isn't it?" - Python, Monty
So I wiped the Linux Mint machine of personal stuff and will sell the asset.
Moving on ...
Getting an updated tower delivered tomorrow with more computing power to specifically do some audio engineering for the station. I will likely use it to put the captured signal to the internet again. And I'm looking for Carl's instructions on doing that in my email ... I did find them but need to bookmark them.
Oh! And I delightfully discovered yet another tuner amp hiding in my shop under some tools and boxes. It's a Sony TA-AX380, and working with a Sony tuner, it is enough. To think I almost bought one. All I need are some book shelf speakers. And I'm hoping I stumble across a pair somewhere on the cheap.
Update. New tower is fantastic and runs Salamandra nicely.
So I bought a nice audio cable with USB on one end and RCA on the other to patch the captured AM signal into PC #2 with the Icecast server on it. (DOH!) I bought the wrong cable. Ended up with USB C and need USB A (I believe) with the old rectangular end. Ok, so streaming services are delayed, yet again.
I don't know what your setup is, but here's a solution that worked for me, without cables.
I send the output from Salamandra to a Virtual Cable, implemented in software. There are plenty of apps available that have this functionality, some payware, some not. I use Virtual Audio Cable, inexpensive payware, that allows me to create any number of virtual cables on a single computer and control their properties.
Encoding software, such as EdCast or Butt, takes as input the Virtual Cable, and outputs, via my local intranet, the resulting stream to IceCast. IceCast then distributes the stream. You can also run IceCast on the same computer if desired, connecting to it via localhost.
I use some modified open source software, JMPX, to take input from the same Virtual Cable, and output the analog audio to the transmitter. JMPX can also, for FM, generate RDS, preemphasis, and even a stereo signal from mono input. Virtual Audio Cable also provides an audio repeater, which can output analog audio.
The advantage to this solution for streaming is that there are no intermediate analog to digital conversions - everything is digital from Salamandra on out. Plus, no cables can become unplugged or loose (virtually every problem I've ever had with my station has been due to cable issues).
@artisan-radio yes, I do a set up like that with the virtual audio cable, etc., except I broadcast the signal on PC#1, capture it with an AM Sony tuner, and then pipe it from the tuner over to PC #2 where I will send it to the Internet. All of the virtual cable and BUTT, etc are on PC#2.
I decided to air gap these machines for several reasons, one being I can say the Internet hearer is listening to a broadcast of the signal and not some "podcast".
PC #2 is set up for doing audio production and being the Internet server, and hosts a BBS for the station. More on the BBS once I get parts of it running correctly.
Ah, makes sense now.
What software are you using for the BBS? I ran a blog for a while, and I looked into several solutions to allow 2 way communication, but never found anything that I was enamored with; they were either too complicated and with far more features than I needed, or too simple and really didn't do what I wanted.
Ah, makes sense now.
What software are you using for the BBS? I ran a blog for a while, and I looked into several solutions to allow 2 way communication, but never found anything that I was enamored with; they were either too complicated and with far more features than I needed, or too simple and really didn't do what I wanted.
Wildcat! Interactive Net Server for 64 bit, and an unused, old v3 for DOS. Both are registered. Also a Synchronet copy but it is also unused. The Wildcat is a secondary thing for the station and has other purposes outside of hobby radio.