Archive → June, 2011
Recent changes to feed structure
As a result of the issues that Radio Reference experienced with their servers last night we have significantly changed how this feed is provided. These changes were made today, and if you follow our Twitter (@BPDLive) you would have seen what we were doing in live time.
Prior to today we have provided the feed solely through Radio Reference using the software they recommended (ScannerCast). This was a quick and light set up, however posed some limitations, mainly we could only serve text tags to the Radio Reference server. That was never an issue, and we had not expected any major issues as Radio Reference appeared to be a very stable platform. However, when their server went off line for 6+ hours without help we decided to change our set up to be more flexible and allow us to provide the feed with tags on our own Icecast server.
We are now providing the feed to both Radio Reference and our Icecast server (at stream.bostonpdlive.com) using software called RadioFeed from the same author as ProScan. RadioFeed allows us to stream text tags in real time to both Radio Reference and Icecast, which allows us to keep going even if one of the two goes down. Both are currently up and running without issues at this time. This set up will also allow us to control the scanner without losing text tags should we need to.
Currently our Icecast server is limited to 10 connections. We are monitoring the traffic that the server receives and if needed with upgrade the server to allow more connections. It also appears that the Icecast server is slightly closer to “real time” than the Radio Reference server. While we were working on the feed computer we also made some minor adjustments to improve the audio quality.
We will add the information on how to connect to the Icecast server to the “Listen” page in the near future.
Feed Issues (Resolved)
UPDATE: As of 12:00 the feed is back online at Radio Reference. The connection information below will still work for the time being.
Tonight we were informed that the server for our feed at Radio Reference was going to be down indefinitely. We have set up the following for temporary access to the feed.
First, you can access our Icecast server at stream.bostonpdlive.com. Use mount point /BPD. Click this link to connect directly in your favorite media player.
Currently, we are streaming the text tags to this server. If your player supports them, they should be working.
We are aggravated with this issue, and have been informed that Radio Reference has no plans to fix the issue until the morning at the earliest. This is a frustrating turn of events, however we are doing our best to keep the feed available. Please stay with us as this matter is in the hands of Radio Reference, and not BPDLive. See THIS POST at Radio Reference for more on what is going on.
Note: The Icecast server is currently limited to 10 connections. Should this become popular, we will monitor the usage and increase the size as needed.
Audio From Bruins Postgame
We have compiled the audio we recorded from the post Bruin’s game operations into one file. The file is about 2hrs and 45 minutes long and covers almost all of the operation. You can hear the file here:
http://www.bostonpdlive.com/recorded-audio/bruins-post-game-ops/
Scan List for Bruins Game
The following scan list will be used tonight for any crowds following the Bruins game.
Priority: Boston Police Channel 1 – Special Events (Note: This channel is usually patched to BAPREN 4 for the out of town officers)
Boston Channel 2 – Downtown/Charlestown (Location of Boston Garden)
If related traffic is found on Channel 12, it will also be added. This list will be turned on towards the end of the game and will run until traffic slows down. Should a large incident start on another channel, it will be added into the list.
Special Scan List for Bruins Postgame
With the Boston Bruins playing the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night in Vancouver, we will have a special scan list ready. In the past when a major Boston sports team has won a championship, there have been large crowds in the city. As usual the Boston Police are calling in assistance from area departments, and there will be a heavy police presence in the city.
As the game nears its completion we will turn on a special scan list covering the post game issues. Once the crowds are cleared, we will shift back to a regular scan list.
Antenna Change
Today we switched over to a new antenna system, and it appears to have resolved all of the reception issues with channels 3 and 4.
Bruins Win, Game 7 Weds
With the Boston Bruins winning game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the definitive game 7 will be played on Wednesday. This game will bring large groups into the city, and in the past has brought wide scale riots. In light of this, we will have a special scan list ready for the game. More details will be put up in the next couple days.
Now Live at RadioReference
We are now streaming live to RadioReference (www.radioreference.com). The feed.has alpha tags showing what you are listening to, and is scanning through channels 2 through 6.
The direct link to the feed is:
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?feedId=8830
We will add an imbeded player to this site ASAP.
