Merseyside

[Albert H]

There are also further issues with Shoutcast: If you change the uplink source to the server, anyone listening at the time is disconnected. This is a pain if you have different studios, with DJs "working from home". Icecast doesn't have this "service drop" issue, and listeners will remain connected whenever the source is changed. Icecast is also (slightly) easier to configure. I like "DarkIce" as my uplink streaming tool. It's easy to configure, and I've built any number of Raspberry Pi-based streaming boxes. The latest version includes a three-band stereo limiter, and sounds really good. The analogue to digital converter I use is the "Audio Injector" product that simply fits to the GPIO pins of the Raspberry Pi. These little boxes make a good job of emulating the "Marti" OB boxes for a few tens of pounds instead of thousands!

[oldtech]

There are also further issues with Shoutcast: If you change the uplink source to the server, anyone listening at the time is disconnected. This is a pain if you have different studios, with DJs "working from home". Icecast doesn't have this "service drop" issue, and listeners will remain connected whenever the source is changed. Icecast is also (slightly) easier to configure. I like "DarkIce" as my uplink streaming tool. It's easy to configure, and I've built any number of Raspberry Pi-based streaming boxes. The latest version includes a three-band stereo limiter, and sounds really good. The analogue to digital converter I use is the "Audio Injector" product that simply fits to the GPIO pins of the Raspberry Pi. These little boxes make a good job of emulating the "Marti" OB boxes for a few tens of pounds instead of thousands!

I'll take a look at DarkIce, looks to just do the job without bells and whistles, I had been using butt "broadcast using this tool", or direct from Mixxx. I haven't used SC for ages so I forgot it was a bit of a pain to set up.

[LeeCavanagh]

Albert, you are not entirely correct

I have just tested Shoutcast right now to prove it’s still the case.

It may well be the way I have it configured, if I disconnect the source client, the user will hear the buffer start to repeat as it has nothing to play but the last thing sent, but it does gracefully carry on once I reconnect the source client (which is on a Seperate server but probably works regardless), at no point did the listener client player need to be restarted (I guess that could potentially be different depending on client used - but I’ve not found that to be the case )

Hope that helps , sounds like icecast may be worth testing again tho, I’ve only used it a few times when I need to provide AAC+ streams

[Albert H]

Some client software keeps retrying on loss of stream - that might be what you were hearing, since some client software will "fill in" with the last received few seconds....
I just tried a Shoutcast server here across my internal network, and changing sources caused some clients to disconnect, but others clung on!

Obviously, the software has improved a bit over the last few years.

I used to like "BUTT" as a streamer - particularly because it included a useful level meter - but I've reverted to DarkIce because it's so damn resilient. I've also added a level meter to DarkIce, and have a cute little streamer with a Raspberry Pi 3B+ with an "Audio Injector" card and a 5" LCD touchscreen module (came from Pimoroni for next to nothing). This makes for a small standalone streaming box with a little screen on top that can be configured with a stylus, and has a level display whilst it is streaming.

I've also incorporated a software silence alarm (that drives a relay output), and the whole thing has been streaming a radio station for about 8 days without hitch so far....

[Matt]

It's been quiet around here recently and I've heard nothing on 100.8 despite all the curfuffle over that frequency. Anyone else heard anything there?

However 87.7 was on for a couple of hours late this afternoon. No ID while I was listening but I'm quite sure it was Radio Waves. Not heard it in a little while.

[jvok]

Dead air on 100.8 in manchester all yesterday. Think theyre running more power now though I had clear signal all the way down the m56 to chester. Normally it fades out not far past the airport

[g33ky]

Seems to be something on 87.7 on all day. Don't believe its Radio Waves, seems to be a relay of a talk station, Radio 4 maybe?. Certainly not the same signal strength as Waves usually is. Getting it very weak at my location but was coming in and out when driving through the city center.

[Matt]

Nothing over here today.

[jvok]

@g33ky where is "the city center" for you?

[g33ky]

@g33ky where is "the city center" for you?

Driving down by the cathedral in Liverpool. Heard it for a good while so I'm assuming not an in-car TX? I'm assuming it's the same station, was relaying a talk station and the weak signal at my location on the other side of the water seems to be relaying talk too (too weak to tell specifically what though), or could just be a coincidence, I will check again today.
It's definitely still visible on my SDR here at home.

[g33ky]

Turns out if's the RSL for The Open in Hoylake. Not sure why its strong in parts of the city centre but not so much over the water.

[Vinylizer]

Getting dance music on 87.6 from near Cheshire oaks m53 to junction 3 ish

[g33ky]

Getting dance music on 87.6 from near Cheshire oaks m53 to junction 3 ish

Was getting the same thing, thought it might be Elite FM but didnt get RDS so not sure.

[Blackjake]

Got Big L Radio London being relayed on 100.8 Sunday July 30th during the evening 7.23 pm till 8pm.close.Guessing it's Radio Overdrive as it's a good signal into Crewe. Also heard MAR on 87.5 earlier, then returned back at 8pm to 87.5 and heard Laser 558 . Assume it was MAR relay.
Didn't hear anything on 87.6 the other day but a few weeks previous , I heard Base fm on 100.8 but had to drive over to Frodsham Hill to recieve that when Overdrive was off air.

[kevycorsa]

Bank Holiday weekend had a tune currently getting something on 87.6

[Matt]

I didn't catch anything yesterday but there are a couple of bits today.

Concept is on 100.8 playing some jazz stuff and there are some banging tunes on 87.7. It's definitely not Radio Waves and my guess is Elite.

[Matt]

Caught a station on 87.8 yesterday early evening. I think it was almost certainly Radio Waves (usually on 87.7) although I didn't hear any IDs. The gaps between songs were similar to Radio Waves although the signal seemed ever so slightly different at my place. Not sure if the slight change of frequency could have caused that.

[Matt]

Concept put in a brief appearance on Friday early evening on 100.8. I caught it around 6.15-6.30 in the car in Allerton. I tried to tune in later on at home (maybe 7.30ish, maybe a bit later) but it had gone by then.

[Matt]

Radio Waves was back again on 87.7 yesterday late afternoon. I didn't catch any IDs or any of their strange announcements this time, but I'm pretty certain it was Radio Waves.

[Matt]

Radio Waves was back again on Monday afternoon for a couple of hours. No IDs (except the generic old-style sung jingles), but I'm sure it was them. Some dub, followed by some random stuff, followed by a load of Meatloaf. This station may be on more regularly than I catch it as it's only ever on for a couple of hours at a time.

A few weeks ago, at the end of Feb, I also caught Free Radio on 87.5 on a Monday evening for a few hours.

Nice that there's still a bit of action around here!