Rangecast FAQ
[FAQ-1166] Routing a VOX sender into HTML5

Page Type: REFERENCE

BACKGROUND

VOX senders record audio from audio sources other than Uniden scanners

[FAQ-1020] What is a VOX sender?

A "VOX sender" is the Rangecast feed site software operating in a special mode used for bringing audio content into Rangecast from any audio source other than a Uniden radio scanner that supports data communications with a PC. Examples include audio streams obtained from the internet, microphones, radio scanners that lack the ability to communicate with a PC, or non-Uniden radio scanners (the software only knows how to communicate with Uniden scanners). In addition, VOX is sometimes used temporarily for technical analysis of audio from a radio scanner normally used in non-VOX mode.

METHOD

To add a VOX channel into the HTML5 system, you must know this information:

* What feed site number will be used by the sender providing the content. (Note: this feed site number must be dedicated to a single VOX source. Do not combine multiple VOX senders under one feed site number, or also operate normal scanners under the same feed site number.)

* What Rangecast channel ID will be used to report transmissions on this channel. This is a code that begins with the characters CX followed by five digits (e.g. "CX12345"). It is essential that the code be unique within a hub (and if content is ever combined between multiple hubs on a single player, that the code not be replicated on two of the originating hubs that are mixed together.) It is recommended that the channel ID be unique throughout all of Rangecast.

* What name you want to have shown on the Rangecast player, for transmissions on this channel.

With this information:

1) Adding the channel to the hub

a) In the Rangecast HTML5 programmer, go to Save Options and choose Hub Overrides in the drop-down menu. This opens a text box where you may enter (or edit) custom channels

b) Enter a line describing the channel, as illustrated below.

CX10330:r=59,u=J1,f=2.59,n=FORT WORTH POLICE-FIRE DISPATCH,g=TX0301,s=FW DISP

The format of the line is described here:

"CX10330:" This is the Rangecast channel ID chosen for this channel (followed by a colon, indicating the rest of the line contains information about this channel). The following fields are comma separated, as shown in the image.

"r=59" This is the receive feed site where the channel is recorded.

"u=J1" This is the agency type of the content, according to the standard codes

[FAQ-1029] Reference list of Agency Codes used by RadioReference, HPDB, RCHAN

This is a list of the Agency Codes used by RadioReference, and in the Home Patrol Database (HPDB), and in Rangecast RCHAN files.



"f=2.59" This is the pseudo-frequency that will be reported for the channel. Use 2 decimal the feed site number (e.g. 2.59 in this case.)

(Note: if you want to display an actual frequency, a different process must be employed, as the process described here depends upon a simplified software process that assumes the value is between 2 and 3.)

"n=FORT WORTH POLICE-FIRE DISPATCH" This is the name that will be shown for the channel. The length may be up to 64 characters.


"g=TX0301" This is the geocode used to associate the channel with a geographic jurisdiction. Channel codes may be found in the programmer, or the online geocode database.

"s= FW DISP" This is the "short name" for the channel, which may be used to identify the channel on small buttons inside the player.

(optional) In addition, you may specify additional information about the channel, including placement into a system/group/channel hierarchy.

c) When done, press Apply Changes, then Save.

2) On the feed site PC, enter the feed site ID for your sender onto the line marked Unlinked Sender with V to identify the particular source (e.g "example 59 V" in the three text boxes) and press the checkbox to activate the line, and press Save.

3) Launch the feed site software

EXPECTED PROBLEMS

The method describes here assumes that your VOX source will be on the PCs default (native) audio input. If a different audio input will be used, a more complex process must be used to associate the sender to the specific audio input.

Rangecast FAQ - ID 1166 - last updated 19 April 2018     Images shown - [block]