A new way to listen to your scanner - over the phone

[KLH]

I just finished putting my scanner stream 'over the phone.'
Anyone can call 1-360-227-6171 and listen to my local scanner feed.

So how did I do it, and how much did it cost?
Well, the cost was FREE!

All you need to get a scanner over the phone setup is an old computer (I'm using a 400 Mhz computer with 128 MB ram), a scanner, and a cord to connect the headphone jack from the scanner to the microphone jack on the computer.
The software to run on the computer is called Asterisk@Home (http://asteriskathome.sourceforge.net/). Asterisk@Home is a complete free PBX solution for businesses and home users. Primarily made around VoIP, it can connect to standard phone lines (POTS). But to get the stream 'over the phone' you don't even need to connect it to any phone line. There is a website, that gives away free phone numbers (www.ipkall.com) that can connect directly to your A@H box. So now you have a free incoming phone number that you can connect to your scanner.

I'm not very good at writing step-by-step guides. But if you can get Asterisk installed and running (I wouldn't suggest using the latest version, maybe 2.7 as it seems to be more newbie friendly) this guide should help you in getting IPKall setup and connected to your Asterisk box (http://samyantoun.50webs.com/asteris.../setup/ipkall).

Now one thing I forgot to mention is that you actually need two computers. Your second computer needs to have what is called a softphone installed. I use X-Lite (http://www.counterpath.net/), as it can run in the task bar. The x-lite program will also connect to your A@H box. What I did was made a conference room, and connected my x-lite phone to the conference room, then made it so that anyone calling on my free ipkall number, it gets forwarded to the same conference room. So there is actually an unlimitted (depending on your internet bandwidth) number of people that can call in and listen to your scanner.

This really comes in handy if you don't mind leaving two computers on at the same time. I've been using A@H for over 6 months now for my home phone PBX system, so I already have that computer running, and my main computer is always running, so for me, I already had everything up and running, it was just a matter of getting the softphone working on my main computer, and hooking my scanner up to my computer.

Now on the weekends when I am out of my house, I can call myself using my cell phone (since I have free weekends on my cell phone) and still listen to the scanner. Or when driving around, and I see a bunch of emergency vehicles, I can call my scanner and see what's going on.

It's a pretty neat system once setup, and I think it is alot better than an online broadcast.

Like I posted before, I am not very good at making tutorials/guides, and it is 12:30 in the morning, and I am probably missing several things needed, so if anyone is attempting to set this up, and can't figure it out, feel free to ask questions, and I look forward to anyones comments on my setup.

[CVPI4Ever]

neat trick!

[radiomonitor33]

I just finished putting my scanner stream 'over the phone.'
Anyone can call 1-360-227-6171 and listen to my local scanner feed.


I called 3 times. twice I got voice mail, once I got static & what sounded like a rotary phone dialing numbers.

[KLH]

There seems to be some kind of bug that doesn't detect the discount between ipkall and my asterisk box. I got home, and it showed 14 people were activly listening, including myself, which I knew I wasn't. So I then kicked everyone off,and now it's back to normal.

[radiomonitor33]

It's working now, pretty cool!
I just heard a tornado WARNING for the area.

Charlie
Reading,Pa

[kf4lne]

WOW! COOL! i am listening right now, this is great!

[KLH]

If you get disconnected, just redial in. Since it doesn't show who is connected, and who isn't, I go though and discount people that have been in there for a while. IPKall only allows 4 simultaneous incoming calls. And for some reason when you discount or hangup, IPKall keeps the call going on my end, so it still shows you as connected, and using up one of the 4 spaces.

This system may have some bugs preventing it from going 'pulbic,' but it works great if you will be the only one using it for private use.

BTW, now is a good time to be listening, as we are under a tornado warning..

[w2lie]

I stumbled upon this thread, and would love to add this to my web page.

A few quick questions:
1. Does A@H only work in a Linux environment? If so, what would be the best distro to run it on? Currently, my PII 350 is setup to run a sluggish Debian distro. I would love it to run in a Windows Environment.

2. I don't really understand why it needs 2 pc's to run. I will have to sit down and study this more during the week I guess. Any quick answers?

3. The Most Important one:
Any other area codes available besides a Washington State Area Code? It looks like IPKall only has WA codes. Is there another service out there that does anything NY ??

I know I should probably be Googling all of this, but my mind is elsewhere tonight. The XYL is heading in for surgery tomorrow....so I'm kind of just looking for answers with out the "hassle" of research.

Thanks again....Awesome discovery!!!

[Al42]

Originally Posted by Liquid_Squelch

The XYL is heading in for surgery tomorrow....so I'm kind of just looking for answers with out the "hassle" of research.

Searching the net might take your mind off things, but tell your wife that my prayers are with her for tomorrow. Keep us posted.

[loumaag]

I am curious. Your stated location is Indiana, I certainly have no reason to disbelieve that is true; however, the phone number you supply is a Belfair, WA phone number. Care to explain that discrepancy?

To people calling, just realize that there can be more things done with incoming calls then just answering the phone. I'm not saying there is something going on here, but I would advise caution at least until KLH explains that discrepancy mentioned above.

[w2lie]

Originally Posted by Al42

Searching the net might take your mind off things, but tell your wife that my prayers are with her for tomorrow. Keep us posted.

Thanks Al.
I see you got your SCPD feed back up!! Sounds good.

[KLH]

Originally Posted by loumaag

I am curious. Your stated location is Indiana, I certainly have no reason to disbelieve that is true; however, the phone number you supply is a Belfair, WA phone number. Care to explain that discrepancy?

To people calling, just realize that there can be more things done with incoming calls then just answering the phone. I'm not saying there is something going on here, but I would advise caution at least until KLH explains that discrepancy mentioned above.

It is a washington state number, because IPKall.com only gives out washington state numbers. And I'm not going to pay for an additional phone line just to listen to the scanner, so I am using IPkall's free phone forwarding.

[KLH]

Originally Posted by Liquid_Squelch

I stumbled upon this thread, and would love to add this to my web page.

A few quick questions:
1. Does A@H only work in a Linux environment? If so, what would be the best distro to run it on? Currently, my PII 350 is setup to run a sluggish Debian distro. I would love it to run in a Windows Environment.

2. I don't really understand why it needs 2 pc's to run. I will have to sit down and study this more during the week I guess. Any quick answers?

3. The Most Important one:
Any other area codes available besides a Washington State Area Code? It looks like IPKall only has WA codes. Is there another service out there that does anything NY ??

I know I should probably be Googling all of this, but my mind is elsewhere tonight. The XYL is heading in for surgery tomorrow....so I'm kind of just looking for answers with out the "hassle" of research.

Thanks again....Awesome discovery!!!

1.) Asterisk was designed to run on Linux, however, there is a program that you can use to run it on windows, just like how you can use WINE to run windows program on Linux. Also, Asterisk@Home comes bundled with CENTOS as an all-in-one solution. You just download the ISO file, burn it to a CD, and install it on the computer. It reformats your hard ddrive, installs Linux & Asterisk at the same time.

2.) The reason for 2 computers is that one computer is running a PBX (complete phone system that can be setup to handle hundreds of phone lines), the second computer is basically acting like a telephone, taking the microphone jack and plugging it into the headphone jack on the scanner. So the second computer calls the first computer which is the A@H linux box, and joins a conference room. Now you can setup IPKall to forward your calls to that same conference room where your second computer (the one connected to the scanner) is connected to. You could get by with 1 computer if you know how to install/configure a softphone application on the linux machine. My linux knowledge is very limited, and if I don't have a tutorial/guide, I don't know what I am doing. And I have yet to find any linux softphones out there with good enough guides that I can get it installed. There are however hundreads of softphone clients made for windows, and it is easy to install/configure.

3.) I heard that stanaphone.com gives away free NY numbers, but I am not 100% sure that they still do. I've always used IPKall.com. They are free, and with my cell phone there is no long distance charges, so I don't really care. If someone else wants to call and listen to my scanner they can do so, and pay long distance fees (if they pay long distance fees).

It took me several weeks to finally get this all up and working, and am very excited to finally get it working. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.

[loumaag]

Originally Posted by KLH

It is a washington state number, because IPKall.com only gives out washington state numbers. And I'm not going to pay for an additional phone line just to listen to the scanner, so I am using IPkall's free phone forwarding.

While waiting for your response I did some web surfing. The company that issues that number is International Telcom, Ltd. It is interesting that the name appears on many web sites devoted to reporting or eliminating spam. Looking at the IPKall site, I fail to see why they provide this "free service" much less advertise it. In any case, I don't see that you have done (or are doing) anything wrong, but I will just tell you that very few things in life are free.

[KLH]

Originally Posted by loumaag

While waiting for your response I did some web surfing. The company that issues that number is International Telcom, Ltd. It is interesting that the name appears on many web sites devoted to reporting or eliminating spam. Looking at the IPKall site, I fail to see why they provide this "free service" much less advertise it. In any case, I don't see that you have done (or are doing) anything wrong, but I will just tell you that very few things in life are free.

IPkall gives away this service because they actually make money off the service. Each time a person calls someone, your phone company has to pay the other phone company to connect the call. It's fractions of a cent for each call, but when millions of calls are made, it starts to add up. I can't find the page that tells about it, but I remember reading about it somewhere. Ever wonder why your phone company charges you long distance charges? Because it costs them to connect to the other phone company's service, which is how IPKall stays in business for free.

Whether you want to believe it is free, or that if by calling you are going to get a billion dollar bill from your phone company, or that you will get cancer for calling the number is up to you.

My reason for posting this is to let people know of a new, exciting, and less limitting way to get your stream available from anywhere.

[elena]

really? Can it work?

[Pawnbroker]

Very cool setup. Thanks for the info. I called and it worked great.

Dave.

[jimyleg]

Do you need a phone line to your computer or does the site give you a number and thats how it's done? Thats what i read im just checking becouse it's so awsome.

[KLH]

The site gives you a free in-coming only phone number out of washington state.

[w2lie]

Originally Posted by KLH

1.) Also, Asterisk@Home comes bundled with CENTOS as an all-in-one solution. You just download the ISO file, burn it to a CD, and install it on the computer. It reformats your hard ddrive, installs Linux & Asterisk at the same time.

Oh, thats almost too easy! It really is a dedicated PC then!

2.) The reason for 2 computers is that one computer is running a PBX (complete phone system that can be setup to handle hundreds of phone lines), the second computer is basically acting like a telephone, taking the microphone jack and plugging it into the headphone jack on the scanner.

Does it have to be the mic in? if there is not POTS line connected, does it have to be the modem line in? I have 2 sound cards connected now in my PC, both with scanner feeds. It would be neat to pick which one you want to listen to on entry. Is that an option?

3.) I heard that stanaphone.com gives away free NY numbers, but I am not 100% sure that they still do.

I just checked them out. The 1st number is free. Looks like www.w2lie.net will have a call in scanner feed this week!

Thanks!!!! This is an awesome feature..
(it kind of reminds me of the old days when you were able to do packet radio via 2 meters, and also cheat by dialing into it w/ your 28.8kbps modem)

I'll post the number when ready.

Al..... things went well. She's home and resting...