Recording Server rackmount setup.

kblazk · Mar 2, 2009

This is my radio recording server that i have setup. Computer has 4 sounds cards and at the current rate I can record over 50 years of traffic.

- 7 foot relay rack
- 4x Kenwood TM271A radio's
- 1.5ghz Windows 2003 server with 160GB hard drive
- APC Battery Backup
- 70 foot of LMR-400 coax running to roof with 5/8 wave antenna
- ftp access for public listening
- current cost around $1500

Am only currently recording FIRE/EMS/EMA and fourth radio is the feed for Crawford County, OH scanner on scanamerica.us

hoser147 · Mar 2, 2009

Nice Setup

Sinister · Mar 2, 2009

Looks nice.

jpryor · Mar 2, 2009

Very Nice! Much cleaner than my collection of servers and random scanners that I use to provide for my feeds at Scan America.

I like how you've chained all four radios together for the antenna connection.

What software are you using for the audio recording?

Have you determined how long your backup battery power lasts? Does the backup battery power everything including the power supply for the radios?

kblazk · Mar 2, 2009

jpryor said:
Very Nice! Much cleaner than my collection of servers and random scanners that I use to provide for my feeds at Scan America.

I like how you've chained all four radios together for the antenna connection.

What software are you using for the audio recording?

Have you determined how long your backup battery power lasts? Does the backup battery power everything including the power supply for the radios?

Software I'm using is Multichannel Call Logger and Audio Recording Software

Battery backup powers everything in the rack for about 45 minutes.

tac9c819 · Mar 2, 2009

Awesome set up! I have been trying to find a good software package for recording radio traffic. I am going to look into the link you posted.

flecom · Mar 3, 2009

T's? dude, get a multicoupler or something

M/A-COM Power Divider FSC 96341 3089-4017-00 - eBay (item 290265050669 end time Mar-31-09 12:28:35 PDT)

besides that, nice setup, i like the verticla radios, space efficient, ususally i see them on rack shelves mounted side by side horizontally, but that gets expensive

i hope you have some lightning protection

APEXNext · Mar 3, 2009

I like your set up but I have 1 question? Why are you recording all the radios? Just wondering thats all.

kblazk · Mar 4, 2009

Pete27a said:
I like your set up but I have 1 question? Why are you recording all the radios? Just wondering thats all.

I started doing it so that I could go back later and get the times and addresses for doing our run reports. Dispatch was getting pissy with everyone calling on over the air asking for run times, onscene time, page time etc so this keeps from having to bother them, they are busy enough. Also works good for diagnosing raido problems with the trucks.

hfxChris · Mar 4, 2009

Very nice! Now you just need to upgrade that server from a desktop to a proper rack mount...

LouisvilleScanMan · Mar 14, 2009

Wish I had a sweet setup like that, I just started setting up my LFD/LMEMS streams.

LouisvilleScanMan · Apr 1, 2009

Can anyone tell me what the boxes on the bottem shelf are? I think the one with the power supply on top is theis the server.

NorthCOVideo · Apr 1, 2009

You would be correct, and I do believe the other box next to the sever and the 12v radio power supply is a battery back up in case of power failure.

Hope this helps.

cdesigns · Apr 4, 2009

Nice setup, but if youre only recording and not transmitting why not to use 4 cheap scanners instead of 4 radios??

ResQguy · Apr 8, 2009

cdesigns said:
Nice setup, but if youre only recording and not transmitting why not to use 4 cheap scanners instead of 4 radios??

Probably because the TM271A is a great VHF radio that is under $200 brand new. You can't even get the BCT15 for that!

Nice setup!

spinnaker813 · Nov 25, 2016

I know this is an old thread.

I was wondering what kind of sound cards you are using for this setup. Trying to do something similar for a field deployable unit to record radio traffic on scene.

mikesatter · Nov 25, 2016

Nice, very nice!

N8IAA · Nov 25, 2016

spinnaker813 said:
I was wondering what kind of sound cards you are using for this setup. Trying to do something similar for a field deployable unit to record radio traffic on scene.

Being that the OP hasn't been on for almost a year, hard to believe that you will get an answer.
Larry

spinnaker813 · Nov 25, 2016

N8IAA said:
Being that the OP hasn't been on for almost a year, hard to believe that you will get an answer.
Larry

I really wasn't holding out to much hope. It would just help narrow down my search.

sfd119 · Nov 28, 2016

spinnaker813 said:
I was wondering what kind of sound cards you are using for this setup. Trying to do something similar for a field deployable unit to record radio traffic on scene.

USB soundcards will work fine. I have four of them on a PC recording my radio traffic.

Recording Server rackmount setup.

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