I just purchased a dell server

[SKYNET156]

its a dell poweredge SC430, P4, 1GB RAM,

I want to install a sound card, and do something with it, what would be a fun low cost idea to develope using radio (under $200)
what can i do with a server?

 

[n5ims]

A server is just a desktop system with much of the stuff that makes it nice and easy to use by a person removed and extra stuff that makes it still work when things start to break added. The OS (and much of the software that runs on it) is much more expensive for a server than for a desktop system and often requires extra software (and many times annother computer) to manage it.

The fancy video card is generally replaced by one with minimal features since there's hardly ever a monitor hooked up (but the OS still needs one available). There's often no sound since there's nobody to listen to it (and who wants to figure out which of the hundred + boxes in a data center is making that noise anyway). The hard drives generally hold less, and more expensive on a server than a typical desktop. A server is often noiser than a desktop since they run hotter and have more fans.

The funny thing is it's often less expensive and easier to make a desktop into a server than a server into a desktop if you just want something to play around with and don't need the redundant power supplies, ECC memory, and hot-swappable hard drives. A "real" server is important if you require (and can afford) maximum up time, redundant high speed network connections, and redundant power supplies. For most non-critical use, a desktop generally works just as well.

What OS do you plan to run. It might be fun to set it up with Linux and run DSD to decode MotoTRBO or some other types not currently supported by scanners. You could even get a few surplus IP phones and run asterisk (Asterisk- The Open Source Telephony Projects | Asterisk) to set up your own phone system (perhaps even interfacing one or more radios where you simply dial the extension # assigned to that radio to allow you to listen over the phone).

 

[SKYNET156]

i got the server for a kill and paid $40 for it, i am looking into 900mhz AAR projects for it, as well as entertaining the idea of ROIP, but i can't find the right info on roip to get it started, i dropped a 1GB stick of memory in it, thinking about going for 2gb, and dropping a sound card in it soon,

ive noticed that my local bus company runs mdt data, i am wondering if that is legal to decode?'
i have an 800mhz Motorola VRM modem, but unsure of the legalities of that?

the VOIP idea was a really good one ive been thinking about, but i am more interested in ROIP lately, but unable to find information on a low end ROIP Device