Broadcastify Raspberry Pi Feed Appliance Image v1.0 (BETA)

gillham

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
219
Location
People's Republik of Massachusetts
So I'm playing with spinning up a new Pi, and potentially applying for a new feed. But instead of using the soundcard, I'd like to try using my RTL-SDR.

I started following the direction on trunk-recorder's GitHub and it just doesn't seem to want to make correctly using the Bcfy RPi image. I'm not sure if this is better suited here, or in the SDR subforum..

I'm half tempted to try doing this in Ubuntu LTS for RPi, but I haven't even scraped the surface in looking for directions on setting up being a provider and doing that using Ubuntu - would hate to go down a rabbit hole of setting up a trunk-recorder, and figuring everything out - to find out that the best way to do it is using the Bcfy RPi image.
 

doabbs

Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2004
Messages
34
Location
Milton, NH
Hi first thanks for creating this easy to use image. I just installed it and noticed it's running on Buster which hasn't received security or any other updates since September last year. Are there any plans to update this image to Bullseye or Bookworm? If I wanted to start from scratch is there a download of the Broadcastify tools available for install via apt?
 

Cowboyinky69

Newbie
Joined
Dec 6, 2023
Messages
1
I'm excited to announce the release of the "New and Improved" Broadcastify Raspberry Pi Feed Appliance Image in beta format for your review and implementation.

The image should support most Raspberry Pi hardware from Pi version 2 through the latest Raspberry Pi 4 hardware.


The image features the following preconfigured and installed software.
  • Darkice - Audio Streamer for Broadcastify Feeds (up to 4 feeds)
  • Trunk Recorder - SDR Trunked Radio Capture Software for Broadcastify Calls
  • RTL-Airband - SDR Capture and Broadcastify Feed Software for AM Aircraft
  • VoxCall - Broadcastify Calls Audio Capture Software
  • BCFY Shell - Management shell for configuration, management, and update of Broadcastify Feed Services
For those of you interested in running a trunk-recorder Broadcastify Calls node, Trunk Recorder has been compiled with multiple airspy support.

Your feedback and questions are welcome.
Any support for Raspberry Pi 5?
 

Kingscup

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
639
I am trying to re-download the RPi image and I keep receiving this error. I am not sure if it is on my end or RR end.


IMG_0347.jpeg
 

Kingscup

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
639
Download the RPI image file to your computer, then flash it from the file. The download from the link appears to be security blocked on most browsers.

Thank you but I ended up installing trunk recorder version 5.0 and i am glad i did. It has been fine tuned and probably uses a third of the resources of the Broadcastify image version. I was able to add more talkgroups and it got rid of of some annoying interference i was dealing with.
 

K4sok

Newbie
Feed Provider
Joined
Feb 3, 2024
Messages
3
Good morning All,

First time poster here,

I am new to setting up a PI for broadcastify, and first time PI user. Please take it easy on my lack of knowledge.

The sage begins when the feed I used to follow was taken offline with not sight of it coming back, i thought it would be nice to pick up where someone left off. That said I'm here:

I bought a Canakit Raspberry PI IV, with 8gm memory and using a 64gb sd card. Sabrent USB sound card, and NOOELEC RTL SDR.

I was able to finally flash the card with the steps provided on the broadcastify website, the only change was i had to download the file first them flash, flash from the weblink would not work. Fast forward to the current problem.

Problem #1 - I have a USB sound card I installed into the USB port on the PI, but when I put a speaker to it and watch a video there is no audio output. how do i fix this?

Next: I was able to click on the BCFY Shell icon and open it and follow the steps to setting up the PI, I configured Darkice as per the Darkice feed setup instruction. I was able to get the PI online with Broadcastify. However here is where the saga starts. I bought a RTL SDR, that is the source of my scanner (not an external scanner that i can plug into my usb sound card), what software are you using for the RTL SDR? I am having a hard time with the proper setup and audio configurations of the RTL SDR. I tried to download software for the RTL SDR, I open it and I see the interface, but how do I interface this with the Broadcastify software using the USB sound card? or even if the USB sound card is needed. I selected the USE sound card in the darkice setup, and the system will log in and get online. The other options I have is loopback 1 and loopback 2 under the darkice setup, when I selected the loopback 1 or 2 the PI never registers with Broadcastify and goes into a loop. Only when I select the usb sound card does the PI log in and show online with Broadcastify, but of course I don't have an external scanner. So again, how do I use the RTL SDR and get its audio online? What software and configurations do I need to implement?

Sorry for the long winded post, but I am lost for words on what to try next.

HELP!!!
 

K4sok

Newbie
Feed Provider
Joined
Feb 3, 2024
Messages
3
The Raspberry Pi is notorious for a common ground problem which causes this issue for multiple feeds.

The solution is to install a ground loop isolator for each feed. They are cheap and basically required equipment for most feeds, since they also remove noise and hum from feeds.

I've used more than 20 of these for every single radio I own and every feed that I provide.

Link: Mpow Ground Loop Noise Isolator for Car Audio/Home Stereo System with 3.5mm Audio Cable (Black)

View attachment 102670
this is only needed if you have an external scanner? im trying to configure a RTL SDR and having problems.
 

doctorwizz

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
51
Location
MD
this is only needed if you have an external scanner? im trying to configure a RTL SDR and having problems.
External scanner only. You need to use SDRTrunk with the RTL and PI. There is an Linux image out there with many SDR programs installed. Including SDRTrunk. Called Dragon OS
Make sure to watch some video tutorials on how to setup SDRTrunk. It has a built in broadcaster for broadcastify.
 

K4sok

Newbie
Feed Provider
Joined
Feb 3, 2024
Messages
3
External scanner only. You need to use SDRTrunk with the RTL and PI. There is an Linux image out there with many SDR programs installed. Including SDRTrunk. Called Dragon OS
Make sure to watch some video tutorials on how to setup SDRTrunk. It has a built in broadcaster for broadcastify.
thanks for this, however after much consideration, i think the SDR is not the best choice since I am a HAM and i transmit close to the SDR and this is not recommended. I am going to transition to a Baofeng radio and a different build using the PI and a sound card setup.
 

RF-Burns

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
May 5, 2007
Messages
376
I have all the necessary hardware to get this going. I would be willing to pay somebody if they would remote into my system and get this up and running for me.

I currently have a calls platform using SDR Trunk but want to use it OP25 or Trunk recorder on the Raspberry Pi to make it stable.

I am only looking for one site with about 30 talkgroups.

Reach out to me at dkzn9629@gmail.com if interested.
 

Indianabrad

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
251
Location
Jasper County, IN.
This little Intel Nuc was recently released, it runs Win 11 and is only $170.00. It's about the same size of a Pi but will do so much more than those jokes of a so called computer. I stream my BCFY feed with a very small Lenovo mini PC that I got on eBay 3 yrs ago used for $100 bucks. And on a small PC you can run RadioFeed, what more could you want? I admin mine remotely and don't even have a monitor on it.
 

RF-Burns

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
May 5, 2007
Messages
376
This little Intel Nuc was recently released, it runs Win 11 and is only $170.00.


I wonder how it would handle the calls platform running two large systems. Right now my mini Lenovo Computer computer will run one system but as soon as I add in the second control channel it locks up. So I've switched it to my large desktop Lenovo and it works fine.
 

KA0KDW

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
325
Location
Polk County, Mo
I ran the image back when it was first released. At that time the image didn’t support running alpha tags…therefore, the feed I run was swapped back to a laptop with scanner cast. Does this prebuilt image support alpha tags? Or is that still a no go?
 
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