Radio Recorder/Logger needed for Fire Department

[dbono97]

Hi,

I am head of the IT division of our fire district and am working on putting together a system that will record our radio traffic 24/7 for post incident review. Ideally, I would like to monitor and record three channels: our main talkgroup (dispatch and routine incidents), our secondary talkgroup (large scale incidents), and our multi-agency talkgroup (incidents requiring traffic from both fire and law enforcement).

I would like the software to record all three simultaineously via a timeline (easy access and review). I can set up three radios set to the three talkgroups required and also have multiple sounds cards for the computer/recorder to capture the radios' audio.

I just don't know where to go to get a powerful and usable software solution to fit our needs. I would prefer the audio to be network accessible so the administrative staff can easily access the audio from their own computers.

I understand the hardware side, just at a loss regarding software.


Let me know what you think.

 

[N_ALSCAN]

I have been researching this same type system for several years for my personal use.

From my research, the timeline review is going to be the sticking point that will cost you.

There several different software packages that will record multiple streams simultaneously.

As a test, you can try one of the free (or low cost) scanner recording packages. Several of them have the capability of running multiple copies at once, so you can record more than one audio input.

The most viable alternative to a commercial stand-alone logger is NCH software's VRS multichannel call logger. I have used this with an M-Audio 1010LT multi-channel audio card (card is less than $200,) and it works well.

For listening to VRS Call logging audio across the network, NCH offers a remote control program and a remote listen program. I only used these a few times, just enough to see them work.

The VRS software is priced today at about $540. They do offer a free trial, so you can test your hardware and see if it will suit your needs.

Your most robust and best approach will probably be a real audio logger, such as an Eventide. Especially, if you want to play back with a multi-channel timeline. I have yet to find any software that shows an audio timeline that isn't on a commercial audio logger. Someone PLEASE let me know if they know of one!

I would suggest contacting Eventide Audio Loggers to see what their pricing is. I keep a printout of their VR615 model on my office wall. Some people put cars on their walls, others scantily clad women.... Me, radios and firearms....

Rob

 

[exkalibur]

Stay away from the NICE brand of voice loggers. Nothing but problems, and their service support is terrible.

Eventide makes a fantastic product which is easy to use and trouble free.

 

[mmckenna]

VPI Voiceprint is what we use in the dispatch at work.
Even though you said it would be for post incident review, it could always be subpoenaed, so make sure you do it right.
You'll need an appropriate timing source to tag correct and accurate time code on the recordings. This is usually done with a GPS time source. We just installed a Spectracom NetClock. 9483 NetClock Time Server

The voice print will run on a server and can be accessed by others, it includes access control.

If you are going to do the NetClock, check into what other equipment you have that may benefit from a common/accurate time source. There is of course NTP, but there are a number of other formats that work outside a standard Ethernet network, like timecode, IRIG etc, that you may need.

 

[jeatock]

The most viable alternative to a commercial stand-alone logger is NCH software's VRS multichannel call logger. I have used this with an M-Audio 1010LT multi-channel audio card (card is less than $200,) and it works well.

Ditto on both.

Equipment depends on your 'bulletproofness' requirements, budget, and preparedness for supeonas.

I have a similar system set up miles away from a PSAP to provide an "Alternate Perspective" to a public safety system. The PSAP runs Eventide boxes, but they see things from the hardwire-audio console side on base-TX. My system sees things from the field side and tells me a lot about actual transmitted audio quality, TX site selection, loss of base ERP and harmful interference. The two both compliment and back up each other.

I do not bother using any sort of recall software. Instead I save the audio files (converted to mp3 format) to browse-able sub-folders on a XP-Pro SP3 box doing double duty as an IIS web server. For replay you browse to the channel directory, then scroll down to the time. File names equate to channel-day-time.mp3. Technically, this is an unofficial 'hobby endeavor" so my files automatically evaporate after 21 days.

I also share one of the (six) channels with ScannerCast for my RR feed, and another with TwoToneDetect (the old version) as an "backup belt for our belt AND suspenders" paging system.

My VHF audio sources are an untidy stack of old(er) wideband or blown TX-PA or two-channel mobile radios connected through an amplified multi-coupler to a 6db 8-foot marine antenna. Disable all TX!!! One scans while the others are fixed on a single channel. 800 trunking comes through a 396 (?) HH fed from a commercial 7/800 antenna.

The whole thing is UGLY, so I hide it in a closet and use Remote Desktop to administer. Word of caution: when logging in using RD, disable bringing remote audio to your local computer. NCH, ScannerCast and TwoToneDetect all go bonkers and you have to reboot the server.

The system has grown along the way, and adding a new feature results in doing a lot of touchy-feely tweeking to get things back in balance. By and large, once it is set right it operates pretty stable. Scheduled rebooting at 4AM daily helps out a lot.

PS: My friendly local Sheriff doesn't use encryption on the channels I feed (very much, anyway). Instead we have an agreement that he can call me 24/7 and I will log into the server using Remote Desktop and selectivly turn parts of my RR feed off for the duration of some "special tactical" activity. A good working relationship is a key factor.

 

[Confuzzled]

I am head of the IT division of our fire district ...

I wouldn't try to cobble anything together using consumer parts.

Go with Eventide or something similar that's made for the job. 'Course, I don't know your budget either.

 

[R8000]

I deal with Eventide at our radio shop, and it's not bad stuff. The ONLY bad thing about Eventide is the DVD write drives going out after two years if you do 24/7 archiving to them. The HDD will record for damn near ever. It's the DVD if you want to make a library that you need. You can choose for the unit to always update the DVD until it's full. Doing this, wears out the drive. We have had a handful of these go bad. Recently Eventide announced they are changing mfg's of DVD drives to help this problem. Time will tell. Even with the DVD drive problem, they are still not bad and pretty easy to setup and admin.

If your going to record public safety communications on behalf of an official agency, you need a professional logging recorder. The first big court case you encounter, you will be glad you did.

The NICE loggers...a few of my customers have them and are quite happy with them. The NICE vendor is very easy to work with and has given them top notch service. Word Systems out of Indy. That's just been my experience in having to work with the NICE vendor.

 

[jeatock]

I wouldn't try to cobble anything together using consumer parts.

Go with Eventide or something similar that's made for the job. 'Course, I don't know your budget either.

No argument here. In Illinois the ICC requires PSAP recording of all 911-call-related telephone and radio traffic. Hopefully, the trunking system administrator or PSAP has the correct professional equipment already in place doing the legally required archiving.

As I understood the original question, the poster was looking for a department (vs. system-wide) immediate local review software solution. I am happy with the $X00 NCH software for my limited and "unofficial" purposes.

While official recordings are available on request, I agree with the value of being able to locally and immediately point-click-replay selected channels of department interest, as opposed to requesting recordings and getting them "after a while". In many places I work with, getting official recordings is not a problem and they are happy and willing to deliver, but immediate access is often limited to authorized PSAP staff physically located in the PSAP building.

Having a down and dirty local replay may mean that the PSAP would not have to handle an outside request if the reason for the replay is simply to verify that things were done correctly. As I grow more experienced (read as getting older) I often find that a problem that I thought I heard didn't really exist.

There is also an advantage in getting an alternate viewpoint of radio traffic. Repeating my earlier post, PSAP recorders most commonly catch base-to-mobile traffic on the line being sent to the radio system- what was actually received by the mobile users may be different; poor audio quality, system failures, harmful interference, etc. may show up in the field but not on the official recording. Having an end user reference allows documented comparison of the two, and is an invaluable tool in resolving technical and proceedural issues.

Vendor's and some PSAP administrators may dislike and discourage this practice, as it has the potential for uncovering technical or proceedural issues that they prefer be kept below the radar. The bottom line is that a local alternate solution is easy, quick and inexpensive, and keeps everyone honest. A word or caution: in these litigation-happy times EVERYTHING is subject to supeona or FOI request.

----


PS: If the technical resources are available, a local recording system can also be used to catch traffic on channels that the PSAP may not hear or does not record. For example our local (and very professional) PSAP is located ten miles from my volunteer department's area, and can't hear our simplex 5-watt portable VHF analog fireground traffic on the state-wide FG-Red channel. My local system does.