Remote Monitoring with BlackBerry

[KE4RWS]

I know there are apps to listen to streaming radio traffic using your BlackBerry or with other smart phones, however, I'm curious if there's an app that allows monitoring of your own scanner using only your phone?

I have a PSR-600 and use Win500. Although there's a really great app built in that lets you monitor your home scanner from other locations using a PC, it would be nice if there was an app that let you do the same thing using your smart phone. Many times RR Mobile doesn't offer monitoring relative to one's listening area. This is where an app like this would be of great value because it would allow you to get a lot more use from a scanner that primarily sits on your desk at home.

I've done some searching but haven't found anything allowing this so I thought I'd throw it out there in case I've just missed it somewhere.


Randy

 

[CqDx]

One could probably use the Remote Monitoring function of most scanner control software and set up your computer as a streaming server. You will need to know what your home network's external IP address is (which is easy to figure out).

Alternatively, you can use Shoutcast which basiclly is designed for internet radio stations but work quite well with scanner too. The only drawback is you cannot read the real time alpha tags on the scanner.

I plan on setting up something similar next week. My workplace is a faraday cage and I would like to be able to listen in with my scanners at home and my body at work.

Oh by the way, I hope you have unlimited data plan!

 

[LANEWZ]

Here at work we just dial into our scanner. It really is very simple, just get an auto answer telephone hybrid or coupler, plug scanner audio (line out) into unit and your golden.

With all the free friends and family or free calls to anywhere plans offers by wireless carriers this method can work out fine in your application. Best part it does not require you to get an online to stream the audio to your blackberry. And in most case the audio quality is much better with very little delay than the streams on RR.

Of course this setup will tie-up your telephone line but maybe you have more than one line or can use that “Magic Jack” thing available at Radio Shack.

The system has proven to be very reliable often times we are dialed into the scanner for 6-14 hours with out a hang-up. Once I was able to stay connected from Las Vegas, Nevada to Zyzzyx Road in CA well beyond Baker, CA

Link to a our coupler/Hybrid of choice: JK Audio

You can also find them used on ebay.

EOM

 

[TES]

. . . I have a PSR-600 and use Win500. Although there's a really great app built in that lets you monitor your home scanner from other locations using a PC, it would be nice if there was an app that let you do the same thing using your smart phone . . .

Actually StarrSoft.com's Win500 offers a free remote client that works flawlessly for remote monitoring and control of Smart Phones provided the phone is running Windows Mobile 5.0 or later . It just won't work with the BlackBerry.

 

[KE4RWS]

Here at work we just dial into our scanner. It really is very simple, just get an auto answer telephone hybrid or coupler, plug scanner audio (line out) into unit and your golden.

With all the free friends and family or free calls to anywhere plans offers by wireless carriers this method can work out fine in your application. Best part it does not require you to get an online to stream the audio to your blackberry. And in most case the audio quality is much better with very little delay than the streams on RR.

Of course this setup will tie-up your telephone line but maybe you have more than one line or can use that “Magic Jack” thing available at Radio Shack.

The system has proven to be very reliable often times we are dialed into the scanner for 6-14 hours with out a hang-up. Once I was able to stay connected from Las Vegas, Nevada to Zyzzyx Road in CA well beyond Baker, CA

Link to a our coupler/Hybrid of choice: JK Audio

You can also find them used on ebay.

EOM

That is indeed neat setup. However, I was speaking more of utilizing the 3G connection on my BlackBerry Storm vs. the phone line itself, as I have an unlimited data plan. But with the $795 price tag for the Inkeeper you mentioned, I would elect to just buy another scanner (likely a PSR-500 . . . or 2) to carry with me. Even used, I would still be able to buy one scanner to do what I'm looking for.

I was merely trying to determine if there was a low-cost program that would allow remote monitoring the way Win500 does with another PC. I have an older Dell PDA utilizing Windows Mobile 5.0 that would work but that requires a WiFi connection wherever you go, which has HUGE limitations not to mention requires carrying an additional device.

So it seems there really is nothing out there just yet that will work with the standard smart phone (at least not the way I'm looking for). But it will be really neat when you can simply use your favored smart phone with a small program, such as the one supplied with Win500 that works with other PC's, to be able to monitor and control your scanner remotely

Again, I was speaking more of just using my smart phone and it's 3G connection to provide the link to my existing PSR-600.


Randy

 

[Citywide173]

I'm not too familiar with the Win500 program, but if you run Scannercast, all you would have to do is dial the IP/port into your media player, or use the "Custom Scanners" section of BB Scanner to add your IP/port to make it available on that app. I currently have about 10-15 custom entries on my BB Scanner, and use them more than I do the RR feeds.

 

[Astrak]

WIN500client works great on WinMo. Don has stated that he won't make a version for other OS's and doesn't update the version for WinMo.

 

[KE4RWS]

I appreciate the input received so far

I ended up registering through BBScanner and will just stream my audio through thier service whenever needed. Although I would have preferred to *see* more info coming across, this will at least allow me to boradcast my listening preference(s) while mobile. I can still remotely make changes as necessary so long as I have access to a PC, and for now that will have to do.

I would've just become an audio feed provider here at RR and used that feed but I only have one digital scanner at the moment and wouldn't be able to commit it for fulltime use for that purpose. Maybe later on things will change on my end and I'll be able to provide a feed 24/7, which would fill a void that is obviously present right now.

Thanks again everyone


Randy

 

[LANEWZ]

Using a telephone coupler is the most reliable way of monitoring a remote scanners audio. And who says you can’t have it all, Internet and telephone audio!

Yeah I guess the price of the new coupler is more than a new digital scanner. But I do find them used on eBay all the time; expect to pay about $120 for a good used unit for your application, make sure it has auto answer.


View link: JK Audio AutoHybrid *Slightly Used* - eBay (item 110503304225 end time Mar-16-10 07:41:48 PDT)