Running Calls and Streaming with Raspberry Pi issues

[rattlerbb01]

Good afternoon,

I have had a Raspberry Pi for a while now with which I downloaded the BCFy image and installed it. I’ve got a TV hooked up through HDMI and a wireless-USB keyboard and mouse as well. I’ve had the issue though that when I plug in my RTL-SDR, the keyboard and mouse no longer work. Kind of has be stuck at this point as I can’t navigate the OS and find out what the issue is when both are plugged in.

Also, due to this I haven’t been able to get the Calls set up yet nor have I tried running ProScan or any other streaming program.

Just looking for any resources you guys may have to get started and make it work.

 

[a417]

Can you connect to the raspi via SSH, instead of the TV via HDMI & USB wireless keyboard and mouse?

 

[rattlerbb01]

Can you connect to the raspi via SSH, instead of the TV via HDMI & USB wireless keyboard and mouse?

I haven’t tried to set that up but when I’m back home late tonight I will try it. I didn’t know about it but after googling SSH it seems like that’s the way to go. Do you have a recommendation on a free SSH client/program or otherwise that I can install on my laptop before I get back?

 

[a417]

PuTTY.

It's the way to go. Once you get ssh working and you're familiar with it, you'll see how much better it is than what you're fighting with right now.

 

[DC31]

With ssh you will be limited to command line operations. If you want the gui desktop, connect via VNC. The piOS comes with RealVNC server preloaded, you just need to enable the VNC interface and then figure out how to make the VNC connection, whether it be local or over the internet.

 

[a417]

With ssh you will be limited to command line operations. If you want the gui desktop, connect via VNC. The piOS comes with RealVNC server preloaded, you just need to enable the VNC interface and then figure out how to make the VNC connection, whether it be local or over the internet.

...there is X forwarding (which i feel is beyond the scope of this thread, considering the OPs apparent familiarity), which I use exclusively.

 

[rattlerbb01]

I’ve used putty working on network issues in the oilfield in our datavans before, but yes I am a novice at best with networking, however once I’ve worked with something I figure it out and retain it. I’m studying up on this now, thanks for the leads.

 

[rattlerbb01]

I guess I am curious though as to why the HDMI display works fine but the USB interface on the RP doesn’t seem to be able to handle 2 inputs?

 

[rattlerbb01]

Okay, so I am back again. I've had the realVNC setup working nicely for a few weeks, and the stream has been up solid the whole time. I am working on the trunk-recorder calls ingest now, and getting nowhere after trying several things with the config.json file. I actually had this working last year before a job change took the laptop that I had it working on before, and that is no help to me trying to figure out how to make it work now on the pi4. So that said, here is my file (redacted the API Key):

{
"ver": 2,
"sources": [{
"center": 771.50000,
"rate": 2048000,
"ppm": 60.0,
"gain": 30.0,
"digitalLevels": 5,
"digitalRecorders": 4,
"driver": "osmosdr",
"device": "rtl=0"
}],
"systems": [{
"control_channels": [769.41875, 769.70625, 770.16875, 770.45625, 770.91875],
"type": "p25",
"shortName": "LCRA Bergheim",
"audioArchive": false,
"broadcastifyApiKey": "REDACTED",
"broadcastifySystemId": "2806"
}],
"broadcastifyCallsServer": "https://api.broadcastify.com/call-upload",
"controlWarnRate": 5,
"callTimeout": 0.75,
"frequencyFormat": "mhz",
"captureDir": "/home/pi/bcfy/audio",
}

Any help would be appreciated. Here is the error message I get trying to start it:

Enter action: 1
Starting trunk-recorder...
● trunk-recorder.service - BCFY Trunk Recorder Service
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/trunk-recorder.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: activating (auto-restart) (Result: exit-code) since Wed 2023-10-04 10:53:16 CDT; 1s ago
Process: 6098 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c /home/pi/bcfy/trunk-recorder/recorder --config=/home/pi/bcfy/configs/trunk-recorder/config.json >> /home/pi/bcfy/logs/trunk-recorder.log 2>&1 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Main PID: 6098 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Press [Enter] to return to the main menu...

 

[wgbecks]

Good afternoon,

I’ve got a TV hooked up through HDMI and a wireless-USB keyboard and mouse as well. I’ve had the issue though that when I plug in my RTL-SDR, the keyboard and mouse no longer work.

I am a little late to this thread and see that you've been using VNC as a work around and that's a perfectly good solution.
However, the problem with multiple USB devices not playing well with each other has apparently gone unresolved.

I suspect the power supply used for your Raspberry Pi is incapable of supplying the D.C. current demand when all of your USB devices
are connected at the same time. To investigate this is so desired, I would suggest running dmesg from the command line and look
for any instances of "Under-voltage detected! (0x00050005)" messages appearing in the log that would confirm a power supply issue.

The log can be cleared by submitting sudo dmesg -c followed by a reboot to clear existing history and restart logging over again.
Correction of hardware issues and under voltage can then be confirmed by resubmitting dmesg periodically following the reboot and
at any time that you connect additional devices to your Raspberry Pi.

 

[rattlerbb01]

I am a little late to this thread and see that you've been using VNC as a work around and that's a perfectly good solution.
However, the problem with multiple USB devices not playing well with each other has apparently gone unresolved.

I suspect the power supply used for your Raspberry Pi is incapable of supplying the D.C. current demand when all of your USB devices
are connected at the same time. To investigate this is so desired, I would suggest running dmesg from the command line and look
for any instances of "Under-voltage detected! (0x00050005)" messages appearing in the log that would confirm a power supply issue.

The log can be cleared by submitting sudo dmesg -c followed by a reboot to clear existing history and restart logging over again.
Correction of hardware issues and under voltage can then be confirmed by resubmitting dmesg periodically following the reboot and
at any time that you connect additional devices to your Raspberry Pi.

I'll check into this, but I now only have the SDR and the USB Sound Card running.

 

[DC31]

Try removing the comma at the end of the Capture_Directory line

 

[rattlerbb01]

Try removing the comma at the end of the Capture_Directory line

Okay, that worked to get it running from the BCFY Shell. It shows active (running) enabled. Still hasn't populated any calls even though I've heard plenty of them on the stream. Head scratching continues....

 

[DC31]

I would suggest disabling the systemd service that starts it automatically, then run it manually. That will make it much easier to pinpoint your problem.

to disable: sudo systemctl disable trunk-recorder.service

reboot the pi

start trunk recorder:
/home/pi/bcfy/trunk-recorder/recorder --config=/home/pi/bcfy/configs/trunk-recorder/config.json >> /home/pi/bcfy/logs/trunk-recorder.log 2>&1

(above all on one line)

 

[DC31]

The log file might have some good info

/home/pi/bcfy/logs/trunk-recorder.log

 

[rattlerbb01]

The log file might have some good info

/home/pi/bcfy/logs/trunk-recorder.log

Okay, that was a big help. I did find that I had the frequencies in what I thought was the right format, but they were actually logging as .00769 MHz instead of 769.000 and such. I fixed that, then realized that my center frequency was off as well for this site so I fixed that so it would catch all the frequencies there. Now I am waiting to see if it worked, kind of slow now.

 

[rattlerbb01]

still. not. uploading. logs act like it isn't finding a control channel but in the gqrx program the signal is great with gain at 30.0. I ran rtl_test -p to get the PPM reading as the wiki said, and got -10 which I plugged into the correct line in config.json. It is showing that it is connected from the BCFY shell, but still getting this on logs and of course the calls management page says "never" seen still:

[2023-10-04 22:05:37.008115] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Control Channel Message Decode Rate: 0.666667/sec, count: 2
[2023-10-04 22:05:40.000688] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Retuning to Control Channel: 770.456250 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:40.000910] (info) - System Source 0 - Min Freq: 769.040000 MHz Max Freq: 770.960000 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:40.001085] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Control Channel Message Decode Rate: 1/sec, count: 3
[2023-10-04 22:05:43.002254] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Retuning to Control Channel: 770.918750 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:43.002815] (info) - System Source 0 - Min Freq: 769.040000 MHz Max Freq: 770.960000 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:43.003043] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Control Channel Message Decode Rate: 1/sec, count: 3
[2023-10-04 22:05:46.007195] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Retuning to Control Channel: 769.418750 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:46.007646] (info) - System Source 0 - Min Freq: 769.040000 MHz Max Freq: 770.960000 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:46.007828] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Control Channel Message Decode Rate: 1/sec, count: 3
[2023-10-04 22:05:49.009434] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Retuning to Control Channel: 769.706250 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:49.009843] (info) - System Source 0 - Min Freq: 769.040000 MHz Max Freq: 770.960000 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:49.010037] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Control Channel Message Decode Rate: 1/sec, count: 3
[2023-10-04 22:05:52.002532] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Retuning to Control Channel: 770.168750 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:52.002774] (info) - System Source 0 - Min Freq: 769.040000 MHz Max Freq: 770.960000 MHz
[2023-10-04 22:05:52.003092] (error) [LCRA Bergheim] Control Channel Message Decode Rate: 1/sec, count: 3

 

[rattlerbb01]

I'm back at it again, trying different things with my config file. Still cannot get this thing up and going. The log still looks like above, like it isn't locking onto a control channel and thereby not capturing any calls. I've tried playing with the ppm, the gain, and rate and nothing I am doing is working so far.

 

[DC31]

My guess is that it is your ppm. I find that to be all trial and error. Nothing that I can help you with.

 

[rattlerbb01]

My guess is that it is your ppm. I find that to be all trial and error. Nothing that I can help you with.

I’ve tried -60 to 60 so far, it keeps saying error. I’m pouring through google and here, I’ve tried different people’s working config files too. I am sure it is one tiny little digit I’ve overlooked somewhere, it says it’s running but logs show not locking onto anything and Calls management still shows never online