[grc] [Stubblefield] Using a digital stream as STL to LPFM transmitter site

[Will Floyd]

The Barix boxes are basically little computers that convert analog audio to
digital or the opposite. So yes, another little computer like a Raspberry
Pi or a big desktop can accomplish those tasks. The benefit of the Barix
boxes is that they are easy to set up, and cheaper than other broadcast
quality CODECs.

It's unclear from your email if you are using a line of sight link or the
Internet to connect your studio to the transmitter. Generally, a line of
sight link is more desirable because it is a more direct path that is
immune to problems with the wider Internet and more secure. It's worth
noting that if you are using the Internet for the connection it might be
worth looking into a CODEC with some additional features.

On Thu, Sep 29, 2016 at 5:09 PM, Danny <danny at wspj.org> wrote:

> Our LPFM transmitter site is 6+ miles from our studio without a clean
> line-of-sight because of hills. So, to save time and money, we’ve been
> expecting to use a pair of Barix boxes to move a digital stream from our
> studio to our transmitter.  But a couple of our key people think we can
> skip using one or both Barix boxes.
>
>
>
> Specifically, the person who maintains the Icecast server that hosts our
> webcast feels confident he can create a second private stream of much
> higher quality that can take the place of the need for a Barix box at the
> studio end and another person thinks we can use a “headless internet radio
> player” on a Raspberry Pi instead of a Barix box at the transmitter site.
> He’s looking at https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43108
> especially noting this setup has auto-run upon reboot, which is what we
> want. This is a key person of ours with lots of experience using the
> Raspberry Pi.
>
>
>
> Are one or both of them missing something with these suggestions? Will
> these be viable and reliable ways to avoid paying $1,200 for a pair of
> Barix boxes?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
> Danny
>
> WSPJ-LP Syracuse NY
>
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-- 
Will Floyd
Technical Director | Prometheus Radio Project
will at prometheusradio.org | 215.727.9620 x524