Return to Bote's Radio Nexus home page
Updated 2024.04.04
Listen for yourself wherever you are. Amazon links help support the hosting of this personal web site. TNX.
Railroads have been pushed to adopt so-called narrowband modes and the industry as a whole has settled on NXDN, which is a digital mode jointly developed by Kenwood and Icom. Florida East Coast Railway is threatening to switch to NXDN under pressure by their parent company Grupo Mexico, but so far is still operating in good old analog FM mode, as God intended. Be ready when they finally do switch to NXDN.
BCD260DN mobile NXDN railroad scanner
BCD160DN portable NXDN railroad scanner
SDS200 mobile P25 police+fire scanner
boteradio Twitter feed for noteworthy public safety incidents around Fort Lauderdale or the Keys.
boterail Twitter feed for noteworthy on-sheet reports and other railroad tweets on F.E.C., CSX, NS, or wherever I roam.
TrackStreamer blog for the latest status updates on my feeds. This web page rarely changes and describes each feed in detail.
I also set up a Fakeblock group that I update only rarely. If it's important I will post it on FB as well as on my blogspot.
TrackStreamer blog - Updates to the channel line-up and other news related to the feeds.
Icecast server status — in case you're not sure if it's your junk that's broken.
Icecast directory - Directory to some Icecast scanner streams, when it works.
Icecast home — Explains all about Icecast, how to set up a server to stream audio out to the Internet, discussion forum, etc.
Radio Feed — the perfect streaming encoder for most Uniden scanners.
VSThost — container for audio processing plug-ins: equalization, compression, volume leveling, etc.
WinAmp — mp3 player; version 5.66 is the best player for files and Internet audio streams; WinAmp is what you need to listen to this feed on a PC.
Scanner Radio app — for Android. Check the Apple app store for the iOS version.
Virtual Audio Cable — Windows software audio loopback driver, worth the price for what it allows you to do.
Fire Chief's Association of Broward County — complete listing of fire stations in Broward County straight from the horse's mouth.
FLA Keys Events — events that might produce interesting radio traffic in the Florida Keys.
Monroe Sheriff calls — Monroe County, FLA calls for police and fire service.
Sabrent USB sound dongle — add an inexpensive USB sound card to your desktop or laptop computer to get scanner audio into your computer for your own scanner feed.
Streaming audio feeds like mine allow you to hear the scanner radio anywhere in the world that you have an Internet connection. You can listen on your desktop or laptop computer using WinAmp or other media player, or on your phone or tablet using its built-in player or the HTML5 web page players in the Listen Links pane.
My streaming audio feeds listen to fire department and railroad radios around Fort Lauderdale and Key West, Florida. It's a niche hobby and I put these up mainly to listen to them myself, but you are welcome to tune in if they interest you.
If you just can't wait to listen properly, use the HTML5 player widget in the Listen Links pane. This is bare-bones, but at least you'll be able to hear with no fuss. Google's Chrome browser is a little better for streaming audio like this. You should still use WinAmp on a PC for maximum listening enjoyment.
You should listen to these feeds using WinAmp, as that does the best job that I have found. It is free. Rumors of the death of WinAmp are premature, WinAmp is NOT dead! It is widely used. Shoutcast was written by the same people as WinAmp so they were made for each other, and Icecast follows on the heels of Shoutcast. There are numerous plug-ins and skins for it to enhance your enjoyment of it. Plus, you don't have to be insane or totally high to figure out how to use it like those Brand-X players.
Here is a WinAmp equalizer file that will make the audio a little easier to listen to. It rolls off the highs and the bass a little bit for better communications-grade audio.
VideoLAN player is freeware and displays channel tags. It's not as compact as WinAmp nor does it have all the skins and other fancy features, but it's a quick and simple way to listen.
Gordon Edwards wrote Scanner Radio, an app for Android and iPhone that is homed to Broadcastify, but allows you to add other feeds (like mine) as favorites.
Scanner Radio for Android is freeware and displays channel tags.
You only have to do this once. Open this web page in your phone's web browser. Copy the URL above the desired feed player in the Listen Links pane (hold and select Copy Link).
Now switch to the Scanner Radio app. Touch the hamburger menu -> Browse directory -> Custom scanners -> tap the + (plus) button, then type a friendly name, paste the URL into the next field, and tap ADD. Add this to your Scanner Radio favorites to return to it easily. Repeat these steps with all the feeds you wish.
Windows Media Player will work, but it does not display channel tags to tell you what you're hearing. Plus, you must sell your soul to Bill Gates in order to use it. Apple's iTunes also works on mp3 streams, but can be inscrutable in its operation.
There are quite a few sites with Android apps that pirate my feed as their own. Each one has its own quirks and I can't say how well they work, so good luck to you!
TuneIn Radio works, and they finally got my feed details mostly right.
The server is Icecast version 2.4.0 running on a linux box at a friend's place in Colorado.
VSThost improves the audio before sending it to the server with RadioFeed.
NovaEQ plug-in by Tokyo Dawn Research provides some frequency equalization to band-limit the audio. ALC (Automatic Level Control) to smooth out the large dynamic range between the whisperers and shouters is provided by LoudMax.
The streaming software on my end is RadioFeed. It is simple to set up and works reliably. You can find configuration instructions on Radio Reference.
For useful tips on setting up and optimizing your own scanner radio feed see my Google Document for all the details.
If there is a noteworthy railroad incident and I am aware of it, I will post it on my boterail Twitter feed.
Since the start of BrightLine passenger revenue service they had been announcing their milepost and speed to trains that they meet or overtake and also approaching passenger stations, so that can be a good way to hear who is where. In fact, as the radio codeline is replaced by fiber optic cable these radio streams will be the only way to know where FEC trains are because we will lose our hobbyist view into their ATC system.
Radio: AirSpy R2 for Bote's Florida East Coast Railway feeds. They aint cheap, but they're good! And they're not stuck in the past like old Motorola junk.
The stereo audio streams at 32kbits/sec which is economical on your mobile data plan. The road channels are heard on the Right audio channel while the dispatcher and MoW channels are heard on the left channels.
SDR Sharp runs the SDR dongle and simultaneously receives multiple frequencies, so it's better than a scanner.
The advantage of using Software-Defined Radio is that I can set the software for true narrowband receive to get better signal/noise ratio than typical scanners will provide. SDR# sounds really, really good and I am still tweaking it to improve performance. I don't understand how, but it greatly improved my reception range with no other changes here.
Listen to Bote's FEC Ry Fort Lauderdale Streaming Scanner Feed — Icecast server mount point /fecftl
The fully qualified uri to Bote's F.E.C. FtL Feed to copy and paste into your WinAmp player ishttp://listen.trackstreamer.com:8000/fecftl.m3u
Search for "F.E.C. Ry Fort Lauderdale" on TuneIn Radio
Since the F.E.C. operating crews do not call signals (except for that brief time a few years back) this is mostly a quiet feed. The most activity around Fort Lauderdale occurs in the morning as a few southbounds descend on Lauderdale Yard while at least 2 local trains try to squeeze across Port Everglades interlocking to do their work.
Otherwise, the Tri-Rail and sporadic CSX freight traffic can be heard pretty much around the clock. When radio propagation is good you will hear the SX1009.1 defect detector immediately south of Oakland Park Blvd and most trains calling the Manatee SX1008.5 and the SX1010.8 southbound distant signal to Whalen.
If I ever get motivated to improve the antenna system here (or move this feed to somebody's highrise condo--hint, hint) it will hear better, but for now it's barely adequate.
Normal program audio includes:
Listen to Bote's CSX Oakland Park Streaming Scanner Feed — Icecast server mount point /csxop
The fully qualified uri to Bote's CSX Oakland Park Feed to copy and paste into your WinAmp player ishttp://listen.trackstreamer.com:8000/csxop.m3u
Search for "CSX Oakland Park" on TuneIn Radio
Tri-Rail and sporadic CSX freight traffic can be heard pretty much around the clock. Radio propagation varies with the weather, but typical coverage runs from about the Pompano intermediate signal near SX1003 southward to about South Dania interlocking at SX1015.9
See my CSX Railfan Guide for the Miami subdivision
If I ever get motivated to improve the antenna system here (or move this feed to somebody's highrise condo--hint, hint) it will hear better, but for now it's not too shabby.
Listen to Bote's FEC Ry Villa Rica Streaming Scanner Feed — Icecast server mount point /fecboca
The fully qualified uri to Bote's F.E.C. Boca Feed to copy and paste into your WinAmp player ishttp://listen.trackstreamer.com:8000/fecboca.m3u
Search for "F.E.C. Ry Villa Rica" on TuneIn Radio
This is a very quiet feed. In fact, it's not making any sound at all since the hard drive died and I have not gotten around to refurbishing the system. I'm hoping to come up with a much better feed uplink client arrangement that I might even get to install once things get back to normal-ish.
Listen to Bote's FEC Ry Rio Streaming Scanner Feed — Icecast server mount point /fecrio
The fully qualified uri to Bote's F.E.C. Rio Feed to copy and paste into your WinAmp player ishttp://listen.trackstreamer.com:8000/fecrio.m3u
Search for "F.E.C. Ry Rio" on TuneIn Radio
This feed is proposed and not online.
Listen to Bote's Mixer Board Fort Lauderdale Streaming Scanner Feed — Icecast server mount point /botemixer
The fully qualified uri to Bote's Mixer Board to copy and paste into your player ishttp://listen.trackstreamer.com:8000/botemixer.m3u
Search for "Bote's Mixer Board" on TuneIn Radio
If there is a noteworthy fire or water rescue incident and I am here to control the scanner I will focus on that as warranted. Also, I will post it on my Twitter feed.
Fort Lauderdale fire dispatches on their main talkgroup, as ever, but switch to the Broward fire tactical talkgroups for incident response; those are carried on the Wild Feed.
Radios: Uniden BCD99T scanner for the Fort Lauderdale public safety Mixer Board feed.
Audio: VSThost with NovaEQ and LoudMax. A Mackie 1202 mixer board no longer feeds this stream, so it's just another boring fire scanner feed. That is how it got its name, though.
The monaural audio streams at 16kbits/sec with a sample rate of 22050 samples/sec. It sounds pretty great.
Listen to Bote's Wild Feed — Icecast server mount point /botewild
The fully qualified uri to Bote's Wild Feed to copy and paste into your player ishttp://listen.trackstreamer.com:8000/botewild.m3u
Search for "Bote's Wild Feed" on TuneIn Radio
If there is a noteworthy fire or police incident and I am here to control the scanner I will focus on that as warranted. Also, I will post it on my BoteRadio Twitter feed.
The map below shows the areas meant by "east Broward County", roughly every jurisdiction east of I-95; Florida's Turnpike forms the western border of some of them. Even though I concentrate on eastern Broward County, a good portion of fire departments all over Broward County are covered by the dispatch channels on the Wild Feed so you will hear much more. I'm trying to keep the traffic manageable instead of trying to be all things to all people. Plantation has its own trunked system as does Coral Springs, while Pembroke Pines has its own segregated talkgroups on the Broward County system. Don't worry, there is plenty of fire traffic to keep your ears busy without everybody else.
Fire Chief's Association of Broward County lists all fire stations in Broward County.
Police traffic is limited to Broward Sheriff's Office dispatch 7A which covers Oakland Park district 12, Lauderdale Lakes district 4, and unincorporated wild, wild west of Fort Lauderdale district 5. That last district keeps things hopping.
Radios: BCD996P2 scanner.
The monaural audio streams at 16kbits/sec with a sample rate of 22050 samples/sec. It sounds pretty good.
Listen to Bote's Southernmost Feed — Icecast server mount point /botekyw
The fully qualified uri to Bote's Southernmost Feed to copy and paste into your player ishttp://listen.trackstreamer.com:8000/botekyw.m3u
Search for "Bote's Southernmost Feed" on TuneIn Radio
If there is a noteworthy fire or police incident and I am here to control the scanner I will focus on that as warranted. Also, I will post it on my Twitter feed.
Key West is a party town so you will hear calls for girls flashing their tits or couples having sex in public, especially during Fantasy Fest.
The 1/4-wavelength high band groundplane antenna erected in early June 2010 served well, but had to be replaced with a discone. The scanner can hear local VHF marine traffic only as far as Key West bight.
When you see "MONROE FIRE UHF" it is Monroe County fire traffic, but the repeater itself is located in Key West. Monroe County maintains a string of UHF fire repeaters up the Keys, but this is the only one that comes in at milemarker 0. If you hear a ton of paging tones going out you know it's a pretty big incident most times.
If you hear a ton of paging tones going out you know it's a pretty big incident most times. When it gets to be too much I disable the Monroe County fire group to get a break from the endless "medical emergency" calls.
Key West only uses one pair of paging tones for all calls, so you'll get accustomed to hearing them.
The map below shows Monroe County fire stations along the Florida Keys. Key West has fire stations numbered from Station 1 on up. I think Key West also has a Station 9 so that can be confusing.
Radio: BCD996T scanner fed by a discone antenna about 20 feet up.
Location: Anytown, U.S.A.
TrackStreamer status blog
Listen to Bote's Mobile Streaming Scanner Feed — Icecast server mount point /botemobile
The fully qualified uri to Bote's Mobile Feed ishttp://listen.trackstreamer.com:8000/botemobile.m3u
I only operate this mobile feed on long road trips where there will be something interesting to hear.
This feed has whatever my mobile scanner is receiving, usually railroad traffic, but could be public safety, ham radio, or aircraft audio. Check the channel tags in the stream, my Twitter feed, and my TrackStreamer blog for the latest.
Happy monitoring!