About NW Ohio Live Services: "Live Scanner"

This is the first entry of a series of seven blog entries that will provide additional details surrounding all the elements at NW Ohio Live Services (http://nwohio-liveservices.dyndns.org/).

Today's topic is the "Live Scanner" component (http://nwohio-liveservices.dyndns.org/livescanner.html). This is the flagship element of the site, and the original inspiration for all Internet integration activities at NW Ohio Live Services.

The Live Scanner features local public safety radio system audio content from the NW Ohio area with a focus on Greater Toledo and Lucas County Ohio. The Live Scanner is designed to provide individuals with insight into the digital interoperable public safety radio system content that is active in the NW Ohio area with the primary goal of allowing those individuals to make an informed decision regarding the purchase their own digital scanning radio receiver.

The scanner itself is scanning activity on the Lucas County Public Safety system (http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=4239) and the State of Ohio MARCS (http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=901) Toledo tower site. Most dispatch and operational talk groups on both of those systems are enabled on the scanner. There are a handful of non-dispatch, non-operational activity that have been excluded: correctional activity, court security, records channels, medical channels, and encrypted channels, etc. Folks wanting more information regarding the above systems should follow the above links. Also visit the Live Scanner page for links to all of the current brands and models of digital scanning radio receivers that will work with Lucas County and Ohio MARCS.

The Live Scanner is powered by the GRECOM PSR-500 Digital Triple Trunking Handheld Scanner (http://www.greamerica.com/PSR-500.html). This is their first breakthrough handheld model from GRE's latest independent development and manufacturing efforts (GRE also develops and supplies Radio Shack branded equipment). This particular model features many innovative functions: Intuitive "Object Oriented" User Interface Design, Powerful and Flexible Scan List Functionality, Flexible Free-Form Memory Organization, Exclusive ALERT LED, Trunking Control Data Output, Radio ID Information, and more.

The scanner is connected to a computer running StarrSoft Win500 (http://www.starrsoft.com/software/win500/default.asp) software for the screen capture visual and Windows Media Encoder 9 Server (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/default.mspx) for the streaming media functionality. The Live Scanner is currently limited to twelve connections, as all users are directly connected to the server and my personal website bandwidth is limited. Folks can visit the Scan America website for an audio only equivalent of this feed that offers virtually unlimited connections ("NW Ohio Digital & MARCS" at http://lucas.oh.scanamerica.us/index.php). Feel free to visit their site for this feed and additional live scanner feeds.

This wraps up the futher look at the details surrounding the Live Scanner. Stay tuned for the next topic which will cover the Live Weather element in more detail.

(About NW Ohio Live Services - Blog Entry 1 of 7)

2008 NW Ohio Live Services