Weather Underground NWS Streaming Project

[anchorageweather]

Hmmm...It would seem the duplication of the streaming broadcasts have begun.  There are now two streams for Orlando.  I wonder if they will cap the number of duplicate streams.  I could easily see New York or LA having dozens of people streaming the broadcast.

[Mark / Ohio]

Hmmm...It would seem the duplication of the streaming broadcasts have begun.  ....

The plus side for them would be a backup for loss of transmissions due to power and equipment failures of the volunteers sending the radio streams.  I'd guess it would depend how much the added bandwidth strains their servers and the cost to add more horsepower on their end if that were to happen.

[anchorageweather]

FYI, I received an email today from the NWS letting me know they had updated their streaming radio page again at:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/streamaudio.htm

They have added several additional streams from the WU project.

[ncpilot]

Can someone go to that NWS link and try to listen to the primary Winnabow, NC station?

mms://weather.nhcfirerescue.org/         (what's an "mms" url?)

I can't get it to work at either work or home, but Art Kraus at NWS says it works for him... (edit... just got a reply from him that it isn't working right now...)

I've tried that station several times in the past, and it has never worked...

Thanks,
Marc

[Anole]

MMS: Microsoft Media Server

It's a Microsoft proprietary protocol used for streaming unicast data.


EDIT: BTW. the URL doesn't work for me either. I can connect but I don't hear anything.

[DundeeWeather]

MMS: Microsoft Media Server

It's a Microsoft proprietary protocol used for streaming unicast data.


EDIT: BTW. the URL doesn't work for me either. I can connect but I don't hear anything.

Same here - I can connect, but there's just dead air.

[saratogaWX]

Ok, I'm a bit late to the party, but Saratoga-Weather.org is now streaming NOAA weather radio (CH 7) for the South SF Bay/Monterey Bay.

http://audiostream.wunderground.com/KCASARATOGA/Saratoga.mp3.m3u

What a hoot!

Now to add the nifty stuff to the website.  

[saratogaWX]

Just a small update.  The NWS page now has me as an alternate for Monterey (Thanks to Art Krause at the NWS).

Special thanks to jmcmurry for showing how the freeware Flash MP3 player (playa) can be used to make a nice, automated page for listening to a set list of NWS streams.  I'd been looking for something like that (free, and not MediaPlayer )

His page: http://www.jcweather.us/playa/radio.htm

My page: http://saratoga-weather.org/radio.php

(I'd converted it to XHTML 1.0-Strict and used the Macromedia/Adobe swfobject.js script to load the player).

[anchorageweather]

My stream won't load at 7:47pm and I get this at WU:



and:




Am I the only one?

[kray1000]

Nope... same here...

[ncpilot]

My stream is fine direct from the WU page...

Winnabow, NC

[kray1000]

Yeah, just came back up.  Outage just lasted a couple minutes or so I think.

[anchorageweather]

Yes, they are back up.... Hmmm interesting guess the gremlins are out and about  

[NoQuitters]

Couldn't get rid of the hum in my stream no matter what I tried. Ground loop isolator, different outlet, different location, etc. Decided it was my radio so I ordered a new one. This is what I got, http://www.ambientweather.com/miwrwealra.html Much better reception and digital as well. Could you check the stream and let me know if the hum is gone on your end?

http://audiostream.wunderground.com/OPwx/OverlandPark.mp3.m3u

[saratogaWX]

It sounds nicely crisp with no hum.  Nice job!
Ken

p.s.  I use the Midland WR-300 too.. great radio.

[wuhu_software]

Couldn't get rid of the hum in my stream no matter what I tried. Ground loop isolator, different outlet, different location, etc. Decided it was my radio so I ordered a new one. This is what I got, http://www.ambientweather.com/miwrwealra.html Much better reception and digital as well. Could you check the stream and let me know if the hum is gone on your end?

http://audiostream.wunderground.com/OPwx/OverlandPark.mp3.m3u

Sounds good to me.

I do not hear any hum or other issues.

[racenet]

Stream sound good.

Nice choice on the radio. I use the same one here and it works fantastic!


Bob

[ncpilot]

I'm looking at that radio also...

I assume, that with the earphone jack used, there is no sound from the speaker? And if that's true, then the alert feature won't be audible around the house?

[racenet]

That is correct. However, it does have an external alert jack also. Thought I haven't tried it, I would assume that if a small speaker was attached to this jack, you would hear the alert tone.

I guess it's something I'm going to need to try out.



Bob

[anchorageweather]

It sounds nicely crisp with no hum.  Nice job!
Ken

p.s.  I use the Midland WR-300 too.. great radio.

This is a great radio.  The only thing I don't like - every time you set the clock alarm the buttons make a sound.  Forget trying to QUIETLY set your alarm if your significant other is already asleep.

-E

[ncpilot]

That is correct. However, it does have an external alert jack also. Thought I haven't tried it, I would assume that if a small speaker was attached to this jack, you would hear the alert tone.

I guess it's something I'm going to need to try out.
Bob

I wouldn't be surprised if that external jack is simply a switch, since the accessories are a light/strobe or siren I believe. So it would only serve as a trigger for the external device...

If the circuitry could handle it, I'm sure the radio could be modified so that the earphone jack doesn't disconnect the main speaker. You'd probably need some kind of impedance/resistance matching circuit.

I guess hearing the alert tone would be useful, but then you'd have to unplug the jack used for uploading so you could hear the alert, unless you went to WU or your webpage and listened to the streaming alert... which then begs the question, how close is the radio/computer to your bed?

Or look at the display to see what the alert was for...

Just idle musings...

[racenet]

LOL

I'm not really worried about it. I have plenty of other things that go "whoop whoop" in the night when severe weather is around. So, not to concerned with the weather radio aspect of it.  



Bob

[NoQuitters]

I use the new radio just for streaming. I have another one, WR-100, that is used as it was intended. A local grocery store in conjunction with one of the TV stations and the EOC sells them every year at a discounted rate. Works just as well and the same as the new one, just no am/fm and no earphone jack or I would have bought two.

Here's the ad for them, it's at the bottom of the page. Weather Radio Promotion

[ncpilot]

I finally ordered a WR300 (from Amazon for $52, free shipping) for use "as it was intended"...  

The feature I like about the 300 is that you can select which alerts you want it to activate... I don't think the 100 lets you do that... I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night for an inconsequential alert...

For now, I'll keep using this for streaming (ain't it purdy?): ancient Radio Shack receiver to which I added my own earphone jack, and then the isolation xformer...

[NoQuitters]

So how do you get away with things like that just sitting on the carpet? My wife would have a fit and just about kill me if I did anything that awful to her hardwood floors.