INTERNET STREAMING
Setup the Procaster AM Transmitter to broadcast your Internet radio station
(System 3 - Procaster AM Transmitter with Internet Connectivity)
Most users that already have an Internet radio station, use a hosting service. This hosting service is scaled to suit the number of listeners.
By adding a decoding device called an Exstreamer made by Barix, the Exstreamer becomes another listener and converts the Internet radio station stream into line level audio that can be fed to the Procaster for over-the-air broadcasting on the AM band. The Procaster is a low power transmitter, with limited range and requires no broadcast license. There is no restriction on how many of these setups may be installed.
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Procaster AM Transmitter
Barix Exstreamer
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Connect the Exstreamer to your router using a normal network cable (supplied)
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Connect the RCA audio outputs from the Exstreamer to the input of the Studio Interface with the ⅛” to RCA adapter cable (supplied).
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Connect the Studio Interface to the Procaster using the supplied cable (refer to User Manual)
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Configure the Exstreamer to receive the desired Internet radio station (URL) using your web browser
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The Procaster now broadcasts the received Internet radio station. Should the Internet stream be lost, the Exstreamer can play from a flash memory drive (optional) inserted into the front panel. Once the stream returns, the Exstreamer automatically switches back from the flash drive to the stream. This way you are always guaranteed to be on the air.
Setup a network of Procaster AM Transmitters
With this setup you convert your audio to an Internet stream using an Instreamer made by Barix (a standalone server) which we call the Master - see diagram below. No other computers or services are required - the Instreamer takes audio input and converts it directly to a stream which is fed out onto the Internet.
In place of the Instreamer, you can use any type of server, such as a hosting service.
Remote Procasters similar to the setup described above convert the stream back to audio to feed the Procasters at their remote zones. You now have a real-time broadcasting network of transmitters.
Can I create an array of Procasters to form a larger radio station network?
Yes - you can connect several Procasters in an array to form a single large broadcast network as shown below. In a perfect world all transmitters would offer the same coverage in their respective zones - but in practice this may not be so due to environmental differences.
At the fringes where the transmitters overlap, listeners may hear ‘beating’ due to differences in transmitter carrier frequencies (this can be minimized by adjusting the carrier trimmer in the Procaster). There may also be ‘fluttering’ or dead spots due to phase differences which cannot be adjusted. This arrangement is not recommended if full area coverage is required.
There also may be echoes due to time delays across the Internet due to audio arriving at different times.
Can I create a network of Procasters to cover large distances?
Yes - you can connect several Procasters together to form any size broadcast network as shown below. The size of the network depends on the capability of the server. If an Instreamer is used as a server, several Remotes can be serviced because the Procaster operates in mono and at a low bit rate requiring less server resources. If a hosting service is used, there is no limit to the number of installations.
Each Remote Procaster decodes the Internet stream and re-broadcasts within its own zone. There is no interference between Procasters as they are located far enough apart to avoid conflict.
