Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I replaced Spotify with a homemade FM radio station

old.reddit.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 57 posts

Re: I replaced Spotify with a homemade FM radio station

#31

Post by joxdosba »

calmbonsai wrote: post #27
avian wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Here in Germany you have to be careful when setting up a homemade radio signal - it might be illegal depending on frequency and transmit power. In Germany and everywhere else. The difference is how much it's enforced. Note that this project isn't using that horrible Raspberry Pi GPIO PWM hack that shits all over RF but an off-the-shelf low power car FM transmitter product. I guess if someone knocks on your door you…

At least in the U.S., it's a complete non-issue for an output power that can easily cover the size of a wedding reception as long as you're not using a wide-band transceiver. You'll want to be "kind" to the extant spectrum and do a responsible frequency sweep to select the "quietest band" prior to broadcasting. And you'll only want to broadcast during the event itself. The FCC has better things to do than to try and…

It’s a complete non-issue in all western countries unless you’re going out of your way to cause trouble.

Re: I replaced Spotify with a homemade FM radio station

#32

Post by dredmorbius »

elzbardico wrote: post #10

I miss the experience of having career professionals 100% dedicated to the music world curating a list of what I would hear. Of course, it was not perfect, there were ads, most stations played pop slop, but most of the time there was a few stations for your taste, your knew your preferred DJs times and there was a certain sense of community in being a regular fan of a show.

There is Internet Radio --- livestreams of radio stations broadcast over the Internet. Many of these are terrestrial broadcasts, and many of them play music. There are also dedicated online-only Internet stations.

This means you have access to the best terrestrial stations, as well as some (often quite niche) Internet-only options.

I find BBC (1-4 + world), Deutschlandfunk (numerous stations), Radio Swiss Classic (available in German, French, and Italian), France Inter / France Culture, and a number of other broadcasters (usually public, and hence with little or no advertising) generally appealing, and preferable to most of what I can tune in locally (OTA AM and FM are all but dead). Tastes run to classical, jazz, and blues, though you can find other options as well.

Re: I replaced Spotify with a homemade FM radio station

#33

Post by kanbankaren »

Projectiboga wrote: post #26
kanbankaren wrote: post #7

You don't even need a Raspberry PI. You can simplify it even further. List of things you need. 1. Smartphone or DAP. 2. Car Bluetooth FM Transmitter (~$20) 3. USB to 12 V car adapter(~$10) 4. Existing FM radio. You can set this up in 5 minutes. Connect the smartphone/DAP using BT or AUX cable. Select a free FM channel and you are ready to go. Also, in the photos, the FM antenna is fully extended which is unnecessary…

This isn't an item to cheap out on. Find one with aptX HD support and decent reviews if you have any room in your budget. I use the bluetooth to FM all the time. I have a pair, one in my car and another in my travel kit for rental cars. The key is to find one with aptX HD and other newer hi-fi codecs as there are older chips still being sold with lower specs as BT has been a thing for awhile now. I just did a search…

You drank the aptX kool aid and forgot the fidelity loss along the signal path.

FM broadcasts do a high pass at 50 Hz and stop at 15 kHz. The best SNR is only ~50 dB which is already achieved by plain old SBC. There is no need for higher fidelity audio codecs like AAC/aptX/aptX HD/LDAC besides the fact that most smartphones don't support aptX or aptX HD.

Re: I replaced Spotify with a homemade FM radio station

#34

Post by dredmorbius »

What I really like about this concept is that it runs a mix of podcasts, news updates, and music, which is something I've been considering for a while. Playing the same mix over a number of tuned-in sets throughout a house or establishment could also work nicely.

TFA uses bluetooth, which may incur different lags on different playback devices. Another option several people have already mentioned is low-power local-only FM (or apparently AM) transmitters. These are sometimes used for in-car playback without Bluetooth from a device (phone, tablet, laptop) over a non-Bluetooth sound system, and could work within a small house. Bands and transmission power are specifically licenced for this in some locations, though of course local regs will vary.

I particularly like the idea of curating my own set of podcasts to play as I want to schedule them, adding in top-of-the-hour news (BBC, CBC, NPR, Deutschlandfunk), or a daily news programme (BBC World, PBS News Hour, The World out of WBUR/Boston), with music filling in between slots either streamed or selected from a (very large, physical media-backed) collection.

Another thought, for a commercial venue which would otherwise be subject to, e.g., ASCAP / Harry Fox performance rights organisation licencing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_rights_organisatio...>), would be to use only public-domain / freely-licenced works.

Also very much appreciating others' similar takes on this.

(Submitter, FWIW.)

Re: I replaced Spotify with a homemade FM radio station

#37

Post by solomonb »

elzbardico wrote: post #10

I miss the experience of having career professionals 100% dedicated to the music world curating a list of what I would hear. Of course, it was not perfect, there were ads, most stations played pop slop, but most of the time there was a few stations for your taste, your knew your preferred DJs times and there was a certain sense of community in being a regular fan of a show.

I run a LPFM radio station here in Los Angeles.

https://www.kpbj.fm/

There are many more LFPMs out there too!

Re: I replaced Spotify with a homemade FM radio station

#38

Post by EvanAnderson »

dredmorbius wrote: post #34

What I really like about this concept is that it runs a mix of podcasts, news updates, and music, which is something I've been considering for a while. Playing the same mix over a number of tuned-in sets throughout a house or establishment could also work nicely. TFA uses bluetooth, which may incur different lags on different playback devices. Another option several people have already mentioned is low-power local-on…

> ... subject to, e.g., ASCAP / Harry Fox performance rights organisation licencing ... to use only public-domain / freely-licenced works.

I know a couple people who dealt with ASCAP and BMI in the context of small businesses. The association reps sounded a lot like stereotypical mafia "enforcers", making "It'd be a shame if something happened to your business..." kinds of veiled threats even when told the venue had strict rules allowing only original or public domain performances. (Their people also kept coming back, over and over again, much like vampires.) This was nearly 20 years ago but I doubt their tactics are much different today.

Re: I replaced Spotify with a homemade FM radio station

#39

Post by avian »

joxdosba wrote: post #31
calmbonsai wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least in the U.S., it's a complete non-issue for an output power that can easily cover the size of a wedding reception as long as you're not using a wide-band transceiver. You'll want to be "kind" to the extant spectrum and do a responsible frequency sweep to select the "quietest band" prior to broadcasting. And you'll only want to broadcast during the event itself. The FCC has better things to do than to try and…

It’s a complete non-issue in all western countries unless you’re going out of your way to cause trouble.

It's the tragedy of the commons. It's a complete non-issue for the offender because it's very unlikely they will face any consequences and less of a non-issue for their neighbor who suddenly can only receive this guy's Spotify on every channel instead of the public broadcast they wanted to listen (maybe exaggerating a bit, depending on the FM transmitter gizmo used, but maybe now it's all buried in noise when it was clear previously). Even the "size of a wedding reception" can cover several homes in a dense apartment block.

But don't underestimate the stubbornness and time some people can dedicate to complaining to authorities. You might have a neighbor that will send letters about how they have to pay mandatory monthly bills for the national public broadcast they now can't listen to. They will complain and complain enough that eventually the broadcaster will send someone over with a spectrum analyzer and then the ball starts rolling. There have been court cases over stuff like that in this corner of Europe.

But I agree, you can argue those offenders went out of their way to cause trouble. In the cases I read people kept doing stupid things even after several warnings and apparently only got their lesson only when dragged into court.

Re: I replaced Spotify with a homemade FM radio station

#40

Post by joxdosba »

avian wrote: post #39
joxdosba wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a complete non-issue in all western countries unless you’re going out of your way to cause trouble.

It's the tragedy of the commons. It's a complete non-issue for the offender because it's very unlikely they will face any consequences and less of a non-issue for their neighbor who suddenly can only receive this guy's Spotify on every channel instead of the public broadcast they wanted to listen (maybe exaggerating a bit, depending on the FM transmitter gizmo used, but maybe now it's all buried in noise when it was…

Yes, if you are careless it is possible for you to inconvenience your neighbours, you might even place them in actual danger if you mess with the right frequencies.

Don’t mess with radios if you’re not going to be mindful of your surroundings. But hey, we let people drive cars, those are vastly more dangerous.

Post reply on HN