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zararadio free - using satellite feature

C

chrisathome

Hi all

I've just been dropped into programming the free version of zararadio (1.6.2) on a local hospital radio site in the UK. Station runs 12 hrs/day (noon-midnight) using a mix of zara and live studio over landline to the hospital av distribution system.

Zara is scheduled on an hourly basis using a master event file to call the relevant day/hour .m3u playlists. All works fine and I understand the scheduling and the filestructures.

When the station is off air it rebroadcasts BBC Radio Solent picked off air from a tuner. I need to arrange for zara to use a feed of Solent via the pc line in for the 15 mins pre and post transmission to ease the switchover which is currently relay driven by an electronic timer which is not second accurate (phase 2 of a rebuild!).

I have set up a test zara install on a spare xp box with an onboard AC97 Realtek sound card. I can get the audio into the box and check that xp sees the audio source but I can't get the satellite feature to work.

I have made up a test playlist with the following test entries:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1,Connect to satellite
.satcon
#EXTINF:300,Satellite 00:05:00
300.satellite
#EXTINF:-1,Disconnect from satellite
.satdis

which fires up ok and runs as expected but I get no audio through zara, though a file tacked to the end of the playlist will play normally when the .satdis command executes. It's not a sound card conf issue as far as I can see. On the net I have come across references to DTMF tones which of course I am not using. Does the satellite option need to hear these on the incoming line in order to work?

Any tips gratefully received!

Christopher
 
I haven't played with that software in quite some time, so I can give only very general advice. As I recall, the commands in the playlist are sufficient for what you're trying to do. I don't think you need tones.

Someone else with a better understanding may correct me, however.

It's best to get Zara to work, but if you can't, there is a free third party application that may help. This program will mute and unmute the line-in for a specific number of minutes each hour. It needs fixed times however. Have a look and see if it will help.

Automute
http://www.charliedavy.co.uk/software.php#AutoMute

Good luck!
 
Also, does Zara support external closures? If so, perhaps a relay would work for you. Wire the output of Zara to one side, the network to the other. When it's time for the network to air, Zara would send it's closure and pull the relay to the network side.
 
Thanks for the info, I'll look into that link and see if it will do the trick. I'd rather get Zara to switch if I can, it's easier to set up! I was just worried the free version had the satellite function disabled or something. Don't know about external closures.

Christopher
 
Thanks for that, I had (mistakenly) assumed that zara was a mixer and was confused why I couldn't get an input. Sorted the problem with a pci sound card - the onboard Realtek audio didn't provide the line in I needed.
 
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