The Future of NESF Teamspeak

[Scott SNE Webmaster]

Folks, the future of the NESF Teamspeak Server hangs in the balance. If there is to be a renewal, it is due 11/16/09.

I am considering terminating operation of the server due to the following. Your input regarding any or all of the below is anticipated and will weigh significantly on the final decision.

1. Diminished use of the server overall.
2. Significant improvements in means of providing feeds to Radio Reference.
3. Feed providers abandoning feeds and not communicating regarding lengthy downtimes or the aforementioned abandonment.
4. Donations to website may be better used in the updating of existing and possible future software and/or modules.

If NESF is not continued, an alternative for providing "on the fly" feeds of breaking events will be provided, as will a chat channel. This will likely be in the form of a smaller Teamspeak server locally hosted for this specific purpose, unless an easier method is realized.

Understand that this is not necessarily a matter of cost. I can renew our current server for one year for $259.00. The matter at hand is whether or not it is worth continuing the server as it is, and spending $259.00 on something that is waning in popularity and use.

There is no need to rush to a decision here given the current expiration date of our server rental, but it would be my intention to give current feed providers at least a few weeks notice to sign on with Radio Reference or another alternative. I'd give a "drop dead" date of 11/1.

This has been bantered about by my moderators and me with mixed feelings. Now it's your turn. I look forward to hearing from you.

[chuck1960]

I think you and the mods are more qualified than I to make this decision, knowing how much use there is. I say whatever makes the rest of the site more sustainable at less cost to you. I'd say that = #4.

[johnmac]

I have two feeds on teamspeak, one of which has been in part time status for some time. There is no way to monitor whether your feed is connected other than actually opening up teamspeak and checking it out (my teamspeak runs on a computer I rarely look at). Since my feeds now go through RadioReference, I would have no objections to not feeding through Teamspeak. I may stop my Teamspeak feed anyway, as it may go days disconnected without my knowledge and RadioReference is much easier to listen from, can have multiple feeds running and notifies me when it is down. So after all that, I would have no objection to shutting down the Teamspeak server.

[Lynskey 85]

I also provide two feeds. I will start by saying I am not at all familiar with the referenced Radio Reference feed option, but would be up to whatever the future feeding method is as long as it is not a resource hog (such as WME was).

I will second John's statement about the lack of knowledge when a feed goes down with Teamspeak. Both of my feeds run on secondary computers that I usually only log into when I know of a problem. And in most cases that knowledge comes from someone asking why it is down.

[jbella]

As one who used to use teampseak to listen I have to say that with radioreference I haven't fired up TS since. I'm considering putting up a feed on a 2ndary computer but it'd be with radioreference

[Scott SNE Webmaster]

Giving this a bump. Interesting comments thus far. Please keep them coming.

[ecps92]

I have not experimented with the RR Feeds, as I've been more than comfortable with the current TS Feed.

Do we need to set up a boot-drive on Rte-6 before all the Tourists leave the Sand-Bar??

Giving this a bump. Interesting comments thus far. Please keep them coming.

[jwb8734]

Do we need to set up a boot-drive on Rte-6 before all the Tourists leave the Sand-Bar

That is a good idea. How about before the bridge since traffic is slow how much slower can we make it by collecting a toll.

RR uses OddCast for there feed providers.

There are some positives with RR as a feed member is given free access to other things.

I am currently feeding both SNE and RR. I'm only feeding in RR because i can use my blackberry.

[ScanBoston]

I myself never plan to be involved with feeds on the radio reference site. Instead If we are ending our server here I think I may try and approach one of the other Teamspeak server sites about adding a New England area and see about event feeds. If anyone wants to join me let me know. I'd much rather be here so I will wait for the final decision but that would be my course of action.

[dfdff]

I listen on teamspeak but I was never able to figure out how to set up teamspeak to feed.

I ran my own feed until I found out about radio reference and love it.

I have been doing one feed for over a month on Radio Reference. Like others its great to get an email instantly when my feed goes down and when it goes back up. I am rarely by the computer that does the feed. The program is SUPER easy and i can have anyone reboot the computer if there is an issue. No firewall issues, opening ports etc. And the best part is with bbscanner we can all listen to those feeds.

[Scott SNE Webmaster]

Another bump. Still looking for more input. Thanks to those that have done so thus far.

[chadd.garrow]

I am hoping that this server will remain itis oneofthe best oneswe have out on the web and i would never think of leaving it but ifi have to I will
go to ibn itis anothergoodteamspeakserver and i do have a feed there it a good site but i would rather be here on this site as well . so lets fight hard to keep this server on please do not let something good slip out from
under us.

[chadd.garrow]

I love this server it is one of the best ones we have and can trust on the web.
I would like to fight to keep this server on.
but if we can not i will go to ibn it is another teamspeak server that is good
i do have a feed there but i would rather be here on this server,
so lets not let something good slip away from us lets give it our all to keep this
server on the web.

[jeffkett]

I log into the teamspeak when I am traveling to keep tabs on things around here. Day to day I am happy with my "command post" and have the scanners chugging away. Unless there is a SPECIAL EVENT feed up....I guess my teamspeaking is more prone to when I'm not on Cape... I trust the owners/moderators to do what is most beneficial to the site.
Jeff

[Scott SNE Webmaster]

Any further thought from our users on this?

[N1BHH]

I don't use it often enough and when I do, I always check out the other servers and for the most part, most aren't online anymore. I think I have about 20 or so servers in my list and at least 10 of them keep coming up as offline or not available on the server. I have Winamp set up with around 25 scanner feeds and that is usually how I listen to distant scanners.

[Tuckrat]

I've typically only used the special event feeds. If some version of the server could be reserved for that purpose, that would suit me!

Thanks to all who have contributed feeds to the server...

Mike

[dfdff]

I have also noticed that a couple of the local feeds i would listen to are not there any more?? I appreciate all the work you do on this site!!

[N1FIY]

As some of the others have noted, I mainly use this when traveling or am just not able to have access to my radios. When I'm working in my home office, I use it if something is posted in the 'Incident' forum.

So I'm on the fence. I like the convenience of it, and the access to it, but if the $$$ could be spent better elsewhere, I wouldn't argue against that...

[Joe SNE Moderator]

Brian, you're probably the better person to ask about this: Is it easier to access TS at work, rather than mp3 feeds? I know the workplace blocks ports, etc, and wonder if TS is accessible through that.

[Lynskey 85]

From my experience, both ports are generally blocked by corporate systems.

[Scott SNE Webmaster]

Please open a new thread about ports if you want to continue that discussion. I really need to keep this thread on track. Thanks.

[Joe SNE Moderator]

Actually, Scott, I was aiming my port comment towards the fact that it might be more likely for people who work in the corporate environment to use Teamspeak if it was easier to be accessed than other mp3 feeds. My apologies if you thought it was a network-only comment.

[Jclaflin]

The other alternative to a new teamspeak server would be IBN's. I have a feed on there, same as Joe on here. I am notified though from the staff when my feed is down. They also support icecast feeds as well. The one issue lately is there are a lot of outages that are being worked on and hoping to have rectified.

I have also just learned of radio references feeds and have to ask why is there not a live feed page associated with this site. that would take care of the teamspeak issue and allow more people to access the feeds. I know I had to download TS at work in order to use it. I think we could do better if we were to take the course that radio reference took with their feeds. I could be wrong but just a thought.

[Scott SNE Webmaster]

Actually, Scott, I was aiming my port comment towards the fact that it might be more likely for people who work in the corporate environment to use Teamspeak if it was easier to be accessed than other mp3 feeds. My apologies if you thought it was a network-only comment.

I thought it was, sorry.

That said, I've always thought that people at work had MORE problems accessing with Teamspeak than less. In my case I can use either if I have time to listen to anything from there.