CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidiosmobileinternet-radio
AlanSTACK
AlanSTACK

Reputation: 6065

How do police-scanner radio apps work? Specifically, where are they obtaining the streaming audio data?

Consider this popular mobile app that lets you tune into local police radio chatter.

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How exactly do these applications work? They aren't using any built-in radio receiver in the phone, since you can also choose to listen to the radio stations of far away cities.

Is the operator of this application literally going out and setting up transmission arrays in each city before piping the collected data into the cloud? This seems rather expensive and highly unlikely in such a small operation. Alternatively, are these apps just using some API service that I am not aware of?

Where are they obtaining all this streaming audio data? Does anyone have any idea?

Upvotes: 4

Views: 1722

Answers (2)

Hamster
Hamster

Reputation: 1

Individuals/hobbyist groups in each town or region set up repeaters. The scanner app picks up and streams those broadcasts. I don't know the technicality behind it. Below is a conversation addressing this in reference to railroad transmissions:

Just a FYI

There is a android app called scanner radio that picks up railroadradio.net and other scanner freq.s if you want to listen to trains or police on your phone.

Mike,

Indeed, and I believe there is a similar one for the iPhone. The app is not acting as a radio but linking directly to railroadradio.net via the phones net connection.

Upvotes: 0

Viatcheslav Ehrmann
Viatcheslav Ehrmann

Reputation: 746

Without internet they must be using a radio receiver chip in the phone.

With internet. Just google for some live radio broadcast sites. For example this site on first search result.

Then simply stream the audio.

Upvotes: 0

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